Legacy - August 2014

Legacy

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Published by: Wild Game Fish Conservation International

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Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

Legacy Wild Game Fish Conservation International Wild Game Fish Conservation International (WGFCI): Established to advocate for wild game fish, their fragile ecosystems and the cultures and economies that rely on their robust populations.

LEGACY – Journal of Wild Game Fish Conservation: Complimentary, nononsense, monthly publication by conservationists for conservationists LEGACY, the WGFCI Facebook page and the WGFCI website are utilized to better equip fellow conservationists, elected officials, business owners and others regarding wild game fish, their contributions to society and the varied and complex issues impacting them and those who rely on their sustainability.

LEGACY exposes impacts to wild game fish while featuring wild game fish conservation projects, fishing adventures, wildlife art, 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. E-mail them with captions and credits to Jim (wilcoxj@katewwdb.com).

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

Wild Game Fish Conservation International Founders

Bruce Treichler

Jim Wilcox

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

Contents WGFCI Outreach via Legacy and Facebook _________________________________________________________ 7 BREAKING NEWS: PROTECT WILD SALMON _______________________________________________________ 8  Peace Arch Rally Schedule _____________________________________________________ Error! Bookmark not defined.

Busted __________________________________________________________________________________________ 10  5 Wisconsin Anglers Busted for Poaching on Devils Lake _______________________________________________ 10

Wild Game Fish Economics _______________________________________________________________________ 12  Monster sockeye run starting to enter Fraser River _____________________________________________________ 12

Special Report ___________________________________________________________________________________ 15  Special Report: Southern Resident Killer Whales _______________________________________________________ 15

Conservationists Extraordinaire – Walking the Talk _________________________________________________ 16  Jim and Donna Teeny ________________________________________________________________________________ 16

Featured Fishing Adventures, Photos, “Funnies” and Not so Funny: _________________________________ 17        

Fish for Peacock Bass on Brazil’s Aqua Boa River with host Camille Egdorf ______________________________ Fly Gal Ventures Hosted Travel: New Zealand – December 2014 _________________________________________ Brown bears fishing for returning salmon at Brooks Falls, Katmai National Park, Alaska __________________ Hidden Paths - Slovenia: Sava River- fishing club Radovljica ____________________________________________ The Big Halibut That Didn't Get Away! _________________________________________________________________ Ling cod on light tackle _______________________________________________________________________________ Blue Marlin: Released to Fight Again __________________________________________________________________ Jim Wilcox with a chinook salmon _____________________________________________________________________

17 18 19 20 21 22 23 26

Conservation-minded businesses – please support these fine businesses ___________________________ 28     

Kingfish West Coast Adventure Tours _________________________________________________________________ Dave and Kim Egdorf's Western Alaska Sport Fishing __________________________________________________ UWET "STAY-DRY" UNDERWATER TOURS ____________________________________________________________ EcoDepot: “Solar Saves Salmon”! _____________________________________________________________________ Spirit Bear Coffee Company___________________________________________________________________________

28 29 30 31 32

      

Winsmes Fly Fishing Lodge, Norway __________________________________________________________________ Congratulations to Bravo Restaurant and Lounge Management and Staff ________________________________ Rhett Weber’s Charterboat “Slammer” _________________________________________________________________ Riverman Guide Service – since 1969 __________________________________________________________________ Learn to fish: experienced, conservation-minded professional instructors________________________________ Westcoast Fishing Adventures ________________________________________________________________________ Waters West Guided Sportfishing _____________________________________________________________________

33 34 35 36 37 38 39

Fishing Tips and Tricks ___________________________________________________________________________ 41  You May Be Killing Steelhead And Not Even Know It ____________________________________________________ 41

Wildlife Artists: __________________________________________________________________________________ 43  Artist Beau Dick with one of his creations ______________________________________________________________ 44  Diane Michelin: “Still Time” ___________________________________________________________________________ 45  Dan Wallace (Haida): Eagle Pendant (featured) _________________________________________________________ 46  New from Anissa Reed Designs and Art ________________________________________________________________ 47  The Wilds____________________________________________________________________________________________ 48

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

Editorial Opinion _________________________________________________________________________________ 49  Work together for fish, or pull the recovery plug ________________________________________________________ 49

Seafood consumption: Public health risks and benefits _____________________________________________ 50  Enjoy seasonal wild salmon dinners at these fine restaurants:___________________________________________ 50  Norwegian Scientists Warn Against Eating Farmed Salmon: Everything You Need to Know About Farmed Fish _________________________________________________________________________________________ 51  Salmon farmer signs 'fish waste to protein supplement' deal ____________________________________________ 55

WGFCI: protecting what needs protected __________________________________________________________ 57  Sam Mace: Crackdown on Deadbeat Dams _____________________________________________________________ 57  Maria Cantwell, Patty Murray, Denny Heck: Protect Wild Salmon Rally ___________________________________ 57  Preliminary examination of contaminant loadings in farmed salmon, wild salmon and commercial salmon feed _________________________________________________________________________________________ 57

Community Activism, Education, Litigation and Outreach ___________________________________________ 58  Honoring the 47 – One year later ______________________________________________________________________ 59  2nd thoughts on 3 oil terminals _______________________________________________________________________ 62  Oil Trains in Washington: Bad for Business, Unacceptable Risk _________________________________________ 63            

Millions of Americans live in the blast zone. Do you? ___________________________________________________ State firefighters want Inslee to halt Bakken crude by rail till safety concerns addressed __________________ Confronting Canada Day - Dan Wallace, Audrey Siegl ___________________________________________________ The Answer is Still NO to Northern Gateway Pipelines __________________________________________________ Enbridge and Kinder Morgan: We take offense to you ruining our land air and water ______________________ Winning the farmed salmon war one battle at a time ____________________________________________________ Farmed-Salmon-Boycott launches a NEW WEBSITE!! ___________________________________________________ Olympia “Salmon Confidential” Premiere – October 5 ___________________________________________________ Call for Action: No Salmon Farming Expansion without Wild Salmon Protection __________________________ Getting Nervous? – Marine Harvest Canada presents science refuting Alexandra Morton’s lawsuit _________ Wild Salmon Warrior Radio with Jay Peachy – Tuesday Mornings________________________________________ Wild Salmon Warrior Radio – Recent Archives _________________________________________________________

64 65 69 71 72 73 74 75 77 78 81 82

Salmon feedlots__________________________________________________________________________________ 83  Salmon farm Production Manager to jail _______________________________________________________________ 84  Level playing field needed for aquaculture _____________________________________________________________ 85  As fish farms proliferate, diseases do too ______________________________________________________________ 87  Report slams fish farm secrecy on B.C. coast __________________________________________________________ 89  Skwah First Nation open statement in support of the “Protect Wild Salmon Rally” ________________________ 93  DFO aims to streamline fish-farm regulations __________________________________________________________ 96

Energy Generation: Oil, Coal, Geothermal, Hydropower, Natural Gas, Solar, Tidal, Wind _______________ 98 Petroleum – Drilled, Refined, Tar Sands, Fracked _________________________________________________________ 99  Petropolis - Rape and pillage of Canada and Canadians for toxic bitumen ________________________________ 99  Pacific Northwest's Salish Sea Eyed as Fossil Fuel Gateway ___________________________________________ 102  Pipeline proponents consider explosives in ocean to scare whales from potential oil slicks ______________ 108  City of Vancouver says Kinder Morgan skirting questions about Trans Mountain pipeline ________________ 111

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 The oil boom in one slick infographic _________________________________________________________________ 114  Chinese oil pipeline burns, thousands evacuated ______________________________________________________ 115  Officials: Oil Train Dangers Extend Past Bakken _______________________________________________________ 116  ISIS Sabotaged Oil Pipeline in Baghdad... Tigris River on fire ___________________________________________ 119  Northern Gateway is not alone - 5 more pipelines to watch _____________________________________________ 120  PIPELINE ON WHEELS ______________________________________________________________________________ 124  Oregon subsidizing Rainier rail safety project allowing 14 more oil trains a month _______________________ 130  Winnipeg derailment renews safety concerns about crude oil shipments ________________________________ 133  Oil by rail data shows 10-15 trains of Bakken crude move weekly through Thurston County, 11-16 go in Pierce ______________________________________________________________________________________________ 135 Coal __________________________________________________________________________________________________ 138  Federal Court Halts Plans for Colorado Coal Mine Citing Climate Change Concerns ______________________ 139 Geothermal ___________________________________________________________________________________________  Canada’s high temperature geothermal reserves are in British Columbia ________________________________ Hydropower ___________________________________________________________________________________________  “DamNation” _______________________________________________________________________________________

142 142 143 143

 Don't rush Site C dam, mayor urges __________________________________________________________________  About 14,000 young salmon die in Elwha River release of 2.6 million fish ________________________________  County Won't Intervene in Weyco Land Fees __________________________________________________________ Liquefied Natural Gas __________________________________________________________________________________  LNG terminals could collapse B.C. wild salmon run: SFU scientists _____________________________________ Solar _________________________________________________________________________________________________  30MW of solar to be built on former Notthinghamshire colliery sites ____________________________________

144 146 148 150 150 151 153

Government action ______________________________________________________________________________ 156  B.C. First Nation evicts CN Rail, logging companies, fishermen from their lands _________________________ 157

Greenwashing __________________________________________________________________________________ 159  Rail Officials Explain Improvement Grant to Chehalis Officials __________________________________________ 159  Third-party evidence confirms Marine Harvest's healthy salmon ________________________________________ 161

Wild Game Fish Management ____________________________________________________________________ 163  Feds Quintuple Allowed Catch on Endangered Salmon Species ________________________________________ 163  Rich countries pay zombie fishing boats $5 billion a year to plunder the seas ___________________________ 166

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

Legacy Forward The August 2014 issue of Legacy marks thirty four consecutive months of our complimentary eMagazine; the no-holds-barred, watchdog journal published by Wild Game Fish Conservation International.

Legacy is published each month to expose risks to the future of wild game fish and their fragile ecosystems around planet earth to our growing audience. This unique magazine also introduces leading edge alternatives to today’s unsustainable practices.

Each month Legacy selects wildlife artists to feature, several conservationminded businesses to promote and several fishing photos from around planet Earth.

Our hope is that those who read Legacy will come to understand that what is good for wild game fish is also good for humans. Similarly, what is bad for our planet’s wild game fish is really bad for humans!

A growing number of recreational anglers and others around planet earth are passionate about conserving wild game fish and their continued availability for this and future generations to enjoy and appreciate. Additionally, growing numbers of consumers and retailers are paying close attention to the impacts each of us have on global resources through our daily activities and purchases.

We continue to urge our readers to speak out passionately and to demonstrate peacefully for wild game fish and their ecosystems; ecosystems that we are but one small component of.

As recreational fishermen, conservation of wild game fish is our passion. Publishing “Legacy” each month is our self imposed responsibility to help ensure the future of these precious gifts that have been entrusted for safekeeping to our generation.

Bruce Treichler

James E. Wilcox Wild Game Fish Conservation International

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

WGFCI Outreach via Legacy and Facebook

July issue of Legacy read in these countries

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

BREAKING NEWS: PROTECT WILD SALMON Press Release Canada Fails to Protect Wild Salmon From Industrial Salmon Farms We call on the North American Free Trade Agreement Body (NAFTA) to investigate this failure before it is too late!

“Protect Wild Salmon” Peaceful Rally at Peace Arch Border Crossing Saturday, July 19, 2014 (11:00 am – 3:00 pm ) Keynote Speakers include:

      

Joanne Charles, Semiahmoo First Nation Councillor Zeke Grader, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Association Ernie Crey, Cheam First Nation Fisheries Portfolio Craig Orr, Watershed Watch Salmon Society Alexandra Morton, Pacific Coast Wild Salmon Society Dr. Claudette Bethune, Clinical Scientist Chief Judy Wilson, Neskonlith First Nation and UBCIC Secretary-Treasurer

BC Salmon farms are 98% owned by Norwegian companies raising Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and remain plagued with diseases from mutating viruses and parasites that proliferate and can be passed onto wild salmon.

Ernie Crey is of the opinion that the Government of Canada dangerously increased the threats to wild salmon survival by approving a 41% expansion plan of fish farms along the migration routes of sockeye salmon. “Instead the Canadian Government has virtually ignored the $26 million Cohen Commission report. Justice Cohen warned - salmon farms have the potential to do serious or irreversible harm to wild salmon, exclaimed a disappointed Craig Orr. “The Canadian Government has no plans to view fish farm locations in relation to inward/outward migration of wild salmon for their protection, and this irresponsible,” stated Bob Chamberlin of UBCIC. Industrial feedlots never shovel their manure and use chemicals and antibiotics to protect farmed fish, which pollute the environment and threaten human health. “The Canadian Government has, to date, refused to remove the Department of Fisheries and Ocean’s conflict of interest as it continues with a mandate to promote, support and enable salmon farm expansion, and, at the same time, regulates this industry. This is unacceptable,” stated Chief Judy Wilson. Recently the Canadian Government removed a major part of the Fisheries Act to allow the release of delousing drugs directly into the water that can kill wild salmon (section 56).

Dr. Alexandra Morton leveled the following sharp criticism at the Government of Canada, “The sheer recklessness of allowing Atlantic salmon on the Fraser salmon migration route is unforgiveable and has to stop if we expect wild salmon to deal with everything else we are throwing at them!” Alex added “We will only stop this when everyone stands up … I think this is happening!” Astonishingly, the Canadian government is considering an Aquaculture Act to give the industry unprecedented rights in Canada’s marine waters and fish.

