LEGACY - DECEMBER 2011

Issue 2

December 2011

L e g ac y Wild Game Fish Conservation International http://WGFCI.blogspot.com

Atlantic salmon feedlots along inside passage.

Several others on Vancouver Island‟s west coast

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Sockeye salmon smolts‘ marine migration routes as presented in “Salmon Farm

Diseases and Sockeye Salmon” featuring renowned Marine Biologist, Dr. Alexandra Morton.

The over Puget Sound, Hood Canal and Strait of Juan de Fuca indicates that the marine migration routes of these sockeye salmon smolts were not available at time of publication.

Legacy Wild Game Fish Conservation International

Wild Game Fish Conservation International (WGFCI): Established in 2011 to advocate for wild game fish and for those who rely on them.

LEGACY: The complimentary monthly publication for wild game fish conservationists LEGACY, the WGFCI Facebook page and the WGFCI website will be utilized to help educate fellow conservationists, elected officials, business owners and others regarding wild game fish and the many issues impacting them and those who rely on their sustainability.

LEGACY will feature wild game fish conservation projects, fishing adventures, accommodations, equipment and more. Your photos and articles featuring wild game fish from around planet earth are welcome for possible inclusion in an upcoming issue of LEGACY. Your ―Letters to the Editor‖ are also welcome.

Successful wild game fish conservation efforts around planet earth will ensure existence of these precious natural resources for future generations to enjoy and appreciate. This is our LEGACY.

Wild Game Fish Conservation International founders: Bruce Treichler

Co-editor “Legacy”

Jim Wilcox

Publisher and co-editor “Legacy”

Legacy December 2011: 

5 Atlantic Salmon Feedlots and Related Topics –Global Impacts to Ecosystems, Cultures and Economies

 28 December Masterpiece  29 Bristol Bay Protection (Alaska)  38 Elwha River Restoration (Washington State)  41 Columbia and Snake River Restoration (Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, British Columbia)  White Salmon River Restoration (Washington State)  45 Chehalis River Flood Damage Prevention (Washington State)  50 Wild Game Fish on Planet Earth (photos)  52 Our Readers Write  53 Wild Game Fish Conservation - Recommended Videos  54 Attention Conservation-minded Business Owners

 Atlantic salmon feedlots Global impacts to ecosystems, cultures and economies

Fish farms, ISA virus go hand in hand

Canada's silence about the threat to wild salmon is appalling READ ENTIRE TIMES COLONIST ARTICLE HERE WATCH ENTIRE GLOBAL TV BC VIDEO HERE

Feds say they have yet to confirm presence of deadly virus in B.C. salmon By: The Canadian Press Posted: 10/21/2011 4:44 PM |

VANCOUVER - Federal officials say they'll be testing Pacific salmon in the coming weeks to verify the presence of a deadly virus reportedly found on B.C.'s central coast.

Simon Fraser University professor Rick Routledge announced earlier this week that sockeye smolts from Rivers Inlet have tested positive for a strain of Infectious Salmon Anaemia, or ISA. But in a joint statement released Friday, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Minister of Agriculture and Agrifoods Canada said the reports have not been verified by federal officials through what they call "established processes."

They also say they are concerned proper protocols may not have been followed during the testing and reporting of the ISA findings.

The ministers say federal officials with the ISA reference laboratory in Moncton, N.B, will test samples from 48 fish, and those tests could take four or five weeks to complete.

Union of B.C. Indian Grand Chief Stewart Phillip has already called on the federal government to provide emergency funding for more testing to find out how widespread the virus is.

Response to the above article - Don Staniford Global Coordinator Global Alliance Against Industrial Aquaculture

The cover-up continues: "In a joint statement released Friday, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Minister of Agriculture and Agrifoods Canada said the reports have not been verified by federal officials through what they call "established processes."

They also say they are concerned proper protocols may not have been followed during the testing and reporting of the ISA findings"

Don Staniford (GAAIA) presenting paper to King Harald V of Norway requesting protection of BC‘s wild Pacific salmon from impacts of Norwegianowned, Atlantic salmon feedlots

Links to selected Atlantic salmon feedlot articles  Report (OCTOBER 2011): Office International Des Epizooties (World Organization for Animal Health)  Deadly Salmon Disease Found on West Coast  Protect wild salmon stocks from industrial fish farms  Pacific Salmon Virus: First Nations Leaders Blame Fish Farms, Call For Federal Action  U.S. senators raise alarm over B.C. sockeye virus  Canada can‟t be trusted to identify deadly salmon virus, U.S. senators say  Salmon farm announcement follows news of virus  Canadian practices could lead to spread of salmon virus  Feds must take threat seriously  Lethal virus found in B.C. sockeye „threat‟ to producers  Nightmare on Fraser River  Deadly disease found in coho opens floodgates to legal action  Fishyleaks  A Mysterious Virus Threatens Salmon in the West  Salmon virus doesn't mess around, why does Canada?  Deadly virus found in wild salmon  Lillooet Tribal Council calls for full investigation  David Suzuki: Virus is another sign of failure to protect wild salmon  ISA Spreads to Fraser River Chinook and Chum Salmon; European strain in Coho; Confirmed in Sockeye  Infectious salmon anemia: Getting the jump on a disease of 'devastating quickness'  The science is in on salmon farms  Further Tests Fail to Detect Salmon Virus  New Zealand King Salmon Farming Expansion on Fast Track  Wenatchee – Salmon Anemia scare has PUD on Alert  Statement from the Federal Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Canada Keith Ashfield and British Columbia Minister of Agriculture Don McRae  NRDC: Deadly Salmon Virus – One more reason to protect Bristol Bay wild salmon Fishery  New salmon cancer scare  On the trail of potential salmon killer  Whales and salmon: when enemies need each other

Trout Unlimited Supports Legislation to Address Virus Outbreak in Pacific Salmon Contact: Paula Dobbyn, Trout Unlimited, Alaska Program, Director of Communications, 907-2301513 or pdobbyn@tu.org For Immediate Release: 10/20/2011 Alaska Director Praises Senators for Quick Action to Protect Wild Salmon Juneau, Alaska — Trout Unlimited today applauded quick action taken by Sens. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.,) Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska,) and Mark Begich (D-Alaska) to address the outbreak of infectious salmon anemia, a virus potentially deadly to wild Pacific salmon recently found in two sockeye smolts off British Columbia. This is the first time that wild Pacific salmon have ever tested positive for the disease.

The Washington and Alaska senators have introduced legislation directing government scientists to determine the scope and cause of the outbreak of infectious salmon anemia that has devastated salmon farms in Chile and elsewhere, and to recommend steps to protect the health of salmon stocks along the West Coast, Canada and Alaska. The scientists would have six months to complete their report. The legislation is also backed by Senators Patty Murray (D-Wash.,) Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.,) Ron Wyden (D-Ore.,) Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.) ―We thank the senators for taking a leadership role on this. This situation is extremely serious given the critical role salmon play in the economy, culture and way of life of so many Alaskans. While there‘s a shortage of information right now, this disease outbreak could pose potentially serious consequences for salmon up and down the West Coast, from Alaska to California. The sooner we can get a handle on what‘s causing the outbreak and take steps to prevent the spread to Alaska waters, the better,‖ said Tim Bristol, director of Trout Unlimited, Alaska Program.

READ ENTIRE TROUT UNLIMITED ARTICLE HERE British Columbia: Infectious Salmon Anaemia (European Strain): Confirmed In Rivers Inlet Sockeye 10/20/2011 The Kwikwasutinuxw-Haxwa‘mis First Nation are outraged, disgusted and appalled at the news of a European Strain of Infectious Salmon Anaemia (ISA) found within the Wild Salmon of the Pacific Coast, specifically the Rivers Inlet run of Sockeye.

For this particular strain to be identified can only lead to one conclusion, that the Wild salmon have been infected with ISA from Open Net Cage Salmon Farms. The DFO must take immediate and clear steps to safeguard our precious Wild Salmon. It is time to stop supporting the Fish farm Industry and give true breath and meaning to the DFO‘s Oceans Act and Wild Salmon Policy.

READ ENTIRE “indigenouspeoplesissues” ARTICLE HERE

Editorial Comment: Accidental escapes of farmed Atlantic salmon in floating, open AND in land-based feedlots have a long and problematic history

Atlantic salmon escape into Chehalis system Posted: Friday, July

25, 2003

In a brief but chilling statement this week, officials of the state Department of Fish and Wildlife announced they have found several hundred escaped Atlantic salmon swimming freely in Scatter Creek near Grand Mound. The non-native species were found during a stream survey a few days ago.

About 250 juvenile Atlantic salmon, some up to a foot long, were sighted in the creek during a snorkeling survey late last week. The biologists collected 17 juvenile Atlantics and took them to the WDFW lab in Olympia for genetic testing and analysis. It is not known how long the fish have been in Scatter Creek.

Scatter Creek, a Chehalis River tributary, is home to a healthy, naturally spawning coho salmon population. Atlantic salmon are not native to the Pacific Coast and — like other non-native species — can compete with native fish for food and habitat. On some rivers in Alaska and British Columbia, the accidental introduction of Atlantic salmon from commercial hatcheries has had a devastating effect on local, native salmon and trout populations.