The First Nations Wild Salmon Alliance, a coalition of 80 First Nations, witnessed the unacceptable, devastating impact fish farms have on wild salmon and will look at government’s “duty to consult” before any fish farms are sited on migration routes of wild salmon. Health experts around the world point to the health dangers of farmed salmon consumption due to relatively high levels of contaminants such as PCBs, dioxins, pesticides, and flameretardants, which are proven to impair cognitive function and are known carcinogens. “Salmon are carnivores and farms have been criticized globally for using unsustainable fishery resources,” observed Dr. Claudette Bethune. Although there is room for some forms of aquaculture, scientists and experts conclude that a feasible and sustainable solution lies in moving ocean fish farms onto land in containment, farming herbivore fish, and growing the entire food chain. “Stakeholders on both sides of the border urge NAFTA to follow through with the investigation. Wild salmon don’t recognize borders, and therefore both countries need to work together to protect wild salmon, its habitat and the health of their citizens,” asserted Zeke Grader.

Eddie Gardner Event Coordinator

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

Busted

 5 Wisconsin Anglers Busted for Poaching on Devils Lake July 6, 2014

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters Five Wisconsin anglers have been charged in Ramsey Court with exceeding their possession limit of walleyes in excess of 100 fish on Grand Lake in North Dakota according to a report on GrandForksHerald.com. The daily creel limit is 5 per person and 10 in possession.

Here are the charged men’s names and their hometowns. They were turned in by another concerned angler who called the Report all Poachers hotline and tipped off North Dakota Game and Fish authorities

 Michael Wirkus, Racine Wis.  Donald Klatkiewicz, Mukwonago, Wis.  Daniel Klatkiewicz, Hales Corners, Wis.  Robert Richer Jr., Hales Corners, Wis.

 Allen Lafave, Racine, Wis.  Unnamed juvenile

Authorities caught the group on June 20, 2014 and a quick search of the vehicle resulted in 25 whole walleyes. A search of the house they were staying in, however, resulted in another 135 walleyes cleaned and frozen in 45 freezer bags. That put the men exactly 100 over their possession limit.

The group will appear in court August 18 and face up to $1,725 a piece in fines.

Being over the possession limit is a Class B Misdemeanor in North Dakota.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

Wild Game Fish Economics

 Monster sockeye run starting to enter Fraser River July 4, 2014 Sockeye by the thousands could swimming up the Fraser River shortly.

start

The prized red sockeye entering the river now are the offspring of the 2010 run — the largest sockeye return on the Fraser in the last 100 years.

This year is shaping up to be similar in scope, with a mid-range forecast by Fisheries and Oceans Canada officials set at 23 million sockeye. The bulk of it will be in the late run which includes the prodigious Adams River stock.

Editorial Comment:

 Canada

must no longer ignore the cultural, environmental and economic benefits directly associated with robust wild salmon populations.

 Canada’s

expansion of ocean-based salmon feedlots, open pit mines, dilbit export, hydropower generation, floodplain development and irresponsible logging will lead to the shameful demise of British Columbia’s iconic, wild Pacific salmon and all that rely on them

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters “The early Stuart run is just starting to enter the Fraser River,” said Jennifer Nener, DFO area director for the Lower Fraser. There were just a handful counted since test fishing started.

“We need considerably more data before considering any openings,” she said.

They’ll know more in a few short weeks.

Fishermen are checking their gear. Guiding outfits are hiring and booking like mad. Tackle stores are adding inventory. Many are watching the test fishery numbers with considerable interest. The computer modelling puts the estimated Fraser return total anywhere between about 7 million and 70 million sockeye.

Sto:lo fisher and Grand Chief Ken Malloway said he figures the 23 million estimate is on the conservative side.

“I say it may be closer to 30 million,” he said. “I’m getting pretty anxious.”

The FSC fishery won’t open until the numbers in the river are higher, but they might also open the dry rack fishery at that time.

Regardless of the exact numbers, this season is going to have broad local impacts.

Aboriginal, commercial, and sport fishery opportunities for Fraser sockeye are all expected to open at various times this season.

One concern raised by conservation groups is the that the exploitation rate on Interior Fraser Coho will be going up to 16 per cent, from three per cent. The “exploitation” rate is the limiting of unintentional bycatch by commercial fishers to protect the endangered species. Coho and sockeye tend to co-migrate through the system, and get caught in the nets together.

It’s only for one year, said Nener, and the rationale for a higher rate is to better manage the sockeye and the coho. Coho numbers have improved.

“I’ve never seen it that high,” said Malloway about the increased rate of allowable by-catch.

But good sockeye returns this summer also mean economic benefits for different users.

Up to 23 Sto:lo communities are in negotiations to sign an agreement under the Aboriginal Fisheries Strategy.

“It’s going to mean that Sto:lo families should have enough fish, and also opportunities to make a living off fishing the way we used to,” said Malloway.

Ernie Crey, fisheries adviser to the Sto:lo Tribal Council, said the Early Stuart run, one component of the big Fraser run, could sustain aboriginal fisheries on a scale that no one has seen in a while.

Sto:lo fishing families are not only planning an earlier than usual dry-rack fishery in the Fraser Canyon, but also a food, social, and ceremonial (FSC) fishery.

“We have not had a general opening on the Early Stuart for a long time. The run has been generally weak,” he noted.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters Economic opportunities for Sto:lo under AFS, meaning the chance to sell their catch, are likely coming for the Early Summer run, the first of four main runs on the Fraser.

Dean Werk, president of the Fraser Valley Salmon Society predicts there will be “lots of happy fishers” in all the user groups.

“We may never see a year like this again.”

It’s going to mean ample opportunities to get out on the river.

“People are excited to hear we are going to have some good returns,” he said. “Chilliwack and area has the most to gain from what we’re about to see.”

Fishing is a major economic driver for Chilliwack and area.

“Even at half the number they’re predicted, it’s still going to be good.”

Guides and other tourism-related businesses are poised to do well this season.

“This is the hub of it all,” said Werk, who also owns Great River Fishing Adventures.

He’s looking to hire more river guides.

“We’re booked solid and virtually sold out right now.”

From the Vedder Canal to Hope is where “the magic” is, he said. “People need to be in the gravel reach.”

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

Special Report

 Special Report: Southern Resident Killer Whales 10 Years of Research and Conservation June 25, 2014 Today, NOAA Fisheries released a report highlighting the accomplishments of 10 years of dedicated research and conservation of the endangered Southern Resident killer whale population. With a decade of federal funding and productive partnerships with the killer whale community, we have taken targeted actions, collected substantial new data, and refined scientific techniques to protect this listed species and ensure a strong foundation for its recovery.

Editorial Comment:

  

   

Southern Residents salmon as prey.

favor

Chinook

NOAA established new vessel approach regulations and oil spill contingencies to protect the whales.

In the meantime:

 

They are among the most contaminated marine mammals in the world.

When vessels are present, they hunt less and travel more.

As with other taxpayer-funded, “cash cows”, more time and money will be required to resolve many questions.



Some Findings and Milestones



Amazing – Nothing new after spending millions of taxpayer dollars the past ten years



Chinook salmon populations continue to plummet Increased risks of catastrophic oil spills Increased noise pollution (sonar, engine noises) with increased oil and coal tankers

Southern Resident killer whales and other marine wildlife are doomed if society fails to effectively protect them and their ecosystems.

In the winter, they forage along the West Coast as far south as central California.

Looking Ahead The population continues to struggle to recover, due in part to the influence of risk factors we have yet to fully understand. While we have come a long way in understanding of some key aspects of these risk factors, and have improved our ability to protect these animals, many questions still remain.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

Conservationists Extraordinaire – Walking the Talk

 Jim and Donna Teeny

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

Featured Fishing Adventures, Photos, “Funnies” and Not so Funny:  Fish for Peacock Bass on Brazil’s Aqua Boa River with host Camille Egdorf Base camp: Aqua Boa Amazon Lodge Dates: December 18-27. 2014 Book your Peacock Bass fishing adventure with Fishing with Larry

Est. cost: $4,000

I'm hosting another group to the Amazon in December 2014!

Who wants to join me?

Camille You can land 30 to 100+ peacock bass per day. Some will be huge. The lodge has exclusive rights to over 100miles of the Agua Boa River so you literally have an entire river to yourself.

There is a giant reserve area – birds, wildlife, no people, no mosquitoes.

There is one guide per two anglers per boat.

Includes: airport reception, all transfers in Brazil, 240-mile deluxe roundtrip flight Manaus, Brazil to lodge, lodging, daily laundry service, meals, soft drinks, beer, wine, and local liquor, fishing license, free copy of Larry’s 40-page book Fly fishing for Peacock Bass. We also supply all flies, and fly patterns. Plus, courtesy of Agua Boa Amazon Lodge - Free 8-day Global Rescue Insurance, a $119.00 value.

Does not include: international airfare, Brazilian visa, satellite telephone calls, liquor, airport taxes, overnight hotel and meals in Manaus, and tackle. (Our hosted groups usually stay together at a nicer hotel in Manaus.)

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 Fly Gal Ventures Hosted Travel: New Zealand – December 2014

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 Brown

bears fishing for returning salmon at Brooks Falls, Katmai National Park, Alaska Watch realtime bear cam HERE

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 Hidden Paths - Slovenia: Sava River- fishing club Radovljica

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 The Big Halibut That Didn't Get Away!

It was 99 inches long between 550-560 pounds! I would have released it, but it had swallowed my Davis Spanker jig and was bleeding.

The angler who hooked into it thought he was snagged on the bottom and couldn't get it to budge so handed me the rod and I got it coming in, then handed him his rod back and he fought it for 45 minutes and gave out from exhaustion and handed me the rod back and I finished fighting the battle landing the GIANT! It would be the all tackle World record, but you are instantly disqualified if anyone else touches your rod!!! The guy standing in the photo is 6'7" George Davis – Alaska Wild Adventures

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 Ling cod on light tackle Rhett Webber: Owner / Operator “Slammer” – Westport, Washington

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 Blue Marlin: Released to Fight Again Photo credit: Frank Rodriguez – Owner: The Fa La Me

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 Jim Wilcox with a chinook salmon Fishing out of Westport, Washington with longtime friend Terry Turner on “Slammer”

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

Conservation-minded businesses – please support these fine businesses

 Kingfish West Coast Adventure Tours

Trophy Salmon and Steelhead fishing on the Kitimat River with driftboat, riverraft or pontoonboat, we offer as well remote streamside wading. We are specialized in fly-fishing and conventional fishing techniques for silver chrome aggressive steelhead and salmon. We give our clients the opportunity to fish our headwaters, tributaries and mainstream Kitimat River. The lower section of the Kitimat River we target with the jet boat and is considered tidal and can offer phenomenal fishing for salmon as they migrate upriver.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 Dave and Kim Egdorf's Western Alaska Sport Fishing Booking Now for 2014 Montana: (406) 665-3489 Alaska: (907) 842-5480

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 UWET "STAY-DRY" UNDERWATER TOURS UWET "STAY-DRY" UNDERWATER TOURS

THE WORLD'S ULTIMATE ECO-TOUR UNDERWATER EXPLORATIONS of

SEATTLE'S PUGET SOUND

 You, Your Family, Couples, Friends, Parents/Grandparents with Children, and Groups...

Anyone can become a UWET Explorer!

 Individuals (ages 6/up) seeking interactive small group experiences...

UWET Tours are very small group (4 Explorers maximum per tour)!

 Travelers and Cruisers seeking pleasant low-stress tour experiences...

UWET Tours are 100% "Stay-Dry" underwater investigations (explorers do not even get their feet wet)!

 Everyday People who fantasize about being a "real" explorer sharing the excitement

and glory of discovery with others...

UWET Discovery Tours transform ordinary people into Genuine Underwater Eco-Explorers who have a DVD of their discoveries to share with others!

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 EcoDepot: “Solar Saves Salmon”!

EcoDepot powers up a music fest and spreads the word

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 Spirit Bear Coffee Company

Welcome to Spirit Bear Welcome to Spirit Bear Coffee, the home of the world's finest Organic Coffee.

Why organic coffee instead of conventional coffee? Conventional coffees are grown with herbicides, pesticides and fungicides which are extremely dangerous for the farmers, their families, and the surrounding ecosystem.

Organic coffee is grown without these chemicals and, as such, has a much gentler impact on the local environment.

Coffee trees normally do not grow in direct sunlight. Trees have now been genetically engineered to be sun-resistant. Widespread clear-cutting has been carried out to make way for these new strains of trees.

These are just two examples of why Organic Coffee is a reason, logical, and ethical alternative to mainstream sources.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 Winsmes Fly Fishing Lodge, Norway

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 Congratulations to Bravo Restaurant and Lounge Management and Staff

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 Rhett Weber’s Charterboat “Slammer” Reserve your 2014 Pacific Ocean fishing adventures on Slammer through Deep Sea Charters – Westport, Washington

2014 Westport Salmon Seasons Set: Now through September 30: one wild or one hatchery Chinook (King) and one hatchery Coho (Silver) OR two hatchery Coho (Silvers).

This is the first year since 1983 that the season has been set to go 7 days a week for the whole year!

Large quotas of both species.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 Riverman Guide Service – since 1969 Kim Malcom – Owner, Operator Licensed and Insured Guide Quality Float Trips – Western Washington Rivers – Steelhead, Salmon, Trout

K Kiim mM Maallccoom m’’ss

Riverman Guide Service ((336600)) 445566--88442244

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 Learn to fish: experienced, conservation-minded professional instructors View our six-panel, information brochure HERE

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 Westcoast Fishing Adventures

We are a world class fishing destination with 17 years of guiding experience on the Skeena and nearly all the remote systems of the North extending our boundaries as far as the head waters of the Nass river.

Guests of Westcoast Fishing can expect a professional experience from the time you book your trip we are licensed to guide on over 30 rivers including area lakes and Ocean fishing for halibut & salmon. There are no extra rod days fees when fishing with our company we include them in the package. Guests will stay at our B&B Style Lodge nested in between the mountains and the Skeena River.

If you’re looking for a unique steelhead fly-fishing adventure — an expedition off the beaten path — this is your trip. By truck, by boat, by helicopter (if you’re feeling rich ), or walk and wade — whatever it takes — we’ll explore hidden valleys and fish where very few people have step foot before. Make your reservations today or visit our guided adventures page for more information.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 Waters West Guided Sportfishing

We are full time USCG/WDFW licensed Washington and Oregon fishing guides and charters.

We fish year round for trophy Salmon, Sturgeon, Steelhead and Trout in Washington and Oregon's rivers, lakes, and bays.

If you are looking for a top fishing guide who is familiar with Washington and Oregon's popular fisheries such as, Buoy 10 near Astoria, Oregon, the beautiful Olympic Peninsula, scenic Drano Lake, or the famous Columbia, Cowlitz, Wynoochee and Chehalis Rivers, then look no further.

I offer both full (8-9hr.) and half day (4-5hr.) fishing trips and charters at affordable rates for any skill level.

Lets Fish!

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

Fishing Tips and Tricks

 You May Be Killing Steelhead And Not Even Know It STEELHEADERS ARE GENERALLY PRETTY SERIOUS ABOUT CATCH-AND-RELEASE, BUT IT’S LIKELY THAT MANY ARE MORTALLY WOUNDING FISH WITHOUT EVER KNOWING IT. There are few species of fish as vulnerable as wild steelhead.

These fish are beset on all sides by threats both natural and man-made. With their numbers dwindling, it’s safe to say, every steelhead counts. It’s vital that those of us who fish for them practice the best catch-and-release practices.

However, common landing practices can kill fish without the angler ever knowing. A team of biologists studying steelhead in British Columbia discovered this problem, quite by accident. These scientists were tagging steelhead with GPS trackers. They determined that the least intrusive way to capture the fish was, well, the same way we do it. With a fly rod. They landed the fish, tagged them with the GPS device and released them. When they went to their computer to track the fish’s progress they discovered something alarming.

Within two hours many of the fish they had tagged, and released in good health, were dead. They collected the fish and performed autopsies to determine what had gone wrong.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters In every case the cause of death was head trauma. It turns out that ‘steelhead’ is a misnomer. The fish’s head is, in fact, its most vulnerable spot.

When landing the fish the researchers had played them into shallow water where they would be easy to tail. As the fish came into the shallows they were no longer, fully submerged. Without the resistance of the water surrounding them, their powerful thrashing was able to generate momentum that is not possible underwater. The flopping fish simply hit their heads on a rock.

The fish appeared fine when released, but their injured brains began to swell and soon they were dead.

It makes perfect sense if you think about it. Fish have evolved in an environment where hitting their head on anything with enough force to cause damage is almost impossible. Their brains lack the natural protection enjoyed by terrestrial species.

Luckily, this unfortunate outcome is easily avoided.

The angler has a couple of good options.

 

Landing fish by hand in knee deep water is a little tougher but much safer for the fish. You can grab the leader to control the fish long enough to tail it. After a fish or two it will feel very natural.

When possible, it’s best to use a good catch-and-release net. This is safest for the fish and easiest for the angler. A net helps you seal the deal while the fish is still fresh and requires little reviving.

Always control your fish once he’s landed.

    

Keep his gills wet and support his head in case he makes a sudden attempt to escape.

Keeping him, dorsal fin up, will keep his range of motion side-to-side, making it harder for him to injure himself.

When possible keep him in deeper water.

Never beach a fish when landing him Never lay him on the bank for a photo. It’s just not worth it.

Wild steelhead are precious resources.

Those of us who come to the river looking for them must lead by example and do our best to be good stewards of these remarkable fish.

Their future is, literally in our hands.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

Wildlife Artists:

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 Artist Beau Dick with one of his creations

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 Diane Michelin: “Still Time” Original watercolor 10" x 8" #2 of a series of 10 See more of Ms. Michelin’s amazing work at Fly Fishing Fine Art

Welcome to Fly Fishing Fine Art, including original paintings, limited edition prints and commissions in fly fishing and angling themes, by Canadian watercolor artist Diane Michelin. Diane is anxious to capture the essence of fly fishing and record those memories that bring us back to the river. Her art is currently on display in museums, fly shops, lodges and private collections. Browse through the gallery, and contact Diane Michelin directly to discuss your purchase of fly fishing fine art.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 Dan Wallace (Haida): Eagle Pendant (featured) Oxidized Silver – 1 ½”

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 New from Anissa Reed Designs and Art

Get your WILD hippy on From size 2T to adult XL I dyed them myself and hand screened a new "Born TO Be W-I-L-D" version of my TM logo.

Kid sizes are $20 and adult sizes are $25. Shipping is $5 in Canada Tell me what size and I'll let you know what I have in stock..

All tie dye have been colour set and washed in hot water and dried.

I also have ladies cuts.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 The Wilds

The Wilds: Owen Owen Owen, Holly Arntzen, Wil D Silversalmon, Kevin Wright, Christine Domeij Sinclair and Shawn Soucy.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

Editorial Opinion

 Work together for fish, or pull the recovery plug

by Jim Wilcox (Wild Game Fish Conservation International) July 4, 2014 It’s time for our citizens to demand conservation (wise use) of our tax dollars used to fund local, state and federal projects. Of particular concern to me is the ongoing expenditures of billions of dollars to recover Washingtonorigin, wild Pacific salmon.

As a lifelong outdoorsman, this is truly a noble undertaking.

Unfortunately, the actions of our elected officials who react to corporate thugs permit unwise utilization of the land and water resources required to recover wild salmon.

From the proposed dam on the upper Chehalis River, to steep slope clear cut logging, to ocean-based salmon feedlots, to floodplain development, to source point and nonsource point pollution, to increased oil and coal exports - the list of risks to Washington’s wild Pacific salmon is long and complex.

Jim Wilcox

The point being is that we all need to either work together to recover these magnificent fish and their ecosystems or we should pull the financial plug on their recovery.

We simply cannot have robust populations of wild salmon while we continue raping the very resources they require to thrive.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

Seafood consumption: Public health risks and benefits

 Enjoy seasonal wild salmon dinners at these fine restaurants:

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 Norwegian

Scientists Warn Against Eating Farmed Salmon: Everything You Need to Know About Farmed Fish February 15, 2014

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters Women, children and adolescents should avoid eating farmed salmon, according to Norwegian doctors and international experts. The reason is that salmon feed contains harmful pollutants.

Talking to VG, specialist Anne-Lise Birch Monsen and Physician and professor of medicine, Bjørn Bolann say that it is uncertain in both the amount of toxins and how they affect children, adolescents and pregnant. They point out that the type of contaminants that have been detected in farmed salmon have a negative effect on brain development and is associated with autism, AD / HD and reduced IQ. A large European study involving about 8,000 newborns, shows that pregnant women with high levels of toxins in the body have children with lower birth weight, which may have an adverse effect on child health.

Conservative party (Høyre) economic policy spokesman Svein Flåtten asks fisheries minister to respond in the Parliament on whether Norwegian farmed salmon is dangerous to eat for children and pregnant women.

I want to know what she can do to make Norwegian consumers and society sure that Norwegian farmed salmon is a healthy and clean product. That’s what we’ve been hearing from researchers for years, says Flåtten to NTB. He believes there is reason to take seriously the warning raised by doctors.

- There is no doubt that such claims may have a negative effect on salmon industry. Therefore, it is important to clarify this quickly. I expect the health authorities to look closely at the findings discussed, he said.

If you eat seafood, unless you catch it yourself or ask the right questions, the odds are pretty good it comes from a fish farm. The aquaculture industry is like a whale on steroids, growing faster than any other animal agriculture segment and now accounting for half the fish eaten in the U.S. As commercial fishing operations continue to strip the world’s oceans of life, with one-third of fishing stocks collapsed and the rest headed there by mid-century, fish farming is seen as a way to meet the world’s growing demand. But is it really the silver bullet to solve the Earth’s food needs? Can marine farms reliably satisfy the seafood cravings of three billion people around the globe?

This article looks at aquaculture and its long-term effects on fish, people, and other animals. With this industry regularly touted as a paragon of food production, whether you eat seafood or not, you should know these nine key facts about farmed fish.

1. Farmed fish have dubious nutritional value. The Omega-3 Levels are Not What You Think Here’s a frustrating paradox for those who eat fish for their health: the nutritional benefits of fish are greatly decreased when it’s farmed. Take omega-3 fatty acids. Wild fish get their omega-3’s from aquatic plants. Farmed fish, however, are often fed corn, soy, or other feedstuffs that contain little or no omega-3’s. This unnatural, high-corn diet also means some farmed fish accumulate unhealthy levels of the wrong fatty acids. Further, farmed fish are routinely dosed with antibiotics, which can cause antibiotic-resistant disease in humans.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters 2. The farmed fishing industry robs Peter to pay Paul. Small Prey Fish May be Driven to Extinction While some farmed fish can live on diets of corn or soy, others need to eat fish – and lots of it. Tuna and salmon, for example, need to eat up to five pounds of fish for each pound of body weight. The result is that prey (fish like anchovies and herring) are being fished to the brink of extinction to feed the world’s fish farms.

“We have caught all the big fish and now we are going after their food,” says the non-profit Oceana, which blames aquaculture’s voracious hunger for declines of whales, dolphins, seals, sea lions, tuna, bass, salmon, albatross, penguins, and other species.

3. Fish experience pain and stress.

Contrary to the wishful thinking of many a catch-and-release angler, the latest research shows conclusively that fish experience pain and stress. In one study, fish injected with bee venom engaged in rocking behavior linked to pain and, compared to control groups, reduced their swimming activity, waited three times longer to eat, and had higher breathing rates. Farmed fish are subject to the routine stresses of hyperconfinement throughout their lives, and are typically killed in slow, painful ways like evisceration, starvation, or asphyxiation.

4. Farmed fish are loaded with disease, and this spreads to wild fish populations.

Farmed fish are packed as tightly as coins in a purse, with twenty-seven adult trout, for example, typically scrunched into a bathtub-sized space. These unnatural conditions give rise to diseases and parasites, which often migrate off the farm and infect wild fish populations. On Canada’s Pacific coast, for example, sea lice infestations are responsible for mass kill-offs of pink salmon that have destroyed 80% of the fish in some local populations. But the damage doesn’t end there, because eagles, bears, orcas, and other predators depend on salmon for their existence. Drops in wild salmon numbers cause these species to decline as well.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters 5. Fish farms are rife with toxins, which also damage local ecosystems.

You can’t have diseases and parasites infecting your economic units, so operators fight back by dumping concentrated antibiotics and other chemicals into the water. Such toxins damage local ecosystems in ways we’re just beginning to understand. One study found that a drug used to combat sea lice kills a variety of nontarget marine invertebrates, travels up to half a mile, and persists in the water for hours.

6. Farmed fish are living in their own feces.

That’s right, fish poop too. Farmed fish waste falls as sediment to the seabed in sufficient quantities to overwhelm and kill marine life in the immediate vicinity and for some distance beyond. It also promotes algal growth, which reduces water’s oxygen content and makes it hard to support life.

When the Israeli government learned that algal growth driven by two fish farms in the Red Sea was hurting nearby coral reefs, it shut them down.

7. Farmed fish are always trying to escape their unpleasant conditions, and who can blame them?

In the North Atlantic region alone, up to two million runaway salmon escape into the wild each year.

The result is that at least 20% of supposedly wild salmon caught in the North Atlantic are of farmed origin. Escaped fish breed with wild fish and compromise the gene pool, harming the wild population.

Embryonic hybrid salmon, for example, are far less viable than their wild counterparts, and adult hybrid salmon routinely die earlier than their purebred relatives. This pressure on wild populations further hurts predators who rely on fish like bears and orcas.

8. See: the Jevons Paradox.

This counterintuitive economic theory says that as production methods grow more efficient, demand for resources actually increases – rather than decreasing, as you might expect. Accordingly, as aquaculture makes fish production increasingly efficient, and fish become more widely available and less expensive, demand increases across the board. This drives more fishing, which hurts wild populations. Thus, as the construction of new salmon hatcheries from 1987 to 1999 drove lower prices and wider availability of salmon, world demand for salmon increased more than fourfold during the period. The net result: fish farming cranks up the pressure on already-depleted populations of wild fish around the world.

9. When the heavy environmental damage they cause is taken into account, fish farming operations often are found to generate more costs than revenues.

One study found that aquaculture in Sweden’s coastal waters “is not only ecologically but also economically unsustainable.” Another report concluded that fish farming in a Chinese lake is an “economically irrational choice from the perspective of the whole society, with an unequal tradeoff between environmental costs and economic benefits.” Simply put, aquaculture drives heavy ecological harms and these cost society money. In the U.S., fish farming drives hidden costs of roughly $700 million each year – or half the annual production value of fish farming operations.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

The new agreement has important implications for Scotland's salmon farming industry in terms of sustainability

 Salmon farmer signs 'fish waste to protein supplement' deal July 11, 2014

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters Salmon waste is set to be turned into a dietary product, providing an alternative source of protein that will help combat malnutrition.

An agreement has been signed between independent Scottish salmon farmer Loch Duart and nutrition technology firm CellsUnited to significantly increase the value extracted from farmed salmon.

Editorial Comment: Under the deal, Loch Duart will supply Culled, dead and dying, diseased salmon CellsUnited with up to 450 tonnes of salmon will likely be included as waste to be viscera and heads. The salmon by-product will utilized in this effort to “improve nutrition”. be used to produce Cellper, a nutritional compound that can be given to people who cannot otherwise digest protein.

To what level is humanity sinking?

The by-product will undergo a complex refinement process to produce the product, which can be used in two forms - either as a dietary supplement in basic granular form that can be transported to remote parts of the world, or as a liquid nutritional supplement for hospital patients.

The arrangement has important implications for Scotland's salmon farming industry in terms of sustainability. Currently when salmon are prepared for customers, the guts are disposed of through insilation and once filleted, the heads and frames are used in low-grade applications such as fertiliser and pet food.

Important breakthrough Loch Duart director Andy Bing says that the Cellper process is derived from technology developed for long-distance space travel.