WDFW biologists and representatives of Cypress Island, which operates the commercial hatchery on the creek, plan to meet to determine how to remove Atlantic salmon from the creek, prevent future fish escapes from the hatchery and step up monitoring for hatchery escapees.

Biologists, meanwhile, are exploring ways to remove the Atlantic salmon from the creek without harming native species. Possible methods include hand-netting the fish from the creek, electroshocking the creek, or constructing a trap that would allow the Atlantic salmon to be removed from the creek as they migrate downstream, according to John Kerwin, WDFW's head hatchery official.

Following the announcement, we talked with other WDFW biologists in the area and learned that juvenile Atlantic salmon had been captured in a trap further down the Chehalis earlier, during a smolt survey, but apparently no public disclosure was made at that time.

We talked with a local angler who had drifted the Skookumchuck earlier this week and had observed several schools of salmon smolt that were 10-12 inches long, much larger than either chinook or coho salmon are expected to be at this time of summer.

We cannot know yet if Atlantics are present in the Skookumchuck, but he is hoping to catch and identify a couple of those stocks. If they are, indeed, Atlantic salmon, there is a definite threat to the native chinook and planted coho stocks in our backyard river.

The discovery of Atlantic salmon in local waters may have been the impetus for a grant from the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission to the WDFW to conduct the survey on Scatter Creek. A total of 13 other watersheds will be investigated as a result of that grant.

READ ENTIRE CHRONLINE.COM ARTICLE HERE

Magnificent species like these below rely directly on sustainable populations of healthy, wild Pacific salmon and steelhead trout.

WATCH VIDEO HERE

READ ENTIRE PRESS RELEASE HERE

Wild Game Fish Conservation International calls for removal of salmon feedlots Olympia, Washington (November 2, 2011) – Wild Game Fish Conservation International (WGFCI) recommends immediate removal of all floating, open Atlantic salmon feedlots sited in wild Pacific salmon ecosystems. We do this because of the strong evidence that practices associated with farmed Atlantic salmon feedlots negatively impact wild Pacific salmon and steelhead trout, marine mammals such as seals, sea lions, Orca whales, as well as other wildlife associated with otherwise healthy wild Pacific salmon ecosystems.

Jim Wilcox, publisher and co-editor of Legacy, the monthly, non-commercial publication by Wild Game Fish Conservation International said, "The negative impacts to local ecosystems, cultures and economies due to irresponsible and immoral practices directly associated with floating, open Atlantic salmon feedlots far outweigh any potential benefits."

Wilcox continues, ―With recent, confirmed detection of the European strain of the Infectious Salmon Anemia virus in wild sockeye and coho salmon in British Columbia along with reports of lethal removal of hundreds of marine mammals to protect farmed Atlantic salmon crops, now is the time to do what is necessary to protect wild Pacific salmon.

Bruce Treichler, co-editor of Legacy said, ―elected and appointed officials at all levels must enforce state, national and international regulations in order to protect extremely valuable, wild Pacific salmon and steelhead trout from known and unknown diseases and various parasites directly associated with floating, open Atlantic salmon feedlots.‖ Treichler said. ―Until it can be scientifically confirmed that these salmon feedlots don‘t impact wild Pacific salmon, they must be removed from wild Pacific salmon ecosystems.‖ Wild Game Fish Conservation International, its affiliate organizations and associates support the ongoing efforts by US Senator Maria Cantwell (Washington State), Marine Biologist Dr. Alexandra Morton (British Columbia) and others to understand and quantify the negative impacts associated with floating, open Atlantic salmon feedlots on wild Pacific salmon and on the ecosystems, cultures and economies that rely on their sustained health.

FOLLOW WILD GAME FISH CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL

Editorial Comment: For more than a decade, the Orvis Company, several restaurants and other retail outlets have responsibly chosen to not sell farm-raised Atlantic salmon to their customers.

Seattle Times article from 2000

The Orvis Company has stopped selling farm-raised Atlantic smoked salmon. 5/14/2000 CEO Perk Perkins said the fly-fishing supply company wants to encourage the salmon aquaculture industry to be more environmentally responsible.

If farm salmon escape and interbreed with wild salmon, it could weaken the gene pool and/or spread disease.

Farmed Atlantic salmon have been found as far north as the Bering Sea. British Columbia imposed a moratorium on salmon farming.

In Washington, escaped farmed salmon are categorized as pollutants by the Pollution Control Hearings Board, which set stringent controls.

There have been catastrophic escapes of Atlantic salmon in Puget Sound: 107,000 In 1996, 369,000 in 1997 and 115,000 last year.

Atlantic salmon appeared in some sport catches last year in the Green-Duwamish river system.

The State Fish and Wildlife Commission said it had not seen clear evidence of disease, interbreeding or competition for food and habitat but the potential exists.

More than 10 million pounds of Atlantic salmon, valued at $40 million, are produced each year in Washington. About 100 million pounds (80 percent are Atlantic salmon) are produced in British Columbia, and about 6 million farmed salmon are raised in floating pens in Maine.

There are farmed fish on the East Coast, just north of the Canadian border, that have infectious salmon anemia, which has spread to wild salmon.

State Fish and Wildlife's recommendations: -- Use non-reproductive fish in Atlantic salmon aquaculture to eliminate the risk of colonization.

-- Re-establish authority to state Fish and Wildlife or another state agency to regulate aquaculture.

Among the areas of regulation: determining species that could be raised, inspecting operations, education and establishing an Atlantic Salmon Watch program.

-- Provide funding to manage aquaculture.

-- Work with the British Columbia government and aquaculture industry to develop policies.

Salmon Feedlot Industry Perspectives Let's not jump to conclusions over infected salmon

By Mary Ellen Walling, Vancouver Sun October 22, 2011 Re: Infected salmon put fish farms, government policy, under microscope, Letters, Oct. 20 Don Staniford is wrong when he says that a finding of ISA (infectious salmon anemia) leads back directly to salmon farm companies in B.C. Nearly 5,000 fish from salmon farms in B.C. have been tested for ISA with the highly sensitive PCR test and the disease has never been found.

Salmon farmers in B.C. are not seeing any notable health issue on their farms - an important note as Atlantic salmon are particularly susceptible to ISA while Pacific salmon are not.

Egg imports have been highly regulated for many years.

READ ENTIRE VANCOUVER SUN ARTICLE HERE

Marine Harvest predator guards get praise, skepticism

By Dan MacLennan, Campbell River Courier-Islander. 10/21/2011 Marine Harvest is hoping two huge and costly "winter predator guards" will drastically reduce or eliminate seal and sea lion kills at its Quatsino fish farms, but the Living Oceans Society is calling the half million dollar price tag 'good money after bad.'

The BC aquaculture industry's message of environmental sustainability took a major black eye last month when the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) released figures showing carnage at the farms in terms of the number of seals and sea lions killed. The largest fish farmer in BC, Marine Harvest had 124 seals and sea lions killed at its farms in the first three months of the year and another 92 in the second quarter. That was more than twice the death toll over the same period last year and roughly four times the 2009 tally.

On Monday, the company announced it will spend $250,000 on each of two stainless steel-reinforced nets to surround two of its four Quatsino Sound fish farms off the northwest tip of the Island. The nets, more than 100 metres by 60 metres, are to be installed around the Koskimo Bay and Monday Rocks farms by mid December. Marine Harvest's other two Quatsino farms have smaller fish which don't attract the seals and sea lions as much, said Sustainability Programs Director Clare Backman.

READ ENTIRE POST MEDIA ARTICLE HERE

Transporting Salmon Without Infections or Lice ScienceDaily (Nov. 1, 2011) — For the past three years, scientists, engineers and operators in the farming industry have been developing the well-boat technology of the future. Here are some of the results.

In the future, aquaculture will have adapt to stringent standards of hygiene and infection control, say researchers, so they have developed a well-boat concept packed with technology that will lead to more environmentally friendly operation and better-quality fish.

Well-boats are used to transport live fish in modern fish-farming, both out to the sea-cages and from the cages to the slaughterhouse. The problem is that at present, these boats release water from the tanks that the fish swim inas the are being carried. This means that diseases and parasites such as lice can be spread with the water, explains researcher Mats A Heide.

Heide is a research scientist at SINTEF Fisheries and Aquaculture -- and the man who designed the technology-heavy innovation.

Cooperation with industry participants The researchers developed the concept in cooperation with industry participants in the course of the project "Development of the future well-boat technology," supported by the Research Council of Norway Early in the project it became clear that it would be essential to improve hygiene and control of infection compared to current boats. In order to obtain inspiration for good hygiene solutions the researchers visited Tine Dairies, and other requirements for food production hygiene provided guidelines for their design choices.

The newly developed well-boat concept is packed with innovative technology that will ensure easy cleaning and prevent releases of potentially infectious water from the wells.

High-tech hygiene The new well-boat concept is designed around the wells or cargo tanks, and pays particular attention to hygiene-friendly design. For example, tanks have been designed with rounded corners to ensure that automatic cleaning systems reach all surfaces -- important for preventing biological material from building up.

The vessel is also equipped with a system that circulates fresh seawater within the tank. This keeps the water quality high, so that the fish do well during their journey.

Prevents spread of infection Filter systems enable the waste-water to be cleaned before it is discharged, or the water can be recycled after treatment, which allows the boat to go for long periods without discharging water. In practice this means that fish can be carried with a much higher safety margin against the spread of infection.

READ ENTIRE DAILYSCIENCE ARTICLE HERE

New fish farm pitched off Clallam County waters

By Rob Ollikainen Peninsula Daily News 10/22/2011 PORT ANGELES — An Oregon seafood company has floated the idea of a new fish farm in the waters off Clallam County.

Pacific Aquaculture, a division of Pacific Seafoods, wants to lease 180 acres in the Strait of Juan de Fuca between the Lyre and Twin rivers to raise steelhead and Atlantic salmon. ―It's an ideal location,‖ said John Bielka, Pacific Aquaculture general manager, in a Friday interview with the Peninsula Daily News.

Bielka said the constant flushing action of the Strait would allow the waste to be ―quickly swept away and assimilated by the marine food web.‖

Not formally proposed The idea has not been formally proposed.

Pacific Aquaculture will meet with regulatory agencies in Clallam County early next month before submitting an application. ―We'll see if it's economically feasible to develop the project further,‖ Bielka said.

Bielka said the fish farm would be 1½ to 2 miles offshore. It would have two rows of large circular net pens, 24 altogether.

Steelhead, salmon One row would grow steelhead, and the other would grow Atlantic salmon.

American Gold Seafoods now operates two hatcheries near Rochester in Thurston County and has 120 pens off Port Angeles, Bainbridge Island, Cypress Island and Hope Island.

Bielka said most Atlantic salmon are farmed off British Columbia, Norway and Chile.

The Seattle Times reported Thursday that 85 percent of fish and shellfish consumed in the U.S. is imported.

READ ENTIRE PENINSULA DAILY NEWS ARTICLE HERE

WGFCI response to Peninsula Daily News article 10/22/2011 Thank you for publishing Rob Ollikainen's recent article and associated PDN reader comments regarding preliminary plans to lease 180 acres in the Strait of Juan de Fuca for the purpose of raising Atlantic salmon and steelhead trout in open, floating net pens located up to two miles off the Olympic Peninsula shoreline, a little west of Port Angeles.

Wild Game Fish Conservation International views this proposal as irresponsible on many fronts at this time Our concerns include, but are not limited to, the recent reported detection of Infectious Salmon Anemia (ISA) in two wild sockeye salmon tested from Rivers Inlet in British Columbia, the potential catastrophic impacts to wild Pacific salmon and steelhead trout (including those that are destined to spawn in the the Elwha River), potential salmon feedlot escapes due to storms in the unprotected Strait of Juan de Fuca, interference with shipping and boating traffic (especially during inclement weather) and lethal marine mammal predator control to protect the cash investment in these exotic species.

The reported detection of ISA in wild Pacific salmon is reason enough for those responsible for providing the lease for these feedlots to exercise the precautionary principle in order to keep from negatively impacting many ongoing conservation efforts to protect wild Pacific salmon and those areas they impact (ecosystem, cultures, industries).

Scottish salmon farmers urged to follow lead of their Canadian counterparts 10/20/2011 MARINE Harvest, one of the biggest producers of farmed salmon in Canada today won praise for their plan to protect stock in their Canadian fish cages by surrounding their farms with anti-predator nets. These nets are designed to stop seals and other predators attacking the salmon and eliminate the need to shoot and kill the animals.

This announcement comes only days after an international coalition of animal welfare and marine conservation groups called on the US Government to ban the importation of salmon from countries, including Scotland and Canada, where farmers are allowed to kill marine mammals. The US Marine Mammal Protection Act prohibits the intentional killing of marine mammals in commercial fishing operations, including fish farms.

John Robins of the Scottish charity Save Our Seals Fund which was part of the coalition says: ―For decades we have been trying to get Marine Harvest and other companies with salmon farms in Scotland to install exclusion nets to keep seals and other predators away from the salmon. Instead of backing our call the Scottish Government gave the fish farmer‘s licences to shoot nearly 1,300 seals a year. ―This could be the breakthrough we need. If Scottish fish farmers want to maintain access to the lucrative market in the United States they are going to have to follow the lead of Canadian salmon farmers and give up the cheap option of shooting seals and install and maintain proper antipredator nets instead. If they can do it in Canada they can do it in Scotland and stop our seas running red with the blood of innocent seals.‖

Don Staniford, coordinator for the Global Alliance Against Industrial Aquaculture, said: "Marine Harvest have blood on their hands from the killing of marine mammals around the world.

That Marine Harvest in Canada is now investing in new predator nets is due to the threat of a ban on imports of farmed salmon to the lucrative US market. For decades the industry has claimed that the shooting of marine mammals is a 'last resort' yet it is clear that it has been trigger-happy in picking up the gun before picking up the bill for costly predator nets. In the same way as consumers demanded 'dolphin-friendly tuna' we should be demanding salmon that is sourced only from farms which do not kill seals and sea lions. Until the industry stops the slaughter, consumers should boycott 'seal unfriendly' farmed salmon. Sadly, the only way to force change in this lethal industry is to hurt the companies in the pocket."

VIDEO: THE SHAME BELOW THE WAVES

Wild Game Fish Conservation International October 26, 2011 Dr. Alexandra Morton, Wild Game Fish Conservation International greatly appreciates your continued dedication to indentify and understand the cause(s) associated with declining populations of wild Pacific salmon and the impacts of the declining wild salmon on already threatened and endangered wildlife species, native cultures and salmon reliant industries.

We support your recommendations along with those by US Senator Maria Cantwell, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and others for further research associated with the impacts of floating, open Atlantic salmon feedlots in marine environments in British Columbia and other locations inhabited by wild Pacific salmon.

Certainly, the potential impacts of these exotic salmon feedlots are many and disastrous to the iconic wild Pacific salmon and steelhead trout. They include, but are not limited to, known and yet-to-be identified diseases, life-draining parasites including salmon lice, farmed Atlantic salmon escapes, devastation to other marine life (plant and animal) located near the feedlots and lethal removal of hundreds of marine mammals (seals and sea lions) to protect the cash investment in these exotic species.

Now is the time to exercise the precautionary principle in order to not negatively impact the ongoing efforts to protect and restore sustainable populations of wild Pacific salmon and steelhead trout.

Thank you, Dr. Morton, for your professionalism, dedication, passion, leadership, community outreach and patience.

Sincerely, Bruce Treichler and Jim Wilcox Wild Game Fish Conservation International

WGFCI Congratulates Dr. Alexandra Morton Originally from Connecticut, Alexandra Morton is a marine biologist best known these days for her studies focusing on the impact of salmon farming in the waters off British Columbia. Not only did Morton garner the most votes, but she also garnered the most nominations -- 20 in total. Many of them echoed these sentiments: "Alexandra Morton has for many years sustained a selfless but articulate struggle against governments, industry and other financial beneficiaries of questionable ocean science.

Her recent focus has been on fish farming techniques but she began living in isolation on the B.C. coast more than 30 years ago to study the marine environment of Orca whales.

Her views have consistently called for preservation of natural ecology and application of the precautionary principle favouring preservation of natural order. She is a scientist, an author, an activist and, perhaps most importantly, a symbol of an individual's ability to peacefully confront larger and more powerful forces over issues of conscience."

Pre-spawn Chum Salmon Mortality Sampling for the European Strain of Infections Salmon Anemia Virus.

Nanaimo River, British Columbia Dr. Alexandra Morton giving interviews to local media (on site and remote) while she and Anissa Reed (dark jacket) sample wild chum salmon for the European strain of Infectious Salmon Anemia virus. Photos courtesy of Don Staniford, GAAIA

WHAT Are the Herring Dying Of? 10/23/2011

In mid June of this year Alexandra Morton took this photo of a juvenile Pacific Herring bleeding from its fins near the Burdwood salmon farm feedlot in the Broughton Achipelago and wrote about it on her blog http://alexandramorton.typepad.com/alexandra_morton/2011/06/voices-for-wild-salmon-we-havebeen-played-for-fools.html In July Alexandra photographed herring near the docks on Malcolm island covered in sea lice and wrote about it. http://alexandramorton.typepad.com/alexandra_morton/2011/07/herring-with-lice.html Last week I headed up to the North Island to help Alexandra track down the herring again and take some samples. Do they have ISA? Why hasn't anyone from DFO gone to investigate this incredibly disturbing scenario?

I took the first ferry over to Malcolm Island, we loaded the net into the boat and headed out on the water looking for the herring.

After about an hour of searching we found they were still hiding in around the government dock area and set the net right amongst the boats.