"The full nutritional benefit, including that of the viscera, frames and heads, can be used to combat malnutrition in developing countries and to speed the recovery of many categories of hospital patients in the developed world. We are delighted to be part of this important breakthrough," he commented.

According to CellsUnited managing director Andy Smith, the aquaculture industry represents a clear commercial opportunity for the company's technology.

"We plan to spend the next 18 months working closely with Loch Duart before establishing volume production, which will need a minimum of 4,500 tonnes of salmon waste a year. Our relationship with Loch Duart will continue as part of our permanent R&D base in Dingwall," he said.

Loch Duart's farm is based in North West Scotland, where it produces around 5,000 tonnes of salmon each year. It claims to be the first fish farm in the world to achieve RSPCA Freedom Food approval, employing farming methods that include low density stocking farming, a rotational fallowing system, swim-throughs and feed from sustainable sources.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

WGFCI: protecting what needs protected .

 Sam Mace: Crackdown on Deadbeat Dams Inland Northwest Director Save Our Wild Salmon Thanks to you and project partners for bringing DamNation to Olympia, Washington this evening further evidence of why new dams such as the one proposed for the Chehalis River should be opposed, Hopefully those who care about wild Snake River and Columbia River salmon and steelhead will sign the "Crackdown on Deadbeat Dams" petition to President Obama at: http://www.change.org/petitions/president-barack-obama-crack-down-on-deadbeat-dams.

 Maria Cantwell, Patty Murray, Denny Heck: Protect Wild Salmon Rally US Congress (Washington state) This message was also sent to regional TV media: KCPQ 13 (FOX), KING 5 (NBC), KIRO 7 (CBS), KOMO 4 (ABC), We at Wild Game Fish Conservation International invite you to join a broad coalition of concerned individuals and organizations for the the July 19, Protect Wild Salmon Rally at the International Peace Arch border crossing between Canada and the USA. Details of this important rally are available at: http://issuu.com/steelhead-salmon-society/docs/protect_wild_salmon_rally

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

Community Activism, Education, Litigation and Outreach

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 Honoring the 47 – One year later No Grays Harbor Crude Oil Export – Ever!

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters The horrific events of July 6, 2013 when forty seven regular folks in the community of Lac Méganatic, Quebec, Canada lost their lives were emotionally remembered today, one year later across North America and around planet Earth.

These law-abiding citizens and their town center were “vaporized” immediately following the derailment of several antiquated tank cars loaded with highly volatile Bakken deposit crude oil. This Bakken crude exploded into an intense fireball that burned for more than three days – first responders were simply overwhelmed.

The Quinault Indian Nation, Citizens for a Clean Harbor and others held a moving rally in Aberdeen, Washington near the Port of Grays Harbor shipping terminals on this day to honor “The 47” and to vow that the Port of Grays Harbor shipping terminals and their associated rail lines will never be used to transport, store or export crude oil.

Editorial Comment: The diverse history and optimistic future of Grays Harbor, its communities and citizens are unique – they must continue to be protected from the madness associated with the proposed storage and export of crude oil – one single crude oil spill into the Chehalis River, its estuary, Grays Harbor or the nearshore habitat of the Pacific Ocean would irreversibly and irresponsibly impact this diverse yet tight knit community and many more.

Logging

Fishing

Tourism

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 2nd thoughts on 3 oil terminals Grays Harbor County projects that were easily embraced last year are now challenged July 13, 2014 The town of Westport, dotting a windswept peninsula that juts into Grays Harbor, shows off panoramic views and offers tourists an affable collection of restaurants and stores festooned with American flags.

Make no mistake, though, it's a flinty workplace where many jobs remain tied to natural resources in the harbor itself. The town's expansive marina furnishes a sizable commercial fishing fleet, an industry that rewards those who can roll with nature's ebb and flow.

"You don't always see the treasure," said Larry Thevik, who at age 66 has plied these waters for 44 years in pursuit of albacore, salmon, halibut and, nowadays, Dungeness crab. "Sometimes you see the hardship."

It's difficult enough for Thevik and other fishermen to deal with commercial fishing's good and bad seasons, and the uncertainties that haunt their marketplace. But another industry that sees Grays Harbor as a gateway to the world wants to muscle into the area in a big way. Three companies are proposing to build or expand terminal operations that would bring in crude oil by rail from the Midwest and transfer it to ships for transport to refineries and, ultimately, consumers.

The nation's extraction of oil, the sudden growth of the commodity's movement by rail and a corporate play to enlarge the West Coast's role in moving and refining crude has plunged Gray's Harbor, Vancouver, and other Northwest communities into an indelible struggle over how they'll define themselves economically, environmentally, politically.

In Washington and Oregon, at least 10 refineries and port terminals are planning, building or already operating infrastructure to support oil-by-rail cargoes. It's highly likely that most oil trains headed from North Dakota's Bakken oil fields to Grays Harbor County would travel through the Columbia Gorge and Clark County.

Backers of more oil infrastructure say the industry can co-exist with others. Thevik disagrees. He sees risks piling up. He fears the specter of unprecedented amounts of toxic crude ruining a fishing industry, worth tens of millions of dollars annually, that depends on a sustainable ecology.

In opposing the oil industry's expansion in his community, Thevik joins with a growing number of people along rail lines stretching from the North Dakota oil fields to the Pacific Ocean in challenging a critical cog in the industry's wheel: getting its product to market.

READ ENTIRE COLUMBIAN ARTICLE HERE

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 Oil Trains in Washington: Bad for Business, Unacceptable Risk July 8, 2014 There is a rapidly growing threat to Washington’s powerful mix of local economies, natural beauty, and internationally significant tech and manufacturing sector: a massive explosion in crude oil transport through the state. And when I write “through” the state, that’s just it: it’s not for us.

Our brand as a state (Evergreen State) is largely defined by beautiful places, wonderful creatures, and great experiences: Orcas, salmon, crab, Puget Sound, Mount Rainier, ferries and Pike Place.

Dave Matthews at the Gorge. Columbia River wineries, apples and wheat. Hiking and kayaking, or espresso in a million different places. Craft brewing.

All those wonderful qualities are put at risk by turning Washington into a funnel for crude oil to Pacific markets. Also at risk – by virtue of proximity to the oil train tracks through Seattle – are a few companies with a touch of name recognition: Starbucks. Vulcan. Seattle Seahawks.

READ ENTIRE WACATALYST ARTICLE HERE

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 Millions of Americans live in the blast zone. Do you?

When oil trains derail we all pay the price. How close are you and your family to a disaster waiting to happen? Use the blast zone map HERE to find out and take action.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 State firefighters want Inslee to halt Bakken crude by rail till safety concerns addressed Gov. Jay Inslee should to do everything in his power to halt the movement of Bakken crude by rail through the state until a state agency study is completed next year and measures are put into place to make sure the oil can be transported safely.

So says a resolution passed by the Washington State Council of Fire Fighters at its annual convention in Spokane in late June. It also asks Inslee to make sure local communities have enough resources to combat any oil explosions, spills and derailments and says association members “will work closely with communities it now serves to inform them of our concerns about crude by rail transportation and engage them in discussions about maintaining a healthy and safe community based on prevention and preparation.”

The lengthy resolution lays out concerns about the safety of the rail lines, the tanker cars, the flammability of the crude and the ability of local communities and firefighters to handle big crude accidents or explosions should they occur.

The resolution specifically mentions Grays Harbor as one of the areas of major concern, where oil trains could travel “possibly through Rochester along the Chehalis River west on the Genessee &Wyoming (railroad) lines to three proposed marine transfer terminals at the Port of Grays Harbor.”

“Our railroads do not transport any crude oil in Washington. Before we would do so, the necessary infrastructure upgrades and operating protocols would be put in place to ensure that it was transported safely,” said Michael E. Williams, director of corporate communications for Genessee &Wyoming Railroad.

Plans to bring crude oil in rail tanker cars to ship by barges and tankers from Port of Grays Harbor facilities are proposed by Imperium Renewables, Westway Terminals and U.S. Development. The storage facilities would all be in Hoquiam, but the oil trains of up to 150 cars would travel through Aberdeen. There were three derailments of grain cars in Grays Harbor this spring within a short time.

Genessee &Wyoming would be the carrier to handle rail shipments to Grays Harbor if those projects are approved.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters The council members endorsed Inslee and are strong supporters of him, said Geoff Simpson, their legislative lobbyist. They hope to meet with him soon about concerns expressed in the resolution.

Founded in 1939, the state council is the largest group of professional unionized firefighters in the state, with 8,000 members and 133 locals, including crews in Aberdeen and Hoquiam.

The resolution notes concerns about plans to expand rail capacity to receive the oil at four refineries and that “newly proposed marine transfer stations at the ports of Vancouver and Grays Harbor will greatly increase the number of oil trains traveling in our state.”

It also notes the city council of Vancouver voted to oppose the proposed oil terminal and movement of Bakken crude through its city. The final decision on that project will rest with Inslee.

The resolution quotes concerns stated by the National Transportation Safety Board.

 

There is no mandate for railroads to develop comprehensive plans or to secure the availability of necessary response resources.

The carriers have effectively placed the burden of fixing or remediating the environmental consequences of an accident on local communities along the route.

The resolution then warns “this burden to protect is being placed on local jurisdictions — many who are struggling to maintain their firefighters and first responders, let alone provide them with adequate resources to respond to oil fires, explosions and derailments.”

The resolution also asks that after March 1, if Inslee and the appropriate state agencies determine that the crude by rail is safe to move through cities and rural areas, the council “be informed as to the existence of adequate public resources to prepare for and deal with oil fires, spills and derailments.”

The resolution also points out that the vast majority of the rail cars that could be loaded with the crude are DOT-111s “which have been known to puncture upon impact since 1991.” The DOT-111 cars make up some 78,000 of 92,000 cars in service, the resolution estimates.

Locals support resolution The council is part of the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) and the presidents of both locals, Dave Swinhart of Local No. 2639 in Aberdeen and Doug Stankavich of Hoquiam Local No. 315, said they support the resolution. Neither was present for the vote. Both Hoquiam delegates voted in favor, Aberdeen’s had to leave to return to work.

“We’re fighting already to keep positions in place,” said Stankavich referring to the layoff of four firefighters that almost came to pass in Hoquiam due to budget constraints. He is worried whether there will be enough firefighters on duty to handle a major oil emergency with five to seven firefighters working on a daily basis, even given mutual aid provided by other cities.

Swinhart liked the fact the resolution asks that the topic be investigated and that safety be vetted for communities regarding potential hazards. He also worries about the aging of the rail infrastructure..

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters Both union leaders made a point to mention they did not want to speak against the possibility of more family wage jobs coming to the Harbor but worried more jobs may be lost in the event of a spill or explosion, particularly in the seafood industry.

The resolution was given a “do pass” recommendation by two committees, one on safety and health and the other legislative matters and was passed by two-thirds of a standing vote.

The IAFF is holding its national convention in Cincinnati, Ohio from July 14-18. “I have scanned the resolutions for the international convention and do not see any dealing with Bakken crude,” Simpson said.

The council will meet with the governor to discuss the resolution after the IAFF national convention.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 Confronting Canada Day - Dan Wallace, Audrey Siegl Watch, Listen, Learn HERE

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters From the organizers: “This year on Anti-Canada day, we come to the streets to express solidarity with people everywhere fighting for a life worth living, specifically those who resist the reality of the Canadian state and its ecocidal and genocidal projects in the false names of economics and progress.

This demonstration is the second in a series to build Vancouver’s energy for a frontline fight against the industrial mega-projects which would directly affect the health and quality of our lives, and further displace indigenous communities throughout western Canada.

Once again we come together to honour and celebrate the ongoing resistance at Unist’ot’en, an indigenous camp set up by elders, warriors, and other community members.

Unist’ot’en camp is set up at a crucial landmark on the pathway of multiple oil and gas pipelines.

Including the recently approved Enbridge Northern Gateway Project and the Pacific Trail Pipelines (facebook.com/Unistoten).

These industrial infrastructure projects are inextricably connected to furtherance of the highly ecologically destructive practices, including fracking and tar sands, and the volatile tankers that bring these toxic fluids all over the world.

For life, land and liberation. Against the pipelines and the world that needs them.”

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 The Answer is Still NO to Northern Gateway Pipelines

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 Enbridge and Kinder Morgan: We take offense to you ruining our land air and water “We’ll stop you. We’ll fight you. We’ll sue you.”

Watch, Listen, Learn HERE

In solidarity with protests taking place over the federal government’s decision on the Northern Gateway pipeline, a group of Northern BC residents took action to show their opposition to all oil and gas pipelines.

“Our community refuses to sit idle. We will take a stand for our future, the salmon, clean water, fresh air and healthy communities!” (Chris Timms) This evening, a large group of residents, elders and Gitxsan took over a TransCanada Open house in Hazelton. The group walked into the open house and took part in a flashmob and banner drop. The banner read No Pipelines, showcasing the communities angst over the litany of LNG pipelines that threaten the Skeena river and wild salmon runs. The flash mob had community members “die in” on the floor of the open house after someone yelled,“ gas leak!” This part of the action was in solidarity with those suffering at the extraction sites of fracked natural gas. The actions highlight what looks to be a growing opposition to not only oil pipelines but gas pipelines as well. Last week a direct action workshop in the Kispiox Valley(South of Hazelton) was packed with community members promoting these tactics.

“All angles of OIL and LNG including, pipelines, frack sites, tar sands, terminals, tankers and point of consumption keeps us solid in our united stand against all projects contributing to pollution and climate change.” (Mel Bazil of both Gitxsan and Wet’suwet’en people)

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 Winning the farmed salmon war one battle at a time Farmed Salmon Boycott Rally at Walmart (photo credits: Chris Gadsden) See you at the Protect Wild Salmon Rally July 19 at the International Peace Arch

Profiting from sales of unsustainable, unhealthy, ecosystem-destroying, feedlot salmon to unsuspecting customers.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 Farmed-Salmon-Boycott launches a NEW WEBSITE!!

This is an interactive website designed to help people organize boycott rallies in their respective locations independently, using tools that are powerful, peaceful and respectful!

Check all the tools:

    

Map and Gallery of boycott rallies already held and ongoing; Calendar of rallies, and an Entry form for new ones; Rally How-To: basics, guidelines, downloads; Wild Salmon champions; More.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 Olympia “Salmon Confidential” Premiere – October 5 Limited Seating

Admission by Donation

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

I am trying to protect the wild salmon of British Columbia from the impact of salmon farms.

Government refuses to acknowledge the problems. I need your help to communicate the true costs of this industry through science, films, advertising, websites and brochures. You can read more about my work here: alexandramorton.ca See the documentary: Salmon Confidential

Watch 60 Minutes episode from May 11, 2014

Your greatly-appreciated donations will go to the non-profit (not a charity) Department of Wild Salmon DBA Pacific Coast Wild Salmon Society Box 399 Sointula, BC V0N 3E0

You can mail a check if you prefer.

Thank you for your generous support

Alexandra Morton

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 Call

for Action: No Salmon Farming Expansion without Wild Salmon Protection

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 Getting

Nervous? – Marine Harvest Canada presents science refuting Alexandra Morton’s lawsuit

Following the recent hearing in Federal Court of my lawsuit over the transfer of fish carrying disease agents into to the Ocean, Marine Harvest was quoted in two European news articles, Undercurrent News and FIS. Their statements suggest that the science is settled with respect to PRV and the risk it poses to wild fish in the Pacific Ocean. These statements are misleading and warrant a response.

June 9 2014, I took Canada and Marine Harvest to federal asking the court to decide if it is legal for Canada to give salmon farming companies the power to transfer diseased salmon into net pens in the ocean.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters Canada appears to have given the companies this power through the transfer conditions in their federal aquaculture licences. Although the case was about one licence given to one company, it appears that all federal licenses contain these transfer conditions. The farm in question is on BC's wild salmon migration route – as are many other fish farms operating on the Pacific Coast.

Lawyers Margot Venton and Lara Tessaro with Ecojustice argued that: no, this is not consistent with the laws of Canada. In particular the transfer conditions are contrary to s. 56 of the Fisheries Act General Regulations which requires DFO to make the decisions about each transfer of fish and that they may only be transferred if they are not carrying disease or disease agents that may be harmful to the conservation and protection of fish. This case is based on one particular March 2013 transfer of farmed Atlantic salmon infected with the piscine reovirus from a hatchery near Sayward, BC to a salmon farm on the migration route of the Fraser sockeye – but it could set a precedent for all salmon farms in BC. We await Court’s the decision. This is a very important decision and could make all the difference to how much disease BC wild salmon are exposed to and ultimately their fate as feedlot environment viruses are known to be dangerously virulent.

Another viral Load?

Alexandra Morton: I found the statements by Marine Harvest about me offensive, but they also deserve clarification.

Specifically Marine Harvest states they have provided “independent third party evidence that confirms”: 1. Piscine reovirus is natural to BC and has always been here 2. It is not associated with the salmon heart disease, HSMI 3. That the disease HSMI has never been found in BC Whoa cowboys slow that runaway pony down, aren't you are getting a little ahead of yourselves!

If Marine Harvest wants us to believe these claims are true, show us the publish peer-reviewed scientific.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

OLYMPIA CHAPTER OF TROUT UNLIMITED JULY 23, 2014 7:00PM NORTH OLYMPIA FIRE STATION 5046 BOSTON HARBOR ROAD NE

STEELHEAD FISHING ON THE COWLITZ RIVER

Program: The public is invited to the July 23, 2014 meeting of Trout Unlimited for an active and descriptive presentation by Casey Weigel on fishing for the prized Steelhead on the Cowlitz River. He will be covering available data regarding plants and forecasts for the upcoming seasons as well as describing the hot spots to fish from bank or boat and cover the special disabled fisherman access.

His fishing techniques will be shared on how to catch this sought after trophy fish. He has manufactured special lures and 'mystery' hooks (to be shown for the first time at this meeting) that contribute to hooking and landing a prized Steelhead from the river. Be ready to have a well delivered presentation and a “hands on” tackle discussion during the program.

Refreshments and a fishing equipment raffle will follow his presentation.

Bio: Casey Weigel Casey Weigel grew up fishing the farm ponds of the Midwest in Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas. When he came out to Washington as a teenager he fell in love with steelhead fishing on his first guided fishing trip on the Cowlitz River. He started guiding in Washington State on the Kalama, Wynoochee, Humptulips and Satsop Rivers in 2003. With his wife Jessica, they operate the “Waters West Guide Service” offering services on the Wynoochee, Columbia, Cowlitz, Satsop, Nisqually and Chehalis rivers. They have been “doing this as a team for 10+ years and realize we wouldn't have made it this far without each other”. Casey fishes exclusively under the Waters West Guide Service name.

Catching fish is always important but so is customer service before and after the trip.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 Wild Salmon Warrior Radio with Jay Peachy – Tuesday Mornings “Streaming like wild Pacific salmon”

CJSF 90.1 FM is Simon Fraser University's arts, public affairs and indie music radio station!

CJSF strives to provide points of view that are rarely expressed in mainstream media.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 Wild Salmon Warrior Radio – Recent Archives June 24, 2014: The War is On! – Heavy Crude Oil (toxic diluted bitumen) July 1, 2014: Aboriginal title, Ocean-based salmon feedlots, Killer whale hazing, Kinder Morgan / Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, Northern Gateway Pipeline Approval – War is On! July 8, 2014: Trans Canada pipeline discussion, Expected Fraser River sockeye return July 15, 2014: First Nations litigation status update: Title and Rights, Environmental Assessment, Consultation, Timeline of NEB hearings, Burnaby oil storage

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

Salmon feedlots

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 Salmon farm Production Manager to jail The employee confessed misreporting of salmon aquaculture cages

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 Level playing field needed for aquaculture When considering the costs of growing fish, specifically Atlantic salmon in land based operations, it is imperative that there be a level playing field. It can easily be shown that if ocean based open pen operations were required to be environmentally sustainable, without government assistance and no compensation for mass mortality, these farms would in fact be an economic disaster.

July 11, 2014 Let’s consider a three point minimum requirement for the open pen industry to continue operation.

These points could have been made several years ago, and if enforced it is likely that most ocean pens would be shut down by now because of excessive costs or lack of technological capability.

The ocean environment and coastal communities would be far better for this eventuality.

Here are the suggested regulatory requirements.

  

Ocean based open pen operators MUST research, develop and install means of waste reclamation within a specified time frame and meet a recovery efficiency of 90 per cent of waste, or cease operations.

Use of pesticides for sea lice control that are harmful to other species must be discontinued.

There will be no compensation for mass mortality of fish, and no approval for the marketing of fish that are infected with ISA virus or other diseases.

Why waste reclamation? Exactly 100 per cent of fecal and food waste goes directly into the ocean rendering the area uninhabitable by any other species. No other living organism, including humans can get away with such pollution. Waste in the outer periphery of the area is consumed by other species, including lobster, exposing them to poisons being used in the industry.

Why a total ban of the pesticides? Cooke Aquaculture has used illegal pesticides, proven to be lethal to lobsters. They have been caught twice, fined once, pocket change compared to their profits. Studies in Norway have shown that accumulated toxins in fish from these farms may put unborn babies at risk. In general, the toxins are foreign to the ocean environment and are no doubt harmful to all living organisms in the area. Without the pesticides, sea lice would attack the caged fish by the millions, again rendering the operation totally unviable.

Compensation for mass mortality? Roughly $120 million has been spent to compensate open pen operators for the mortality of millions of fish over the past few years. This is beyond comprehension.

In lieu of compensation, Cooke aquaculture was approved by CFIA to market 240,000 ISA infected fish as close to maturity as they could get before they died of the disease, as an alternative to the compensation.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters Capital assistance? Cooke aquaculture was given a grant/loan combo of $25 million to expand operations in Nova Scotia by the previous government. The whereabouts of these Nova Scotia tax dollars has never been revealed.

Now let’s look at the economic viability of land based operations vs. ocean based in this new light.

The land based operators ensure environmental protection in the design. Ocean based are not required to do anything about environmental protection, do not have the technology, but if developed would be so costly as to likely result in an operating deficit. Strike one.

Land base operators do not have to use pesticides. Ocean based operators require these dangerous chemicals to kill sea lice. Without the protection the fish would not likely survive. Strike two.

To my knowledge land based operators have not received government assistance in large numbers and have not been compensated for mortality. Strike three.

Will the Doelle/Lahey regulatory review framework require that the open pen fish farming industry meet the aforementioned requirements for environmental protection? If they do the industry will shut down because of excessive costs.

More likely, compromise will allow the industry to continue to operate at a profit and pollute and poison the ocean .

Whatever the outcome, if the ocean based operations were to be totally committed to protection of the environment, land based operations would win the economic viability comparison by a landslide.

A strong appeal to support land based operations and boycott ocean open pen products.

This will send a message that health and the environment are important to us all. Greed of corporate giants, coupled with government arrogance, incompetence and apathy has created this ocean monster. As individuals we can help to bring it down.

Fred Giffin Geographic location: Nova Scotia, Norway

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 As fish farms proliferate, diseases do too June 26, 2014 Aquaculture has become a booming industry in Chile, with salmon and other fish farmed in floating enclosures along the South Pacific coast. But as farmers densely pack these pens to meet demand, diseases can easily pass between fish — for example, an outbreak of infectious salmon anemia that emerged in 2007 caused the deaths of more than a million fish and threatened to cripple the industry.

And unsustainable aquaculture methods can have a wider impact, spreading disease to the world’s already vulnerable ocean fisheries and contaminating the environment.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters Earlier this year, Tamara Awerbuch Friedlander, an instructor in the Department of Global Health and Population at Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), traveled to Chile to work with faculty members at the University of Antofagasta to develop research and an academic curriculum focused on preventing the spread of diseases and parasites among farmed fish, and from aquacultures to the wild fish population, without the use of potentially harmful chemicals.

Awerbuch Friedlander uses mathematical modeling to study the complex social and biological systems behind the spread of diseases, and has previously focused on AIDS and Lyme disease, among others.

In Antofagasta, she taught a three-week course on mathematical modeling to students, based on the long-running course she developed and teaches at HSPH. She described her approach as holistic. “I teach students to look at a range of factors relevant to the spread of a disease — such as ecological impact and human behavior — to develop a mathematical model. This can then be used to explore the effect of each factor in the presence of the others as well as new interventions.”

She and her Chilean colleagues hope to develop a strategy for promoting sustainable aquaculture that they can share with policy makers. Factors they are taking into account include the economic motivations of fish farmers and consumers’ aversion to the use of insecticides and antibiotics.

Potential approaches for disease control could include keeping fewer fish in each pen and removing them before they have had time to become infested by potentially disease-causing insects, Awerbuch Friedlander said.

Her work in Chile this year was funded by the Fulbright Specialist Program. Scholars accepted into the program are added to a roster for five years and can be approached by researchers in other countries who are interested in their work. The program is an excellent opportunity that many researchers may not be aware of, but should be, Awerbuch Friedlander said. “For the next five years, I can look forward to collaborations around the world.”

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

A sockeye salmon is reeled in by a fisherman along the shores of the Fraser River near Chilliwack. A report by the Environmental Law Centre at the University of Victoria is concerned that a lack of information about fish-farm disease outbreaks could endanger wild B.C. salmon

 Report slams fish farm secrecy on B.C. coast July 1, 2014

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters The federal government puts wild salmon stocks and research at risk by not releasing important data about fish farms along the B.C. coast, says a report by the Environmental Law Centre at the University of Victoria.

The report takes issue with the lack of information available to researchers and the public about when and where disease outbreaks occur on salmon farms. Currently, when there is a disease outbreak at an aquatic animal facility — such as a fish farm — it must be reported to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

However, the federal agency only makes some of that information available to the public. For example, on March 26 a fatal virus called hemorrhagic septicemia was reported in Atlantic salmon somewhere in B.C. with no further details.

“The basic issue is that government fails to disclose exactly where diseases have broken out, and only releases such extremely generalized information when it’s too late to be useful. This needs to change,” states the report.

There are hundreds of fish farms in B.C. Dozens pepper the coastal areas of Vancouver Island.

According to Fisheries and Oceans Canada, farmed Atlantic salmon is the country’s top seafood export. Production has increased fourfold in the past 20 years and B.C. accounts for half of it.

“Detailed information about outbreaks should be public, especially for scientists trying to find solutions,” said Calvin Sandborn, supervising legal director.

The report was prepared by law student Sam Harrison on behalf of the Wuikinuxv Nation on the northwest coast. They wanted to look at the effects of salmon farms in traditional fishing territories.

Sandborn said the most shocking thing about the report is how Canada’s laws compare to other countries. He noted Norwegian fish farm owners in B.C. face fewer reporting regulations here than in their own country.

“Canada used to be seen as a leader in environmental protection law, now we’re the laggards,” he said.

David Lane, executive director of the T. Buck Suzuki environmental foundation, said the report should be a wake-up call to the federal government.

“We have wild salmon to protect in this province and we have to know what’s going on to inform policy and respond to potential dangers,” he said, noting the costly near-collapse of the Chilean salmon farm industry in 2007 after disease spread.

He also cited the 2012, $26-million report by Justice Bruce Cohen on the disappearance of the Fraser River sockeye. Cohen called for a relocation of fish farms along wild salmon migration routes, such as in and around the Discovery Islands, and warned that “devastating disease could sweep through the wild populations, killing large numbers of wild fish without scientists being aware of it.”

Both Lane and Sandborn said that public pressure led to better regulations and reporting on sea lice at fish farms and they hope to see the same for disease outbreaks.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said Canada follows international guidelines set by the World Organization for Animal Health on reporting of animal diseases.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters “The Government of Canada is committed to protecting human and animal health, and providing the public, stakeholders and trading partners with up-to-date information on reportable disease detections in Canadian livestock and aquatic animals,” said spokeswoman Lisa Murphy.