READ ENTIRE SALMON ARE SACRED BLOG ENTRY BY ANISSA REED HERE

Discovery of lethal fish virus in B.C. sockeye prompts special inquiry session mark hume Vancouver— Globe and Mail Update 30 comments

A federal inquiry into the decline of sockeye salmon in British Columbia will reconvene next month for a special two day session to hear evidence concerning the apparent discovery of an Atlantic fish virus on the West Coast.

Alarm bells were sounded almost two weeks ago when Rick Routledge, a Professor at Simon Fraser University, announced that tissue samples from two of 48 young sockeye salmon collected on the Central Coast had tested positive for infectious salmon anemia (ISA).

More related to this story  

Lethal virus found in B.C. sockeye ‗threat‘ to producers Deadly European salmon virus found in Pacific stock

The highly contagious virus originates in Atlantic salmon and has never been found before in Pacific salmon. It is suspected that the disease, the finding of which has not yet been confirmed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, could have been imported with Atlantic salmon which are raised in open net fish farms in B.C. Last week there were reports, which are also now under study by the CFIA, that Pacific Coho and Chinook salmon samples taken from fish in the Fraser River have also tested positive for ISA. Brian Wallace, senior counsel for the Cohen Commission of Inquiry into the Decline of Sockeye Salmon in the Fraser River, issued a statement Friday saying the hearings, which were due to end Thursday, will reconvene in December.

READ ENTIRE GLOBE AND MAIL ARTICLE HERE

Salmon hearing participants clash openly in final submissions mark hume VANCOUVER— From Tuesday's Globe and Mail 11/04/2011

Participants in the Cohen Commission are clashing openly this week as they deliver final submissions and attempt to bolster their own cases while undermining their opponents.

Throughout the nearly two years of hearings, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Bruce Cohen has heard the various groups (representing governments, commercial fishermen, the aquaculture industry, first nations and conservationists) advance their views through direct questioning and cross-examination of witnesses.

More related to this story   

Discovery of lethal fish virus in B.C. sockeye prompts special inquiry session Deadly European salmon virus found in Pacific stock Cohen panel winds down evidence hearings on ironic note

But with the formal hearings set to wrap up Thursday, except for a two-day session next month to hear late-breaking evidence on a newly discovered disease, the parties are now dropping the legal niceties and going for direct assaults on one another.

The B.C. Salmon Farmers Association, for example, has filed a final written argument that takes aim at its most fierce critic, the Aquaculture Coalition. The coalition represents two conservation organizations and Alexandra Morton, a controversial researcher who publicly attacks fish farming as a threat to wild salmon.

READ ENTIRE GLOBE AND MAIL ARTICLE HERE

Should Salmon Farms Move Inland?

By RACHEL NUWER

10/28/2011

Bayne Stanley for The New York Times A salmon farm in the Broughton Archipelago in British Columbia.

The detection of infectious salmon anemia, a lethal virus, in two juvenile wild sockeye salmon in British Columbia has reinvigorated a long-running debate about the sustainability of the aquaculture industry, particularly salmon farms.

Worldwide, the majority of salmon farms are situated in the ocean, with a net the only barrier between the farmed fish and the wild ones. Such pens produce thousands of tons of fish each year, said Gary Marty, a fish pathologist for the Ministry of Agriculture in British Columbia.

Some scientists and environmentalists are calling for for moving the salmon farms to inland freshwater pens to protect the ocean environment.

The two wild sockeye in which the virus was discovered were found along the province‘s central coast, and some biologists suspect that the ailment could have spread from the saltwater salmon farms. ―This form of fish farming has lots of opponents,‖ said Daniel Pauly, a fisheries biologist at the University of British Columbia.

Glen Spain, the Northwest regional director for the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen‘s Associations, suggests that onshore farms would diminish the need for ―these massive undertakings in the wild.‖ For now, though, there is no indication that moving farms onto land is a viable plan. ―That‘s probably not a standard thing

READ ENTIRE NEW YORK TIMES GREEN BLOGS ARTICLE HERE

Ocean of trouble: Report warns of offshore fish farming dangers 10/12/2011

Offshore fish farms look tranquil above water, but a new Food & Water Watch report says that what happens below the surface is suspect.Photo: Simon BradleyConsumer advocacy group Food & Water Watch (FWW) released a new report today criticizing the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for its aquaculture policy, which they say is promoting factory fish farming in offshore waters. It also raises a red flag about the future of genetically modified fish such as AquaBounty's AquAdvantage salmon -- a particularly timely concern, given the recent news about its FDA approval.

Offshore aquaculture, is defined as fish farming done 3-200 miles offshore -- in other words, outside of waters regulated by states.

The report comes after the agency released their final Marine Aquaculture Policy in June, which lays the U.S. framework for rules and regulations for all types of aquaculture.

More than half of the seafood consumed worldwide already comes from aquaculture. But domestic aquaculture provides only 5 percent of the seafood we consume; the rest of the farmed seafood we eat comes from parts of the world where there is little to no regulation. And, thanks to the 2010 federal dietary guidelines, which recommend Americans increase their seafood consumption twofold, the demand for farmed fish is likely to increase. But FWW's report says building more fish farms offshore is not the answer. In fact, they believe doing so could have disastrous results.

"A leading argument used to promote factory fish farming is that we need it to offset the U.S. seafood trade deficit -- that is, to import less seafood and produce more seafood," says the report. But FWW points out that to counter that trade deficit, the U.S. would need to raise almost 200 million fish in ocean cages each year, using "41 percent of the entire global production of fishmeal" as feed. The result, they say, could produce "as much nitrogenous waste as the untreated sewage from a city nearly nine times more populous than Los Angeles and could lead to the escapement of as many as 34.8 million fish."

READ ENTIRE GRIST ARTICLE HERE

BREAKING NEWS: Cooke Aquaculture charged by Environment Canada in illegal pesticide use 33 serious charges filed against Glenn Cooke & Cooke Aquaculture execs $33 million fines and 99 years in prison possible - December 13 court date

GLENN COOKE

BREAKING NEWS: 2nov2011: Glenn Cooke, CEO for New Brunswick-based, multi-national aquaculture giant Cooke Aquaculture was charged with two other executives on Monday by Environment Canada with at least 33 counts of section 36.3 of the Fisheries Act prohibiting the discharge into the marine environment of "deleterious substances". After several reports in 2009 of sudden massive lobster kills near Cooke salmon farms in New Brunswick, Environment Canada raided Cooke offices and seized documents and records relating to the use of illegal pesticides, including cypermethrin. Also charged by Environment Canada were Cooke Aquaculture/Kelly Cove Salmon executives Randy Griffin and Michael Szemerda.

An Environment Canada press briefing paper described the charges: "Environment Canada is alleging that Kelly Cove Salmon, a division of Cooke Aquaculture, and three of its senior company officials allegedly released a cypermethrin-based pesticide into the waters of Maces Bay, Passamoquoddy Bay as well as the waters surrounding Deer Island and Grand Manan Island between November 2009 and November 2010. Cypermethrin is not authorized for use in marine environments, and is harmful to crustaceans including, but not limited to, lobster and shrimp." $33 million in fines and 99 years in prison are the maximum penalties faced by Glenn Cooke and his colleagues. The first court date for Cooke on the current charges is December 13.

READ ENTIRE SOUTH COAST TODAY ARTICLE HERE

 December Masterpiece First Place Fly Tying Open Mustad - Ecdyonurus metamorphosis

Sasa Bencun Roka, Valjevo, Mexico

Attention Artists (amateurs and professionals) LEGACY will feature a monthly masterpiece from photographs submitted by artists located anywhere on planet earth.

Selections will include only photos of original art (paintings, sculptures, photographs, lures and more). Photos selected will promote values associated with wild game fish conservation.

Please submit your photos and contact information to LEGACY PUBLISHER.

Bristol Bay Alliance

 Bristol Bay Protection Tribes, Fishers, and Local Residents Oppose Pebble Mine READ ENTIRE AMERICAN RIVERS ARTICLE AND WATCH VIDEO HERE Jessie Thomas-Blate Coordinator, Most Endangered Rivers 10/25/2011 It‘s a battle that has been brewing for years and one that is not likely to end soon… the Pebble Mine in Alaska. We highlighted the concerns about this project on our 2011 list of America‘s Most Endangered Rivers™. At American Rivers, we know very well that while some potentially harmful projects might be quickly defeated, others require long-term perseverance to ensure protection.

Defending the fate of the Bristol Bay Rivers will require long-term diligence no doubt.

This past week, local residents were given the opportunity to voice their opinion about the proposed mine with a ballot initiative. Apparently, the anti-mining measure prevailed gaining 40 more votes among 526 total ballots cast. If that were the end of the story… great! But of course, there is more to the tale. There is a challenge on the legality of the ballot initiative, as the state claims the ordinance is unenforceable. A judge in Anchorage will hear arguments on November 7. The challenge could end up in the Alaska Supreme Court before all is said and done.