The agency said providing more details would result in the release of information considered confidential and covered under the Privacy Act.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

Canada Fails to Protect Wild Salmon from Industrial Fish Farms North American Free Trade Agreement Body (NAFTA) Calls for an Investigation!

Protect Wild Salmon Rally Peace Arch Border Crossing Saturday, July 19, 2014 (11:00 am – 3:00 pm) Keynote Speakers Zeke Grader, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Association Ocean Aquaculture – An Unsustainable Venture Dr. Claudette Bethune, Clinical Scientist Fish Farm Inability to control diseases/unsustainable feed sources Ernie Crey, Cheam First Nation Fisheries Portfolio Industrial Fish Farms - A Threat to First Nation Fisheries Craig Orr, Watershed Watch Salmon Society Lack of implementation of Cohen Commission Recommendations Alexandra Morton, Pacific Coast Wild Salmon Society Court Battle to Stop the Spread of Diseases More speakers to be confirmed!

The Issues:

  

Justice Cohen warns “…fish Farms have the potential to cause serious or irreversible harm to wild salmon.”

Canada opens door to aggressive fish farm expansion, further endangering wild salmon!

Canadian government guts Fisheries Act, removing wild salmon protection measures from harmful pollutants, parasites and mutating viruses from fish farm sites

NAFTA: Conduct the investigation of Canada’s failure to protect wild salmon from open-net feedlots, before it’s too late!

For More Information: Eddie Gardner Director of Net-Pen Farmed Salmon Boycott singingbear@shaw.ca; 604-792-0867

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 Skwah

First Nation open statement in support of the “Protect Wild Salmon

Rally” Attn: Government of Canada July 2, 2014 It has come to our awareness that the Secretariat for the Commission for Environmental Cooperation, an environmental dispute body established under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), recommended a formal investigation be undertaken into Canada’s failure to protect wild salmon from disease and parasites from industrial fish farms in British Columbia in response to a petition by Pacific Coast Wild Salmon Society, Kwikwasu’tinuxw Haxwa’mis First Nation in Canada, and the U.S.-based Center for Biological Diversity and the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations.

The Skwah First Nation supports the petitioners as it is our duty and stewardship responsibility to help protect wild salmon, which are critical to our cultural, spiritual and physical well-being. Although we acknowledge wild salmon are besieged with many pressures and stresses, fish farms pose a very dangerous, yet preventable threat, a threat that could bring irreversible harm to wild salmon.

Scientists are raising concerns that fish farms are fighting a losing battle to fight off imported viruses, and their open-net feedlots are breeding grounds for parasites that are dangerous to wild salmon and that aid in transfer of diseases from fish farms to wild salmon.

Fisheries and Oceans, Canada continues to regulate the aquaculture industry, while at the same time, supporting, enabling and promoting this industry. We believe it is imperative that the Canadian Government put wild salmon first, and remove the Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s conflict of interest as recommended by the Cohen Commission. We find it appalling that the Canadian government recklessly and irresponsibly opened the doors to the current aggressive expansion of fish farms, all the while virtually ignoring the $26 million dollar Cohen Commission report which makes it clear, salmon farms do not belong on wild salmon migration routes. We call on the Canadian Government to immediately and transparently respond to and fully implement the Cohen Commission’s recommendations, beginning with recommendation # 15 to explicitly consider the wild salmon migration routes when siting salmon farms.

Instead of protecting wild salmon, the Canadian Government recently removed a crucial part of the Fisheries Act (Section 56) that would allow fish farm release of chemicals dangerous to fish, such as, delousing drugs, into wild salmon habitat that could do great harm wild fish.

We believe that the actions of the Canadian Government pose a threat to Aboriginal Rights to a fishery, raising a “duty” to consult with river First Nations, and that would include the Skwah First Nation. Salmon farms sited on the migration routes of the Fraser sockeye directly impact us and yet new sites are being proposed in complete absence of consultation with the salmon nations of the Fraser River. We endorse the net-pen farmed salmon boycott led by Skwah First Nation elder, Eddie Gardner, as part of our response.

We are in solidarity with all the stakeholders on both sides of the border that a full investigation into Canada’s failure to protect wild salmon from industrial fish farms is well warranted.

Chief Bob Combes Skwah First Nation

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters



 

Seemingly the Salmon Farm in Kilkieran has got permission to lay a pipe for 2-3 MILES across land and road and take water from lake Loughanmore (Loch an Oir) to treat diseased fish at Ardmore Point.

Thousands ( if not millions) of gallons water could be used Is this true?

Is it not totally reckless to remove water needed for local communities which has previously had issues with supply?

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 DFO aims to streamline fish-farm regulations Critics say the new rules are a step backwards June 26, 2014 Editorial Comment: Amendments to federal Fisheries Act regulations will specifically allow salmon farmers to treat their fish with pesticides and drugs as part of its effort to streamline aquaculture regulation, Fisheries Minister Gail Shea announced Thursday.

 

Canada’s Fisheries Act is an ineffective shadow of what it once was. It’s been repeatedly gutted by elected thugs to benefit government-enabled corporate expansion These amendments were recommended and endorsed by the largely foreign-owned salmon feedlot industry

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters The Fisheries Act’s anti-pollution measures prohibit anyone from dumping anything that would harm fish or fish habitat, unless authorized by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

Shea said the rules proposed Thursday will streamline the regulation of aquaculture — which is now governed by 10 different federal acts — within DFO and help give an industry that is worth $2 billion a year to the Canadian economy a chance to grow.

The BC Salmon Farmers Association welcomed Shea’s announcement, which it hopes will “formalize our current farming methods (and) encourage positive environmental practices,” according to a statement from the organization’s executive director Jeremy Dunn.

However, industry critics look at the proposed changes, which have not yet been spelled out in detail, as stripping away regulations without enough scientific understanding of the impact.

DFO officials said the changes will clarify how salmon farms can operate under the provisions of the Fisheries Act. “What the new regulations do is set the conditions under which operations can use pesticides or drugs, and be in compliance both with the Fisheries Act and all other federal (law),” said Trevor Swerdfager, assistant deputy minister for Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

And the regulation will include requirements to self-report the types and amounts of materials used, which DFO will publish annually on its website.

The changes are also part of the federal government’s process of taking on regulatory responsibility for fish-farm licensing and control that it assumed from the B.C. provincial government in 2010 as the result of a B.C. Supreme Court decision.

To Karen Wristen, executive director of the Living Oceans Society, the changes represent steps backward.

Wristen said the former provincial regime required more frequent reporting of pesticide and drug use than Shea is proposing. She added that the Cohen Commission inquiry into the decline of sockeye salmon populations recommended that the federal government separate the responsibilities for regulating aquaculture and promoting the industry that now reside with DFO. “This seems to be going in the wrong direction in a number of respects,” Wristen said.

Craig Orr, executive director of the Watershed Watch Salmon Society, argues that DFO doesn’t know enough about the effects of sea-lice pesticides now and should do more studies on them rather than relax regulations.

“We have a dearth of science, but we have a real zeal for reducing the few regulations we have to make it easier to pursue open net-pen aquaculture,” Orr said.

Swerdfager said the text of the new regulations will be published in the Canada Gazette in the coming weeks and the department will be open to public comment. The hope is to have them in force by the end of the year.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

Energy Generation: Oil, Coal, Geothermal, Hydropower, Natural Gas, Solar, Tidal, Wind

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

Petroleum – Drilled, Refined, Tar Sands, Fracked  Petropolis - Rape and pillage of Canada and Canadians for toxic bitumen Watch video HERE

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 Pacific Northwest's Salish Sea Eyed as Fossil Fuel Gateway Proposed projects would move oil, gas, and coal through the ecologically sensitive marine area.

May 8, 2014

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters Trains loaded with crude oil from North Dakota's Bakken shale formation rumble past the outfield bleachers of the Seattle Mariners' baseball stadium several times a week. From there, the trains head north, their cargo destined for multiple refineries in Washington State.

The traffic is new: Just three years ago, no oil trains were coming to Washington. Bakken crude is filling a void created by dwindling shipments from aging oil fields on Alaska's North Slope, and the petroleum industry wants to bring in more. But the push to build more rail and shipping capacity in the Pacific Northwest is spurring debate over how that oil flow will affect the region—and where it should ultimately go.

The issue is particularly important for residents of the coastal towns that ring the Salish Sea, a group of waterways shared by Washington State and British Columbia that includes the Puget Sound. A region that historically has been "at the vanguard of environmental progress globally is right at the cusp of becoming one of the world's biggest fossil fuel export hubs," said Eric de Place, policy director for the Sightline Institute, a Seattle-based environmental think tank.

Gateway for Fossil Fuel Export Speckled with emerald isles and hemmed by snow-capped peaks, the Salish Sea is an ecologically rich marine environment. The area is home to more than 100 at-risk species, a list that includes sea turtles, whales, owls, and sharks. The communities lining its shores are largely powered by clean energy. Washington State, for example, gets four-fifths of its electricity from renewable sources, primarily hydroelectric dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers.

But the recent oil and gas boom could transform a region with nary a coal mine or oil well in its backyard into a robust fossil-fuel gateway. After all, the straightest path between these fossil fuel deposits in the interior of North America and markets overseas "goes through the Pacific Northwest," said de Place.

A number of proposed port projects along the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia seek to move not only oil from the Bakken and Canada's oil sands, but also coal from the Powder River Basin in Montana and Wyoming, and natural gas from northeastern British Columbia and the U.S. Southwest. (See related story: "North American Natural Gas Seeks Markets Overseas.")

Debate over the projects is not just about the environment—it's also about exports. None of the Bakken crude coming into the Salish Sea area is headed out unrefined to international markets, because a decades-old policy bans most U.S. exports of domestic oil (except for a small amount that goes almost entirely to Canada).

Editorial Comment:

 

This statement regarding unrefined oil export to foreign markets is accurate Bakken and other unrefined US-origin oil may be exported to other US ports (ie California)

The oil industry and others argue that the ban, which dates to the oil embargo crisis in the 1970s, should be lifted so U.S. producers can benefit from prices on the international market. New capacity to move oil within the Pacific Northwest and Canada could lay the groundwork for eventual exports.

"The Pacific Northwest is going to have acute pressure to become an energy hub," said Charles Ebinger, an energy security expert at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., who has advocated lifting the export ban for economic and security reasons. "It is just a matter of how many of those projects both in the U.S. and Canada the environmental community lets get built."

Will More Trains Mean More Ships?

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters The first oil trains began rolling through the Pacific Northwest less than two years ago, and traffic has increased steadily since then. Refineries can currently accept about 300,000 barrels of oil per day by rail, according to a Sightline report by de Place, and they are working to boost capacity so they can take more.

If all of the planned facilities are built, Sightline estimates that the region's oil-by-rail capacity will more than triple to 962,7000 barrels per day. That's more than the controversial Keystone XL pipeline, which would carry crude from Canada's oil sands to U.S. Gulf Coast refineries.

At least for now, concerns that oil trains will necessarily lead to increased vessel traffic in the Salish Sea and elsewhere along the West Coast are unfounded, according to Frank Holmes, the Olympia, Washington-based Northwest region director for the Western States Petroleum Agency, an industry trade group that represents oil producers and refiners.

The de facto ban on domestic crude oil exports means only refined products such as diesel and jet fuel can be shipped abroad. As for the traffic of vessels carrying refined products, Holmes says it remains "fairly constant" even with the new oil, because it is replacing lost supply from Alaska. And tanker shipments of crude from Alaska's North Slope, Holmes said, have dropped from about 250 vessels a year in the 1990s to 123 in 2013.

Editorial Comment:



Of course new storage and export facilities will increase the number of oil freighters and barges on Washington’s coast!

Editorial Comment:

 

100% Pure Bovine Excrement!

There will be an additional 1,000+ freighters transporting condensate, liquefied natural gas, Bakken oil, diluted bitumen and coal via the Salish Sea to coastal waters and beyond

"You're seeing Alaskan production declining and a brand new, good-quality oil being developed domestically," he said. "So, it is a nice fit."

The Tar Sands Twist But oil trains filled with Bakken crude are not the only means by which shipping traffic in the Salish Sea could rise. After all, there is no restriction on the export of Canadian oil, and the industry is moving to open paths overseas for it.

Kinder Morgan is proposing to nearly triple the capacity of its Trans Mountain pipeline, which runs from Edmonton, Alberta, southwest to Burnaby, British Columbia, to 890,000 barrels per day. If approved, about 80,000 more barrels would flow daily to Washington's refineries, up from the current 142,000, noted Holmes. The bulk of the rest would be shipped to Asia, ramping up vessel traffic for crude oil through the Salish Sea. To handle the additional export load, Kinder Morgan wants to expand its marine terminal for the pipeline. Under its proposal, tanker traffic would be poised to jump nearly sevenfold, from about five tankers per month to 34.

With the pressure of new oil traffic adding on to existing calls to export coal, "I think we can anticipate a massive increase in crude transport through the straits," said Matt Krogh, a campaigner for the environmental group ForestEthics who is based in Bellingham, Washington. His group is calling for a moratorium on permitting new projects in Washington until the state can decide whether all the developments are a net benefit to the region.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

Rail cars outside the Antelope Coal Mine in Douglas, Wyoming, the fourth largest coal mine in the U.S., are sprayed with an agent that helps suppress dust.

Caught Up by Coal The crude-by-rail boom in the Pacific Northwest snuck up on residents who were focused on the pros and cons of several proposed coal terminals. As cheap natural gas has eroded the domestic market for coal, producers have turned to markets in Asia and Europe. But the lack of port capacity in the Pacific Northwest has constrained coal exports to Asia. (See related story: "As U.S. Cleans Energy Mix, It Ships Coal Problem Abroad.")