Meanwhile, in a separate case, our Most Endangered Rivers partners suffered a defeat in a dispute over exploration permits at the Pebble Mine site. Our partner, Nunamta Aulukestai, charged that temporary exploration permits issued by the state to mining companies were illegal because regulators did not give public notice or conduct an analysis of whether the permits are in the public interest. An Alaska Superior Court judge ruled that the state did not violate the Alaska Constitution when it issued the permits.

Tiffany's CEO: How to Keep a Supply Chain Sparkling

By Adam Aston, 11/12/2011 Sitting in his sun-soaked office at Tiffany & Co.'s Manhattan headquarters, chairman and chief executive officer Michael J. Kowalski reminded me of Breakfast at Tiffany's. In the 1962 classic, Audrey Hepburn coos over Tiffany's 5th Avenue flagship store, " Nothing very bad could happen to you there."

It's a moment few CEOs could resist repeating. Kowalski mentioned it not just to remind me of Tiffany's enduring image, but to make a point about sustainability. "That's certainly the spirit our brand promises," Kowalski said. "We believe in acting in a responsible manner across a range of issues."

That Tiffany's has not only survived but thrived in the 50 years since the movie was made was never a sure thing. In recent decades Tiffany and the broader jewelry industry have had to navigate through a series of environmental and human rights challenges that could have easily have proven fatal to their brands' reputations.

Photo by Martyn Thompson for Tiffany's.

Over the past 20 years -- a period roughly coinciding with Kowalski's career at Tiffany -- the industry has faced blood diamonds, conflict gems and dirty gold. The scope of these challenges has been, arguably, tougher than at any time in the industry's history.

And few, if any, were at first prepared to respond these crises, Kowalski reflected. Indeed, jewelry's allure has almost always been unconnected to its origins: "For a long time, neither jewelers nor their customers knew or cared very much where or how these things came from," Kowalski said.

That's no longer the case, of course. Just how much this reality has been turned on its head in the 15 years since Kowalski was appointed president (he was promoted to CEO three years later) was evident when we caught up recently to discuss one the latest of the environmental challenges facing big jewelers: The simmering controversy over a proposal to extract copper, gold and other precious metals from an undeveloped site in coastal Alaska.

READ ENTIRE GREENBIZ ARTICLE HERE

Vote targeting Pebble Mine in Alaska is over; the battle isn't 10/19/2011 The Pebble Mine battle, a fight over what could be the biggest open pit mine in North America, is far from over.

A few hundred voters in the remote hills of western Alaska cast ballots this week -- in one of the most closely watched elections in the country -- to halt big mining projects that might poison fishing streams. That initiative was targeted squarely at the giant Pebble Mine.

The anti-mining measure won by less than 40 votes among 526 ballots counted Monday in the sparsely populated Lake and Peninsula Borough.

That's where a mining conglomerate hopes to extract 7.5 billion metric tons of gold and copper near some of the headwaters of Bristol Bay, the nation's most important salmon fishery.

Theoretically, the vote means that 280 people in the villages around King Salmon, Alaska, who cast ballots in favor of the initiative can block extraction of an estimated $300 billion worth of gold and copper and veto a project that is one of the Alaskan government's top priorities.

But the issue is quickly going back to court, where a judge in Anchorage will hear arguments Nov. 7 on the legality of the ballot measure.

"What you're going to see is they all probably spent $600,000 or $700,000 to try to influence what ends up being about 520 people who voted in the election," Lamar Cotten, manager of the Lake and Peninsula Borough, population about 1,700, said in an interview.

"But it's really a big state issue. Are we going to allow our cities and boroughs to have power to reach in and control what goes on on state land? That's obviously the big question not just for this borough, but for the whole state," he said.

The Pebble Mine controversy has spread far outside Alaska. The site lies high in the watershed above Lake Iliamna and Bristol Bay, one of the last great refuges for wild salmon in the U.S. and home to one of the nation's biggest commercial fisheries.

The often-displayed photos of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin going salmon fishing with her husband, Todd? Most were taken at Bristol Bay. Developers dispute pollution claims Pebble Limited Partnership, the joint venture that is proposing the mine, filed suit even before the election to block the initiative. The measure prohibits any mining project of 640 acres or more that would have a "significant adverse impact" on fisheries.

READ ENTIRE LA TIMES ARTICLE HERE

Northern Dynasty CEO blasts antiPebble measure (Canadian Business) 11/03/2011

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — An ordinance that could halt development of a massive gold and copper mine in Alaska near one of the world's premier salmon fisheries stems from "unconstitutional efforts of narrow self-interests" seeking to restrict development, a mining company official said.

Ron Thiessen, president and CEO of Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd., said Thursday that if the measure stands it would have "disastrous consequences for southwest Alaska." Vancouver, Canadabased Northern Dynasty holds a 50 percent interest in Pebble Mine, the huge minerals prospect near the headwaters of Bristol Bay — and the focus of the recently passed voter initiative in Lake and Peninsula Borough.

"This is a region that badly needs investment in new economic opportunities, particularly those that respect regional needs, address key environmental concerns and demonstrate they can be safely developed in collaboration with a robust fishery," Thiessen said in a statement.

"Ultimately, we believe the state of Alaska's constitutional obligation to manage natural resources on state land for the benefit of all Alaskans will prevail over the unconstitutional efforts of narrow selfinterests to restrict development in a region the size of South Carolina," he said.

By a 280-246 vote, borough voters last month approved a ban on large-scale resource extraction, including mining, that would "destroy or degrade" salmon habitat. The Alaska attorney general's office sued, claiming the initiative usurps and conflicts with the state's authority to govern management and development of mineral resources.

Art Hackney, a spokesman for the ballot group behind the initiative, said the initiative language was carefully worded and researched by highly experienced lawyers. If it were "that patently unconstitutional," he said it wouldn't have been allowed on the ballot in the first place.

The state supported Pebble Limited Partnership, the group promoting the mine project, in its losing effort to keep the initiative off the Oct. 4 ballot, claiming the measure would enact an ordinance that's unenforceable as a matter of law.

A judge refused to stop the vote and set a hearing to assess where things stood in the case once the results were in. That hearing is scheduled for Monday.

Court hearing set for January in dispute over ballot initiative aimed at Pebble Mine THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 11/14/2011

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The Lake and Peninsula Borough will seek to consolidate two court cases aimed at negating a ballot initiative that could stop the Pebble Mine.

Borough voters last month approved a ban on large-scale extraction activity that would "destroy or degrade" salmon habitat. It was aimed at Pebble, a massive copper and gold prospect near headwaters of Bristol Bay.

The Pebble Limited Partnership sued to block the vote. Attorney Matt Singer said at a scheduling hearing Monday before Superior Court Judge John Suddock that the plaintiffs will amend their complaint.

The attorney general also sued, claiming the initiative conflicts with state authority to govern minerals management.

Aisha Tinker Bray, an attorney for the borough, says she will apply to consolidate the cases. Suddock set the next hearing for Jan. 10.

Why jeopardize Bristol Bay ecosystem?

10/23/2011

By Monica Zappa Kasilof The fact that Pebble Mine is even being considered in such an extremely valuable habitat blows my mind. Why are we willing to let wealthy international corporations make an obscenely large profit at the expense of what is pure and dear to the heart of Alaska? We should take great pride in offering a sustainable and renewable food product to the rest of the world especially at a time when many of the world's fisheries are being depleted; here in Alaska they are still healthy and strong. The past century has brought great advances in science and technology, allowing us to observe, monitor and carefully manage the fragile ecosystems and spawning habitat of Alaska salmon. These efforts have helped us better understand the delicate balances that keep the fish coming back year after year. With so much invested into the acquisition of this knowledge why then are we willing to jeopardize entire system?

The fishermen and countless others that rely on wild Alaska salmon to be they very backbone of their livelihoods deserve security. The 1989 Valdez oil spill demonstrated what is at stake when this security is denied. The more recent Gulf disaster was another sickening lesson of just who stands to loose most when companies are careless. In order to uphold Alaska's reputation for producing the world's highest quality salmon and seafood, we need 100% security that an environmental disaster will not happen in Bristol Bay. The only way to truly ensure a 100% guarantee is to stop the progression of Pebble, now. If we do not act as responsible stewards of this land today, someone, will have to deal with the cost of what could happen tomorrow. It may not be in our lifetime, but sooner or later someone will have to begin the cleanup process after an earthquake that will cause a dam break, that will leach billions of tons of toxins into Lake Iliamna, that will take a few hundred years before it can begin to regenerate new life. The mining corporations behind pebble are doing all they can to fill our ears with propaganda and promises that this gruesome scene could never happen, but even the richest companies in the world cannot stop earthquakes, therefore if Pebble is built it could happen.

The proposed mine site would lie in the same fault zone that created the 1964 earthquake, the largest in the northern hemisphere. Pebble would require dams up to three times larger than the Three Gorges Dam in China to hold massive amounts of cyanide and sulfuric acid. Seeps and springs near the surface generate the watershed in this region and form a sponge-like terrain that can easily soak up contaminants, depositing them in the Upper Talarik Creek and Koktuli River drainages.

As a scientist and Alaskan fisherwoman, my training and experiences give me insight to look at the larger picture and long-term consequences of this project. I feel that Pebble is the biggest recipe for disaster that Alaska has ever faced.

Others rely on sustainable, healthy populations of wild Pacific salmon.

Photo by Elly Edwards

Bristol Bay, Alaska Under From Copper And Gold Mine

Threat

From Robert Glenn Ketchum: 10/20/2011 Southwest Alaska and Bristol Bay comprise a relative undisturbed habitat that supports the most productive wild salmon fishery and one of the largest herring fisheries in the history of the world.

Generating in excess of $100,000,000 dollars annually, this well-managed renewable resource employs thousands of people and represents the last major American fishery in North America that has not been tainted by industrial accident. Home to substantial populations of eagle, bear, wolf, caribou and many smaller mammals, as it is also the most biologically diverse freshwater system in the U.S. The expansive landscape of Southwest hosts to two national parks - Katmai and Lake Clark - two national wildlife refuges, and four designated state reserves, including the 1.6 million acre WoodTikchik State Park. Lake Iliamna, one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world lies between Katmai and Lake Clark and forms the headwater of the massive Kvichak river, one of the commercial salmon fisheries most productive sources.

With only two small towns of less than 5,000 people, some 26 First Nation villages with populations of less than 500, and little more than 200 miles of paved road in an area roughly the size of the state of Washington, Southwest enjoys extraordinarily pristine air and water quality.

Notably, this environment is water-saturated. It is so aqueous that except when frozen, overland travel is extremely difficult. Thousands of lakes and ponds dot the landscape, interwoven with hundreds of streams, all connected by swampy tundra meadows and bogs. Rainfall is frequent and significant, and winter averages more than 20 feet of snow in the interior, often driven by howling winds off the Bering Sea and brutal cold, frequently dipping below -30Âş.

Because the water table is literally at the surface, an industrial concept such as open-pit mining in this environment presents nearly insurmountable challenges. Nonetheless, the state of Alaska has designated a 745-square-mile mining district, situated in the absolute heart of the fishery habitat, bordering Lake Clark National Park and impacting Lake Iliamna, home to a unique species of freshwater seal.

A Canadian corporation, supported by international gold speculators is now seeking permits to build The Pebble, proposed to be the largest open-pit copper and cyanide gold-leach mine ever constructed. When concluded, The Pebble would be more than 2-miles wide and 2,000 feet deep. In a constant state of flooding, this mine would require perpetual pumping to divert the toxic laden and cyanide-laced leach waters into a 20-square mile lagoon. The lagoon would require monitoring in perpetuity, and it would be contained by an earthen dam large than the Three Rivers Gorge complex in China – all of this in one of the most volcanic and seismically active areas on the planet.

READ ENTIRE HUFFINGTON POST ARTICLE (WITH PFOTOS) HERE

State of Alaska sues over Pebble Mine initiative Associated Press, 10/28/2011 JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The state of Alaska is suing to invalidate the results of a voter initiative that could stop a massive gold and copper mine near one of the world's premier salmon fisheries.

Residents of Lake and Peninsula Borough voted earlier this month to ban large-scale resource extraction that would "destroy or degrade" salmon habitat. The measure was aimed at the Pebble Mine development located near the headwaters of Bristol Bay. But in a lawsuit against the borough, the state claims the initiative is trumped by Alaska law. It is asking a judge to keep the borough from enforcing the measure.

The lawsuit alleges the initiative usurps and conflicts with the state's authority to govern the management and development of mineral resources.

Alaska's salmon harvest third most valuable in 36 years (FIS.com) UNITED STATES 11/9/2011

Purse seine landing chum salmon on deck. (Photo: wdfw.wa.gov) The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) has calculated its preliminary estimate of the exvessel value of the 2011 Alaska commercial salmon harvest at USD 603 million. This makes the 2011 harvest the third most valuable since 1975, behind the 1988 and 2010 harvests, respectively.

Analysts expect this year’s harvest to surpass last year’s in value, after final price per lb information is received in spring 2012 from processors, buyers and direct marketers.

While the 176 million salmon harvested in 2011-- the ninth-largest amount since 1960 – did not meet the predictions of 203 million, there were high prices for all species, especially pink and chum salmon, which drove the value of the harvest to an outstanding level.

The pink salmon harvest, valued at more than USD 170 million, set an all-time record; chum salmon reached USD 93 million, the third highest value ever recorded; sockeye salmon came in at almost USD 296 million, in sixth place among historic sockeye harvests.

Chinook and coho harvests, at USD 20 million and USD 23 million, respectively, fell more toward the middle of their historic ranges.

Regionally, Southeast Alaska came in first with the most valuable salmon harvest in the state at more than USD 203 million: USD 92 million from pink salmon and USD 65 million from chum salmon. Bristol Bay, usually the most valuable salmon fishery in the state, came in second with a harvest worth USD 137 million, and Prince William Sound took the third place with a harvest worth USD 101 million, mostly from pink and sockeye salmon.

Chignik and Cook Inlet also had unusually profitable fisheries this year, resulting from strong sockeye returns to those areas.

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ELWHA RIVER RESTORATION

Big Thanks to Lower Elwha

By Billy Frank Jr. NWIFC Chairman 10/5/2011

We all owe a big ―thank you‖ to the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe. They never gave up on getting those two dams torn down, and today that dream is becoming a reality. For 100 years they have had to wait for their treaty rights to be restored and for the salmon to return.

The salmon never gave up either. At a recent dam removal celebration, I saw 73 chinook swimming in the clear green water at the foot of the Elwha Dam, ready and waiting. And it won‘t be long before the river‘s estuary comes back to life, too, with clams spitting all over the place.

This is a great day for the Elwha people. All of those who have gone before us, they‘re looking down on the Elwha, too, and they are witnessing what is happening.

And they are smiling.

Billy Frank Jr., NWIFC Chairman

―Economic engine,‖ ―long-term economic growth‖ and ―investment in the future‖ are some of the words folks have used to describe the benefits of the dam removal project. And they‘re right. The Olympic Peninsula has struggled for years as its fishing and timber-based jobs have disappeared. But removal of the Elwha River dams is changing that.

Hope is replacing fear, jobs are being created and more will be coming in the long term. More than 3 million people visit Olympic National Park every year, and that number will only increase as the river is restored. These things tell us that we can conserve our natural resources and create jobs, that healthy salmon runs and a healthy economy can go hand-in-hand.

The dam removal celebration was really a celebration of treaty rights. For a century the two dams built without fish ladders denied the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe its treaty-reserved right to harvest salmon, a fundamental part of tribal culture, communities and economies.

The Lower Elwha Klallam people have put their treaty rights to work, restoring the Elwha for all of us, Indian and non-Indian. Their name means ―strong people,‖ and you damn well better believe they‘re strong. It‘s the kind of strength we all need on our journey to recover the salmon.

That‘s because there are many more Elwha dams out there. They might not look the same, and they might go by other names, like floodplain development, shoreline armoring and nonpoint pollution, but they are just as deadly to salmon.

And like the Elwha dams, they‘re just as effective at denying all of us healthy salmon runs, a healthy environment and a healthy economy. We all need to make sure that no more dams get in the salmon‘s way.

Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe No Rest During Dam Removal: 10/5/2011 Preparing the Elwha River valley for removal of its two dams requires exploring every aspect of river restoration. Recently, the tribe has been watching riverbeds emerge following the drawdown of the dams’ reservoirs. The tribe also has set up equipment near the river’s mouth to measure sediment that will flow down the river during and after dam removal.

Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe project biologist Rebecca Pradis and tribal environmental quality technician Daniel Bennett test a sediment measuring tool in the Elwha River estuary.

Behind the Reservoirs For the first time in nearly a century, the manmade reservoirs behind the Elwha River‘s two fishblocking dams are starting to look like riverbeds. The Aldwell and Mills reservoirs were lowered 20 feet this summer in advance of the removal of the 108-foot-tall Elwha and 210-foot-tall Glines Canyon dams. ―The deltas of the Aldwell and Mills reservoirs are exposed and new river channels are forming,‖ said Mike McHenry, the tribe‘s fisheries habitat manager. ―Reservoir shorelines that have been underwater for decades are finally being exposed, revealing old sandbars and stumps from logging.‖ A top priority of the reservoir restoration project is to prevent invasive plant species from entering Olympic National Park, McHenry said. More than 150 exotic species have been identified within the Lower Elwha watershed. As the dams are removed, the tribe and the park service will remove invasive species, such as Scotch broom, St. John‘s Wort and canary grass, found on the reservoirs‘ shorelines.

Within the two reservoirs, restoration crews will seed 261 acres and plant native vegetation on 440 acres including dogwood, cottonwood, willow, alder and Douglas fir.

Measuring Sediment As the dams come down, the tribe will monitor how a portion of 24 million cubic yards of built-up sediment will affect the river‘s estuaries at its mouth. For the past century, sediment has built up behind the river‘s two dams.