Boosting exports could bring thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in tax revenue to the region, but the prospect of increased rail traffic and ships threading tricky passages through the Salish Sea's San Juan Islands alarms conservation groups. (See related story: "Seeking a Pacific Northwest Gateway for Coal.")

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters The proposed Gateway Pacific Terminal north of Bellingham, for example, would have the capacity to ship 54 million metric tons of bulk commodities a year, most of that coal. At full capacity, according to the project backers, the export facility would create 1,250 jobs and pump nearly $140 million into the area economy.

Currently undergoing an environmental impact review, the terminal would also bring nine coal trains, each a mile long, through Seattle and north along the Puget Sound coast daily. It would draw 487 ships a year through the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the San Juan Islands, raising concerns about traffic congestion at railroad crossings, air pollution, and the risk of fuel oil spills in the waterways.

Jack Weiss, a city council member in the coastal town of Bellingham, said the terminal played a large role in local elections last fall. "A lot of money came into the election from interests opposed to the coal terminal," he said. Now four of the seven officials elected to the county council that will evaluate the permit for the Gateway Pacific Terminal would be inclined to reject it.

Bellingham was accustomed to weighing safety concerns about increased coal train traffic, Weiss said, but oil by rail is even more worrisome. "Much of the tracks are right against the Puget Sound, the Salish Sea area," he said. "If you had an accident there, then we would have our own little personal Exxon Valdez situation."

How many of these projects eventually get approved and built remains to be seen, said Brookings Institution's Ebinger. Indeed, of six proposed coal terminals in the Northwest, three have fallen through in the past two years, stymied by siting and funding problems. And Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain expansion project is still under review.

"I don't think it is going to be a cakewalk for the energy industry, by any means," Ebinger said.

Nevertheless, factors such as the "almost insatiable" appetite for coal in Asia and growing pressure to move North American crude, Ebinger said, are strong market forces in the industry's favor.

That reality has driven the anti-fossil fuel campaigns by ForestEthics' Krogh and others.

Krogh said, "My nightmare scenario is all of these terminals becoming a faucet to the world that you can't turn off."

Editorial Comment:

 

China’s appetite for North America’s thermal coal is rapidly winding down North America does not have the capacity nor the will of the people to transport vast stockpiles of crude oil

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

Hey, whale friends, not to worry: if oil giant Kinder Morgan spills a little oil in your habitat, they'll drop a few bombs to warn you.

We couldn't make this stuff up if we tried.

Read all about it at Grist.org - http://bit.ly/1rYZcIs Angela Koch: Even though a BC judge ordered Orca habitat protection back in 2011, it seems the opposite has been done.

This article fails to mention that fish farms are taking the food out of the mouths of the orca as well...when our fisheries ministers order the overfishing of recovering herring stocks of which a large portion goes on to make fish farm food, then one can easily surmise those herring feed the bigger fish that the Orca feed on... if this isn't done intentionally then someone in Ottawa doesn't have the first clue on how things work in our oceans....sad and dangerous decisions being made by people sitting thousands of miles away, that only care about their filthy fish farms and their oily pipelines....it's become easy to see that Orca and wild salmon are in their way!

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 Pipeline

proponents consider explosives in ocean to scare whales from potential oil slicks June 30, 2014 The proponents of two controversial pipelines to British Columbia’s coast say they would consider deploying underwater firecrackers, helicopters and clanging pipes, among other methods, to ensure whales don’t swim toward any disastrous oil spill that might result from increased tanker traffic carrying bitumen to Asia.

It’s called hazing and documents obtained by The Globe and Mail show the methods have been studied carefully by U.S. scientists before and since the disastrous Exxon Valdez oil spill killed 22 orcas in 1989.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters Last month, the Washington State Department of Ecology asked Trans Mountain to describe any plans it might have to help whales in a spill. In the preamble to its request filed with the National Energy Board, the department notes the proposed expanded pipeline would contribute to “potential cumulative effects on sensory disturbance,” something that “was determined to be significant for southern resident killer whales.”

“NOAA [National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration] identified oil spills as an acute extinction threat to the southern resident killer whales,” the U.S. department says in its request for information from the pipeline project.

“Please describe any Trans Mountain plans to minimize the direct acute threat to marine mammals in general and southern resident killer whales in particular by applying techniques such as the use of ‘hazing’ to drive the animals out of areas heavily affected by surface oil slicks,” says the request for information.

On June 18, Trans Mountain replied that some hazing methods “have historically worked well with killer whales,” and it might consider endorsing them in consultation with Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the lead Canadian response agency.

“The need for and use of marine mammal deterrence activities would be considered prior to or during emergency response operations,” Trans Mountain writes.

It then lists the techniques that might be available, including fire hoses directing streams of water at whales, boat traffic to generate noise, helicopters to make noise and stir up water and other acoustic deterrents.

The response notes that NOAA has approved use of metal pipes called Oikomi pipes for noise and a kind of low-frequency bomb in the event of an oil spill, but Trans Mountain cautions: “No single deterrence technique will work in all situations.”

Editorial Comment:



Officials in Canada and in the USA are insane if they believe these inhumane acts in the name of corporate greed will be tolerated.



As a society that promotes animal welfare, protection and recovery of endangered species and desires to transition away from fossil fuels: •

Increased oil tanker traffic from North America’s west coast to Asian markets must be halted.

•

Spilled oil impacts ecosystems for decades (ie. Exxon Valdez, Deepwater Horizon…)

•

Hazing will be ineffective in saving Killer whales

•

Hazing will further spread spilled oil

•

What methods will be proposed to save other marine life from oil spills – NONE!

Northern Gateway’s submission to the National Energy Board last year discussed hazing for three pages, adding “oil response plans (including a marine mammal hazing plan) will be developed with DFO and certified responders before operations.”

Fisheries and Oceans did not reply to The Globe’s questions about hazing.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters If both pipelines are approved, tanker traffic plying the B.C. coast would increase by more than 600 ships a year, raising concerns from aboriginals, environmentalists and U.S. officials about the increased potential for a spill on the Pacific coast.

U.S. authorities have closely examined hazing for years. One 1994 study found Oikomi pipes – 2.4-metre-long reverberant metal pipes hung from a vessel and hit to produce a ringing sound – could be deployed from boats spaced 180 metres apart to create an acoustic fence to move whales away.

Underwater firecrackers, also called seal bombs, have also been studied. They are small explosives inside a cardboard tube. When weighted, set with an eight-second fuse, and tossed into the sea, they sink and explode with an acoustic signal.

Editorial Comment:





The reality is that tanker traffic along the west coast of British Columbia and Washington state will increase by more than 1,000. Of course, this number is doubled because these are round trips that also include escort vessels.

British Columbia’s planned expansion of Liquefied Natural Gas, shipments of condensate from Asia to Kitimat, Bakken field oil shipments through Washington ports to California and shipments of thermal coal from Wyoming and Montana to Asian markets all contribute to a recipe for catastrophic disaster..

A report of 1986 said they have been used successfully in hazing non-whale marine species.

But despite all the studies, Don Noviello, an oil spill response specialist at Washington State’s Department of Fish and Wildlife and author of reports on hazing, said it’s not clear whether the techniques will work.

“I am unaware that any whale hazing techniques have been, or will be, scientifically tested on actual whales,” Mr. Noviello said.

Added Vancouver Aquarium whale specialist Lance Barrett-Lennard: “I do think that hazing might be appropriate in some circumstances.”

Did you deploy the firecrackers to frighten the whales?

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

Oil tanker passing through Burrard Inlet from Chevron refinery in Burnaby BC, end point for Kinder Morgan’s TransMountain pipeline, which the corporation is seeking to expand..

 City

of Vancouver says Kinder Morgan skirting questions about Trans Mountain pipeline July 4, 2014

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters VANCOUVER - Kinder Morgan has failed to answer many of the questions put to the company about its proposed Trans Mountain pipeline, the city of Vancouver charged Friday.

The city submitted 394 written questions as part of the National Energy Board's regulatory review process but said the Texas-based company did not respond to 40 per cent of them, covering everything from emergency management plans to compensation in the event of an oil spill.

"We submitted almost 400 questions and about 248 of them were answered," Sadhu Johnston, deputy city manager. rest "were quite inadequate in the way were answered, with either no answer or partial answers."

only said The they only

Editorial Comment:

 This

corporate bullying by governmentenabled thugs comes at a time when those along the mighty Fraser River are looking forward to the many benefits of record runs of returning wild sockeye salmon.

 One major spill of diluted bitumen into the Fraser River – with inadequate spill response - will shamefully and irreversibly impact these and other wild salmon and all that rely on them.

 The madness must be stopped!

"As interveners we are trying to assess the proposed project and are finding it quite difficult to get information on the project.

"That does make it hard for us to fully evaluate the proposal and to prepare our experts and our expert testimony to ask the right questions and formulate an opinion."

The city submitted a request to the energy board Friday asking the regulator to compel Kinder Morgan to respond to the outstanding requests.

As part of the board review of the pipeline that would link the Alberta oil sands to Port Metro Vancouver, the company had to respond to more than 10,000 questions submitted by hundreds of groups and individuals granted intervener status by the board.

Under new rules for the regulatory review, there is a strict timeline and the board decided not to allow direct oral questioning of company officials. All questions must be submitted in writing ahead of hearings set to begin in early 2015.

It's a very restrictive process, Johnston said.

"It's really become quite undemocratic, the way the NEB is running the process," he said.

The city said the responses it did receive made it clear that the company will not cover the first responder costs incurred by Vancouver in the event of disaster and it said the responses from Kinder Morgan raise questions on the economic feasibility of the project.

B.C. Green MLA Andrew Weaver has also complained about the responses provided by the company to his 500 questions.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters He filed a motion with the energy board Thursday asking them to demand full and adequate responses from Kinder Morgan and to revise the review timetable to incorporate "new and reasonable" deadlines for information requests and evidence.

"Many of the answers I received are simply unacceptable," Weaver, a Nobel Prize-winning climate scientist, said earlier in a statement.

"They are refusing to consider any oil spill larger than a small fraction of a tanker's cargo, and basing their oil spill analysis on a response capacity that simply doesn't exist. The lack of substantive response shows a disregard for the essential role that interveners play in the hearing process."

He laid out his concerns in an 89-page response submitted to the board, pointing out each instance where Kinder Morgan's responses fell short.

Kinder Morgan declined a request for an interview.

Scott Stoness, vice-president of regulatory and finance for the company, said in an emailed statement that Trans Mountain believes it provided robust responses to questions "that were within the scope of the regulatory review."

Some of the information is market sensitive or would be a security risk to release, he wrote.

"It is normal in regulatory processes that there are debates about whether questions are appropriate and/or in scope," Stoness wrote.

"We understand some interveners may not be satisfied with the answers we provided. That is why the NEB process allows for interveners to make motions on the responses we submitted," he wrote.

They will have another opportunity to question the company and to submit their own evidence later this year, he said.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 The

oil boom in one slick infographic Oil, oil everywhere! It’s coming … by sea, by rail, and by pipeline.

Over the past five years, domestic oil production has jumped by 50 percent.

The boom adds up to a mess of oil – and oil data.

Click HERE to see how much of the black stuff has been flowing domestically, and why the Northwest may be in for a crude awakening

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 Chinese oil pipeline burns, thousands evacuated July 1, 2014 BEIJING (AP) — A leaking oil pipeline caught fire in the northeastern Chinese port city of Dalian, forcing the evacuation of nearly 20,000 residents, a government oil company said Tuesday.

The pipeline was damaged by construction work at about 6:30 p.m. on Monday, allowing oil to flow into a sewage pipe, where it caught fire, China National Petroleum Corp. said in a statement. It said the oil burned for 25 minutes before being extinguished.

No deaths or injuries were reported. CNPC said 20,000 nearby residents were evacuated.

Five people from the construction company blamed for damaging the pipeline were detained by police while an investigation was underway, the official Xinhua News Agency said.

China has suffered a series of accidents involving leaking oil pipelines. In June 2013, a leaking oil tank in Dalian caught fire, killing four people, and an explosion caused by a leaking oil pipeline last November in the eastern port city of Qingdao killed 62 people.

Such incidents have fueled opposition to allowing oil-handling facilities in densely populated cities.

Members of the public have grown more alarmed about the proximity of oil lines to municipal utility lines, residential neighborhoods and commercial districts.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 Officials: Oil Train Dangers Extend Past Bakken June 27, 2014 BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — The dangers posed by a spike in oil shipments by rail extend beyond crude from the booming Bakken region of the Northern Plains and include oil produced elsewhere in the U.S. and Canada, U.S. safety officials and lawmakers said.

Acting National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Christopher Hart said all crude shipments are flammable and can damage the environment — not just the Bakken shipments involved in a series of fiery accidents.

Hart cited recent derailments in Mississippi, Minnesota, New Brunswick and Pennsylvania of oil shipments from Canada. He said those cases exemplify "the risks to communities and for the environment for accidents involving non-Bakken crude oil."

Hart's comments were contained in a letter to U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley obtained by The Associated Press. They add to growing pressure on federal regulators to improve oil train safety in the wake of repeated derailments, including in Lac-Magentic, Quebec, where 47 people were killed in a massive conflagration last July.

Citing the highly volatile nature of Bakken oil, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx last month ordered railroads to notify states of shipments from the region so firefighters and first responders can better prepare for accidents.

But Wyden and Merkley told Foxx on Thursday that the order leaves emergency personnel in the dark on oil shipped from outside the Bakken region.

The Oregon Democrats urged Foxx to expand his order to cover crude from all parts of the U.S. and Canada. They also pressed for the 1 million-gallon minimum threshold in Foxx's order to be lowered to include smaller shipments.

"With the exception of the Lac-Megantic accident, every accident involving crude oil, ethanol and other flammable materials since 2006 has resulted in a hazardous materials release of less than 1,000,000 gallons," Wyden and Merkley wrote to Foxx in a letter.