Using a specialized measuring device called a Surface Elevation Table (SET), the tribe will determine at regular intervals how much sediment is building up throughout the estuary. The SET uses fiberglass pins to measure the change in height of the deposited sediment. – T. Royal

Elwha dams work on hiatus till January

Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News, 10/30/2011 The Elwha River flows through what was once the north spillway of the former Elwha Dam west of Port Angeles on Saturday.

By Leah Leach Peninsula Daily News

PORT ANGELES — Both the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams have been cut down as low as they will be this year.

Barnard Construction crews have removed 48 feet of the 108-foot Elwha Dam and 32 feet of the 210-foot Glines Canyon Dam, said Brian Krohmer, project manager for the removal of the two dams, on Friday.

Neither dam will be lowered any more until next year.

The $27 million dam removal is a centerpiece of the National Park Service's $325 million Elwha River restoration project to return the river to its wild state and encourage renewal of its legendary salmon runs, blocked by the dams, which were built without fish ladders.

Through the dams, the river once provided electrical power for the developing cities of Port Angeles, Port Townsend and Poulsbo, as well as the Navy yard in Bremerton.

READ ENTIRE PENINSULA DAILY NEWS ARTICLE HERE

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W Wh hiitte e S Sa allm mo on nR Riivve err

 Columbia River / Snake River Restoration

White Salmon River Restoration WATCH PRE-BREACH VIDEO HERE (PACIFICORP) WATCH BREACH VIDEO HERE WATCH POST-BREACH VIDEO HERE (AMERICAN RIVERS)

“The big surprise Silt-laden White Salmon River downstream from breached Condit Dam

was how fast the river and lake changed once contractors detonated 800 pounds of TNT, blowing out a drain tunnel drilled into the base of the dam.‖ PacifiCorp, which owns Condit, had projected the reservoir behind the dam, Northwestern Lake, would drain within six hours.

Free-flowing White Salmon River upstream from breached Condit Dam

―But within an hour and a half, the river had already settled into its channel and was flowing freely through the tunnel‖, said Tom Hickey, senior engineer, hydro resources for PacifiCorp.

Thank you for contacting me about salmon and steelhead on the Columbia and Snake Rivers. I appreciate hearing from you and share your concern for the long-term survival of endangered salmon species.

There are 13 Endangered Species Act protected salmon and steelhead runs that migrate through the Columbia River and its tributaries to the Pacific Ocean. These salmon and steelhead runs are affected by the operation of federally owned and operated hydroelectric dams in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana. Recovery of salmon and steelhead species listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act is vital to communities up and down the West Coast.

In 2008, and supplemented in 2010, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) proposed a 10-year plan, known as a "Biological Opinion" (2008/2010 BiOp). This BiOp would govern the operation of the federal hydroelectric system for the years 2008-2018 while also protecting endangered salmon. In the Northwest, federal agencies, together with state and tribal governments, worked for over three years on a court-ordered, science-based, ground-up collaborative effort to develop the 2008/2010 BiOp. On August 2, 2011, the U.S. Federal District Court in Portland, Oregon, concluded that the 2008/2010 BiOp should remain in place through the end of 2013, but directed NOAA to provide more a more specific habitat program for the term 2014-2018. The Court remanded the post-2013 term of the BiOp to NOAA to work with the federal agencies that operate the hydroelectric system – the Bonneville Power Administration, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation – together with states and tribes to develop a more specific 2014-2018 habitat program

by January 1, 2014. The Court has ordered that the collaborative process that led to the 2008-2010 BiOp shall continue for developing a more specific plan for 2014-2018, to ensure that the plan put in place not only complies with the Endangered Species Act, but also reflects an important regional collaboration. The Court also ordered that spring and summer spill will continue in accordance with previous court-ordered spill levels, as would current river flow and reservoir operations.

Saving salmon requires sound science to develop the necessary plans, and the commitment of resources and political will to implement them. We must develop a solution that fulfills our energy needs and simultaneously preserves our valuable Northwest salmon species. Decisions regarding the future of our endangered salmon stocks must be based on sound science and carefully consider all potential impacts on the state.

Sincerely, Maria Cantwell United States Senator

Editorial comment: Given the recent detection, and expert confirmation, of the presence of the European strain of the Infectious Salmon Anemia virus in British Columbia‘s wild Pacific salmon, the comparison between Columbia River and Fraser River salmon smolt survival leads one to compare the very lethal impacts of hydroelectric dams with those of floating, open Atlantic salmon feedlots.

COMPARISON OF SALMON SURVIVAL IN DAMMED AND UNDAMMED RIVERS In the Columbia River, the presence of an extensive network of hydroelectric dams has been widely blamed for the decline in abundance of adult salmon returning from the ocean since the late 1970s.

However, the completion of the hydropower system occurred at the same time as large-scale shifts in ocean climate, as measured by climate indices such as the Pacific Decadal Oscillation.

The undammed Fraser River lies directly north of the Columbia River (the Fraser and The Columbia are the two largest rivers on the west coast of North America, and have, or formerly had, some of the world‘s major salmon runs).Within these two watersheds, the Thompson (Fraser) and Snake (Columbia) rivers form major tributaries and are located in similar climatic zones. At the end of the last ice age, salmon colonized the upper Fraser watershed (including the Thompson River) from the upper Columbia River, thus providing a relatively recent genetic linkage. There are thus broad similarities between the two river systems, making for an interesting comparison of salmon survival during the freshwater phase of the juvenile outmigration between 2 rivers, one with dams and one without.

Our findings indicate that survival during the downstream migration of at least some endangered Columbia and Snake River stocks appears to be as high, or higher, than that for the same species migrating out of the un-dammed Fraser River in Canada. Equally surprising, smolt survival through the hydrosystem, when scaled by either the time or distance migrated, is higher than those seen in the lower Columbia River and estuary where dams are absent. These results raise important questions regarding the factors preventing the recovery of salmon stocks in the Columbia and the future health of stocks in the Fraser River.

READ ENTIRE KINTAMA.COM ARTICLE HERE

 Chehalis River Basin Flood Damage Prevention November 15, 2011. As some of you may recall Jim and I have been working for more than two years with the Chehalis River Basin Flood Authority (CRBFA). The purpose of the CRBFA is reduce the flood risk to homes and business within the basin. The Chehalis is the second longest river in the state, second to the Columbia. It has more than 300 tributaries ranging in size from very small to moderate sized rivers.

In 2007 a major flood in the basin destroyed homes and business and closed I-5 for several days.

The CRBFA was formed in 2008 by the state legislature in response to this flood. The CRBFA is the latest in a long line of commissions, workgroups, and studies that started in the 1930s all with the intent to reduce flooding in the basin. Over the three years of its existence more than 2.5 million dollars have been appropriated to the CRBFA for its work. Much of this money has been used for a singular purpose; to build dams.

From its inception the CRBFA focused on building water retention structures on the south fork and the main stem of the Chehalis. The overwhelming percentage of its attention has been on these two projects. Various engineering and B/C studies have been completed, although none of them are without major flaws. These studies have concluded that the south fork dam has a negative B/C ratio.

The proposed dam on the main stem just barely crawls over to a positive ration of 1.15:1. Given the various problems with this analysis, it is entirely possible that it also has a negative B/C ratio. The reports and studies also ignore the very real issues facing any dam being built anywhere in the United States. Moreover, the costs vary depending on who is doing the estimate from 165 million to more than 500 million. These are current dollars and given the length of time it would take to get through the permitting and legal process these estimates are certainly widely off the mark.

The CRBFA has, in the past six months or so, changed its approach to reducing flood risk. The reasons for this are three fold. First, the legislature, during the 2011 session, was very direct about the products it expected the CRBFA to produce by June 2012. Among other products, the CRBFA is directed to work with the Governor‘s office to develop a list of risk management and mitigation projects that go far beyond the building of a dam. Second, the leadership of the CRBFA changed due, in part at least, to the level of mistrust among the members. This change resulted in having a chair who pushes the meeting along, insures that the CRBFA meets its responsibilities as laid out by the legislature, and who does not tolerate personal arguments between members. Finally, for the first time, in our experience, at least, the CRBFA has staff that seems able to work with them and to encourage them to keep to the timelines in place. These staff, also for the first time, provides technical expertise to the CRBFA without having glaring conflicts of interest.

As the CRBFA works to meet its responsibilities over the next eight months, we will keep you informed. This will include projects and studies they are working on and the progress they are making.

We encourage you to send questions, comments, or information to either Jim or myself; we can use all the help we can get.

Bruce Treichler Wild Game Fish Conservation International

Flood Authority Officially Invites Quinaults Flood Authority Officially Invites Quinaults

By Steven Friederich The Daily WorldThe Chronicle | 10/27/2011

The Quinault Indian Nation is being courted to join the discussion on flooding issues on the Chehalis River Basin.

Vickie Raines, who chairs the Chehalis Basin Flood Authority, officially sent an invitation this week to Quinault President Fawn Sharp to join in active discussions on the future of addressing flood issues along the basin.

Although Raines‘ letter doesn‘t offer the Quinaults an opportunity to be a formal member of the Flood Authority, Raines says the Quinaults have a right to consult on issues the Authority is dealing with and have their comments heard. ―Among other issues, we would like to talk with you about your concerns related to flooding, as well as to discuss any other related studies or efforts you may have under way,‖ wrote Raines, who is also the mayor of Cosmopolis but represents Montesano on the Flood Authority. ―We would like to coordinate and collaborate where possible to ensure accurate information and avoid duplication of resources and effort.‖ Raines made a similar offer to the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation. The Chehalis tribe withdrew its membership to the Flood group in May, saying the Flood Authority was too focused on building dams and not focused enough on other strategies for preventing flooding along the Chehalis River.

But Chehalis Chairman David Burnett said after receiving Raines‘ offer that the tribe will participate when formal consultation is needed.

Shortly after the Flood Authority was formed in 2008, the Quinaults asked to be part of the authority.

The 11 participating communities voted 7-4 to keep the Quinaults out.

The Quinaults have no land within the basin but maintained that treaty fishing rights ought to earn it a place in the group.

In March, the Quinaults sent a letter to the Flood Authority and released the letter to the public condemning any efforts to construct a dam along the upper Chehalis River, an idea being studied by the Flood Authority. ―We fear that constructing the dams would add to the sad legacy of problems caused by decades of neglect and damage to ecological processes that are vital to the salmon resources protected by our treaty with the United States,‖ Sharp said at the time.

In July, the U.S. House of Representatives considered the Flood Insurance Reform Act (H.R. 1309). This bill would reauthorize the NFIP for five years, delay the mandatory purchase requirement for certain properties in newly designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs), and introduce a gradual increase in NFIP premium rates to help reduce the bill's impact on the deficit. The legislation would also require FEMA to conduct a study on privatizing the national flood insurance program to reduce the risk of taxpayer exposure to NFIP funding shortfalls. I supported this bill, which passed the House by a vote of 406-22. H.R. 1309 was referred to the Senate where it awaits further action.

Representative Beutler 3rd Congressional District

Will It Flood This Year? Authorities Prepare for What Looks to Be a Wetter Than Normal Winter, 11/4/2011

―We‘re ready.‖ Those were the words of Robert Berg, Centralia police chief, at Lewis County‘s annual pre-flood preparation meeting.

Representatives from the other cities and towns within the county echoed Berg‘s sentiments at the meeting, held Thursday morning at the Veteran‘s Memorial Museum in Chehalis.

READ ENTIRE CHRONLINE ARTICLE HERE

Chehalis River Basin Flood Authority Update Action Alert re: Potential Changes to USGS Gages in the Chehalis Basin On the USGS website, there is a notice indicating that 4 gages may be cut due to funding shortfalls; 2 of these are in the Chehalis Basin. For more information, see http://waterdata.usgs.gov/wa/nwis/rt A portion of the notice is excerpted below: Data collection at the following stream gages may be discontinued in the near future due to pending budget reductions. Individuals concerned about the future of these gages should contact Robert Kimbrough with the USGS Washington Water Science Center at (253) 552-1608, email: rakimbro@usgs.gov.

• 12020525 - Elk Creek below Dear Creek near Doty, WA • 12025310 - Salzer Creek at Centralia Alpha Road near Centralia, WA Nov. 17th Flood Authority tour/meetings Agendas and background information for the November 17th Flood Authority meeting will be distributed later today. Please note that the Flood Authority will be in the Bucoda area for the day.

Thanks to Transalta for their willingness to provide an overview of the Skookumchuck Dam operations and the Town of Bucoda for briefing the Flood Authority on their flood issues. To accommodate their schedules, we will begin the day with a tour, have a work session and working lunch, then conclude with the afternoon business meeting.

• 9 AM- 11:15 AM: Tour of Skookumchuck Dam, Town of Bucoda • 11:30 AM- 1:30 PM: Special meeting/morning work session (with working lunch- orders can be placed before the tour, or you may bring your lunch) • 1:30 PM- 3:30 PM: Afternoon business meeting Nov. 16- 17th: Flood Awareness/Early Warning System Roll Out There will also be three public awareness events next week, one in each county. As this winter is predicted to be colder & wetter than normal, we want to be prepared. The purpose of these events is to help the general public get prepared for the flood season, and to provide an opportunity to learn about the new Early Warning System.

• Wednesday, Nov. 16th from 6-8 PM in Rochester (Swede Hall, 18543 Albany St. S.W., Rochester) • Thursday, Nov. 17th from 5:30-7:30 PM in Centralia (Centralia College, Washington Hall, Room 103, 600 Centralia College Boulevard, Centralia) • Thursday, Nov. 17th from 7:00- 9:00 PM in Montesano (Montesano City Hall, 112 N Main Street, Montesano) At each, there will be an open house for the first 30 minutes, a welcome, overview of information, and time for questions and answers for the next hour, then more time for an open house. We will be working to publicize these meetings. In addition, Centralia College has graciously offered to film the Lewis County meeting so the information can be re-broadcast on public access television.

Flood Authority Sub Committee Updates The Flood Authority Executive Sub Committee met on Nov. 2nd and discussed several topics:

• coordination with the Governor‘s Office and OFM on the ―alternative measures‖ report • ideas on how to better define the project list; • the status of consultation requests with the Chehalis Tribe and the Quinault Indian Nation, and the need for a similar consultation request for the Cowlitz Tribe; • a recommendation to pursue having the tribal consultation training through the Governor‘s Office of Indian Affairs for the majority of the January Authority meeting; • questions for the public forums on flood preparedness and the early warning system; and • the requirements for a new entity to join the Flood Authority given a request from Napavine and Cosmopolis to do so.

The Flood Authority‘s Outreach & Education Sub Committee met on Nov. 7th and also discussed a number of topics, including correspondence; updating the existing Lewis County website and further developing the new IPRMT site; the public events on flood preparedness and the early warning system; and ways to communicate both about these events and what the Flood Authority is working on through periodic updates, quarterly summaries, frequently asked questions, and so on.

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Jeannie Williams Wallen and her brother, Ted, fishing for bluegill in Snodgrass slough (California). Wild game fish and those who fish for them come in all sizes. Ain‘t it great!

 Wild Game Fish on Planet Earth

Patrice Segura (Toulouse, France) with a 70kg (150lb) Potato Grouper. FISH ON! Thank you for the photo, Patrice.

‖Legacy‖ is distributed around planet earth via Facebook ―groups‖ and then it is shared with others via e-mail, etc.

Facebook groups utilized to distribute “LEGACY”  Steelhead Salmon (2,550)  Salmon Are Sacred (3,000)  Save Our Rivers (4,500)  Save the Baltic Salmon (3,000)

November “Legacy” distributed October 17, 2011

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Our Readers Write (November issue of Legacy)

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Thanks very much for continuing to promote the Bristol Bay news!

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I took a quick look at Legacy and am overwhelmed with the amount of material and the professional way in which it is presented J. Hoppler (Washington State)

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Thank you Girl with a Fishing Rod (Tennessee)

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That was a great newsletter! I finally got time to read it. I am sending it to friends in B.C., as well as to the Twin Harbors CCA. Very important information. If you haven't read it yet, be sure to do so J. Rabey (Washington State)

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Good source of information, thanks.

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Thank you for sharing this great publication.

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Wild Game Fish Conservation International - Recommended Videos The End of the Line Sacred Headwaters - British Columbia, Canada Atlantic salmon feedlots - impacts to Pacific salmon Salmon: Running the Gauntlet - Snake River dams Farmed Salmon Exposed Shame Below the Waves Locals Oppose Proposed Pebble Mine Occupy Vancouver, BC - Dr. Alexandra Morton Farming the Seas (Steve Cowen) Farming the Seas (PBS)

From: Salmon: Running the Gauntlet - Snake River dams

 Attention Conservation-minded Business Owners Many businesses around planet earth rely in part on sustainable populations of wild game fish. This is true for fishing guide/charter services, resort and hotel owners, fishing tackle and boat retail stores, clothing stores, eco/photo tours, grocery stores, gas stations and many more. In fact, wild game fish are the backbone of a multi-billion dollar per year industry on a global scale.

This why we at Wild Game Fish Conservation International are offering complimentary space in each issue of ―LEGACY‖ for business owners who rely on sustainable wild game fish populations to promote your business. An article with one or more photos about your business and how it relies on wild game fish may be submitted for publication to LEGACY PUBLISHER. Please include your business website and contact information to be published with your business article. Selected submissions will be published each month.

Sustainable wild game fish populations provide family wage jobs and balanced ecosystems while ensuring cultural values. They also provide a unique, natural resources based lifestyle for those fortunate to have these magnificent creatures in our lives.

Conservationists working together with the business community can effectively protect and restore planet earth‘s wild game fish for this and future generations to enjoy and appreciate. This will be our LEGACY.

Wild Game Fish Conservation International proudly endorses the ongoing, wild game fish conservation efforts of:

 American Rivers  Global Alliance Against Industrial Aquaculture (Facebook)  Salmon Are Sacred  Save Our Salmon  Sierra Club – Cascade Chapter  Sportsman‘s Alliance For Alaska  Trout Unlimited