They said the derailments cited by the transportation safety board show that trains carrying nonBakken crude or less than 1 million gallons pose the same "imminent hazard" that Foxx has asserted for Bakken oil.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters Bakken oil on average travels more than 1,600 miles to reach its destination, transportation officials said. That's much further than oil from some other parts of the country.

U.S. transportation officials said the lengthier journey increases the overall risk exposure for Bakken oil — and is one reason it's being treated differently than other hazardous cargos.

Representatives of the oil industry and officials in North Dakota also have complained about Bakken oil being singled out by regulators — although for opposite reasons. The American Petroleum Institute and American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers have argued Bakken oil is no more volatile than other light, sweet crudes.

The concerns aired Thursday by the NTSB and Oregon senators essentially flip that argument on its head, to say different types of crude and other hazardous liquids such as ethanol also pose a significant safety risk.

"Accidents involving crude oil or flammable liquids of any kind, especially when these liquids are transported in large volumes, such as in unit trains or blocks of tank cars, can have disastrous consequences," Hart said.

Association of American Railroads spokeswoman Holly Arthur said the rail industry is complying with Foxx's original order. She said the group would have to see the specifics of any proposed changes before commenting further.

About 700,000 barrels of oil a day — enough to fill 10 "unit trains" of 100 tank cars each — is coming out of the Bakken by rail, according to the North Dakota Pipeline Authority. That's about 70 percent of crude-by-rail shipments nationwide, according to federal officials.

Yet the same hydraulic fracturing — or "fracking" — technology that has helped drive the boom in the Bakken region during the past decade is being employed on shale oil fields elsewhere. Crude from the tar sands of western Canada is also fueling the surge in North American production.

Charles Drevna, president of American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers, said he supports getting more information on oil trains to first responders so they're ready for potential accidents.

According to an analysis done for the U.S. State Department, more than half the loading capacity of oil train facilities built in recent years is in parts of the U.S. and Canada outside the Bakken region.

That includes loading terminals in Colorado, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Wyoming, New Mexico, Utah and parts of western Canada.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

ISIS terrorists sabotaged oil pipelines led to significant spill and fire in river Tigris, Tikrit, north of Baghdad in Iraq. Iraq ministry of interior claim this is "under control". See for yourself how much it is.

 ISIS Sabotaged Oil Pipeline in Baghdad... Tigris River on fire April 17, 2014

ISIS: Islamic State in Iraq and Syria Editorial Comment:

 



Terrorism continues to be a global concern.

Increasing oil pipelines, oil trains, oil ships and storage tanks is increasing all of the risks associated with petroleum products, including the increasing risks of terrorism as reported in this article.

Exporting North American fossil fuels to Asian markets is not worth these increased risks

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

While all eyes are on Northern Gateway today, it is not the only big pipeline project that is promising to change the North American energy landscape. The stalled Keystone XL is just one of 5 other major projects in various stages of approval

 Northern Gateway is not alone - 5 more pipelines to watch From Keystone XL to Trans Mountain - 5 pipeline systems that could help move oil out of Alberta June 17, 2014

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters It's decision day for the Northern Gateway pipeline. In Ottawa, camera positions are being marked out, pencils sharpened and microphones tested. All eyes are fixed on the clock, waiting for markets to close, so today's announcement doesn't ruffle any financial feathers.

Northern Gateway pipeline approved with 209 conditions But Northern Gateway isn't the only pipeline that could remake the face of North America's energy supply and roil the continent's political waters. Here is a list of five more — some well-known, others not so much:

1. Keystone XL Why it matters If the oilsands are going to expand by two-million barrels per day in the next eight years, the industry needs as many ways of getting it out of Alberta as possible. TransCanada's Keystone XL will be a big part of that export plan. If it ever gets up and running, the plan is for it to carry 830,000 barrels per day from just outside Edmonton, through the middle American states and down to the Texas refineries on the Gulf of Mexico coast.

What's the problem?

U.S. President Barack Obama's unwillingness to make a decision on whether or not to allow the pipeline to cross the border. The Americans tell us they want to make sure it's safe, technically and environmentally. The truth of the matter is, it's all about politics. Obama, like politicians on both sides of the American political divide, sees the dollar signs next to TransCanada's pipeline. But he gets a lot of money from environmentalists and they have turned Keystone XL into the bad boy of climate change.

Where it stands The southern portion of the pipeline is built and working, although there were some problems with the welds. After two U.S. State Department environmental assessments and a redrawing of the route around an environmentally sensitive area in Nebraska, everyone is still waiting on a decision from the White House.

2. Energy East Why it matters If Northern Gateway doesn't get built, this is another way to get 1.1-million barrels per day of Canadian oil to tidewater – the long way around, mind you. The terminus for this pipeline is Saint John, N.B. For now though, it is about breaking eastern Canada's Middle Eastern and West African oil habits.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters What's the problem?

The plan is to change an existing natural gas pipe into an oil pipe. That means a lot of retrofitting and it also worries Ontario gas customers, who get 40 per cent of their home heating fuel in the winter through that pipe. Also, the existing pipeline ends just west of Montreal. To make it to Saint John, about 900 kilometres of new pipes need to be built.

Where it stands TransCanada submitted a project description to the National Energy Board in March. NEB information sessions have only just begun.

3. Line 9 reversal Why it matters Canadian energy independence. And another way to eventually get bitumen to tidewater. When Enbridge built the pipeline between Sarnia, Ont., and Montreal in the 1970s, it was originally meant to bring western oil to eastern Canada. As the global economics of oil changed, the flow was reversed to bring Middle Eastern and African oil to Ontario. Now Enbridge wants to switch it back around.

What's the problem?

While Enbridge will initially use Line 9 to ship conventional oil, the company has left open the possibility of switching to heavier grades (i.e., oilsands bitumen) in the future. That has many people in the Toronto area worried since the pipe runs through important municipal water sources. There is also a fear in the U.S. state of Maine, where the belief is that Line 9 will be hooked up to the Montreal-Portland Pipeline sending Alberta bitumen through areas where there are many important municipal water sources.

Where it stands The pipeline is divided into two sections. Line 9a runs from Sarnia, Ont., to just west of Hamilton. The regulatory process is complete and the flow has been reversed for that portion. Line 9b runs the rest of the way to Montreal. The NEB hearings are over and in March of this year approval was granted to reverse the flow.

4. Trans Mountain expansion Why it matters It's the only pipeline that brings Alberta oil to the Pacific coast. Owner Kinder Morgan wants to expand the carrying capacity of the line by twinning the pipes. Right now, it carries about 300,000 barrels per day. If the expansion is approved, that number will bump up to 890,000 barrels a day. The pipeline has been in operation since 1953, largely incident free.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters What's the problem?

Northern Gateway. It would be fair to say that Trans Mountain's expansion application is suffering collateral damage from the controversy farther north.

Where it stands Kinder Morgan filed its application with the NEB in December of last year. If it makes it through the application process, construction begins in late 2015 or early 2016, and by 2017 the company should be pumping that extra 600,000 barrels of oil each day.

5. Flanagan South/Seaway Twin Why it matters This is actually two pipelines but they will work in tandem. They are both in the U.S., but they are linked and integral to the Canadian system. Flanagan South — an Enbridge project — will move an additional 600,000 barrels per day from Illinois to the big storage hub in Cushing, Okla. Seaway Twin, owned by the Seaway Crude Pipeline Company, will move an additional 450,000 barrels a day out of Cushing to the refineries on the Texas coast.

What's the problem?

None – if you're an Alberta oil guy. More bitumen flowing means more money. Plenty – if you're an environmentalist. More bitumen flowing means more greenhouse gases.

Where it stands Seaway will be up and running later this month. Flanagan South is built and is scheduled to start pumping sometime later this year.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 PIPELINE ON WHEELS Railroad shipments of volatile crude oil into America's cities have dramatically increased, with explosive results.

CRUDE-BY-RAIL ROLLS INTO AMERICA'S CITIES In March of 2014, Andrés Soto confirmed his nagging fears: Mile-long trains loaded with highly explosive crude oil had been rolling through his hometown of Richmond, California, unannounced, since the previous September.

Soto, a longtime activist and organizer for Communities for a Better Environment, had previously heard about the oil industry's push to bring crude-by-rail to the west coast. In late January, his organization came across an industry report highlighting the local rail yard's intentions to allow the practice.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters The following month, crude-by-rail popped back up on Soto's radar after a woman from La-Mégantic, Quebec, spoke to Richmond residents about how her town was destroyed after 63 tankers filled with explosive crude oil derailed and exploded, creating a fireball that killed 47 people.

Though the woman's eyewitness account terrified him, Soto figured he would deal with the issue if and when it came to Richmond. He assumed, as most people would, that local residents would get plenty of time and opportunity to weigh in on any decision to allow crude-by-rail next to their homes, schools and businesses.

He was wrong.

A GLUT OF OIL, BROUGHT ON BY FRACKING AND TAR SANDS Since late 2012, as hydraulic fracturing and tar sands drilling created a glut of oil, the industry has scrambled to transport as much of it as possible from remote drill sites in North Dakota and Canada to the east and west coasts, where it can potentially be shipped overseas to more lucrative markets.

Along the way, these trains run through many small towns and main streets, underneath large cities and over bridges, and even along steep mountainsides and wetlands in pristine wilderness areas like Glacier National Park. But while communities along the tracks take on the risk of these volatile visitors, which occasionally derail and explode, they often aren't told what's in them, or even when they'll be charging through.

"This latest betrayal is just part of a lifelong experience," says Soto, who, as a Richmond native, has seen firsthand the many environmental injustices forced upon residents of this industrial town. The city has around 400 pollution sites and the surrounding area has a high number of industrial accidents, making Richmond's county, one of the most dangerous places to live." Many Richmond residents suffer high rates of asthma, cancer and heart disease. Some of Soto's own family members, who all grew up in Richmond, have been diagnosed with cancer and rare auto-immune diseases.

But the threat of crude-by-rail is not unique to industrial towns like Richmond. Because trains have played such a major role in shaping America over the past two centuries, today you can find them in every kind of community, carrying benign goods like grain, hogs and, of course, us. But with the growth in crude-by-rail, coupled with lax regulations, these icons of American culture are viewed more warily as their foreboding tank cars chug by, filled with crude oil and marked with barely perceptible warning signs.

Oil rail shipments have increased 6,000 percent from 2008 to 2014, which adds up to about 800,000 barrels of oil transported across America per day, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. The increase in rail traffic, however, has not been met with increased regulatory scrutiny. For example, oil trains are not subject to the same strict routing requirements placed on other hazardous materials, so while trains carrying chlorine are barred from travel through the middle of cities, trains carrying explosive crude oil can pass through with no problem.

In addition, over the past two decades, the National Transportation Safety Board haswarned, to no avail, that older tank cars known as DOT-111's, which make up 69 percent of the U.S. tank car fleet, are prone to puncturing during an accident. These so-called "soda cans on wheels" were first designed in the 1960s to carry harmless materials like corn syrup, yet about 92,000 of them are now used to transport hazardous chemicals (with only 14,000 of those tank cars built to the latest safety industry standards).

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters Also, fire departments, police and first responders often don't know basic safety information, like whether a train passing through their town will be carrying extremely flammable Bakken shale oil from North Dakota, or tar sands oil from Alberta, Canada, which is notoriously difficult to clean up. As a result, many communities learn of crude by rail projects by accident—or because of one.

More crude oil was spilled in U.S. rail incidents in 2013 than was spilled in the nearly four decades since the federal government began collecting data on such spills.

LACK OF ENVIRONMENTAL, PUBLIC REVIEW, DESPITE ACCIDENTS Given the lack of regulations and increased rail traffic, it's not surprising that crude-by-rail accidents have skyrocketed, spilling oil, starting fires, causing explosions and tragically costing lives. The largest accident happened in July of 2013 in Quebec, but since then a number of derailments have occurred, including an accident in Lynchburg, Virginia, where a train carrying crude oil derailed in the downtown area, creating a 200-foot high fireball, prompting the evacuation of some 300 people, and spilling crude into the nearby river.

Yet, shipping crude-by-rail has, so far, escaped significant environmental and public review. This is partly because it is so new and partly because many of the permitting decisions—decisions that will impact thousands of citizens—are being made at the most local of planning levels. Only recently, in response to community outcry and litigation, have these decisions been brought to the public's attention. And where full and complete environmental and public health reviews have begun, citizens, officials and scientists have largely been opposed to these projects and their risks.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters Richmond residents found out from news reports that crude-by-rail was going through their city only after local media spotted the trains in Richmond's rail yard, about a half-mile from an elementary school. State officials with the California Energy Commission didn't know about the project, and the only agency that did was the local air quality district, which issued an operating permit to Kinder Morgan in February of 2014 without any notice or public process. Though the California Environmental Quality Act requires regulatory agencies to conduct full environmental impact assessments of such projects, the air district avoided its responsibilities by putting the project in the same category as vehicle registration and dog licenses.

"I was flabbergasted," Earthjustice attorney Suma Peesapati told local television station KPIX after it broke the story. "This just happened under the cover of night."

Earthjustice quickly sued Kinder Morgan and the air district on behalf of environmental justice and conservation groups for ignoring the well-known and potentially catastrophic risks to public health and safety, and for turning a blind eye to permitting the project in an already polluted and overburdened low-income community.

Similar stories of "discovering" these pipelines on wheels can be found all across the country.

In Hoquiam, Washington, a small town in Grays Harbor, people were largely unaware of plans to turn the major estuary, which is home to commercial and tribal fishing, into an industrial crude oil zone.

Members of the Quinault Indian Nation, outraged at plans to build three crude oil shipping terminals, which threaten the tribe's treaty-protected fishing and gathering rights, turned to Earthjustice after local agencies permitted the projects based on the conclusion that they would have no significant environmental impact.

An aerial view of Grays Harbor, WA, where planned crude oil terminals threaten treaty-protected fishing and gathering rights.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters "It makes no sense whatsoever to allow Big Oil to invade our region," says Fawn Sharp, president of the Quinault Indian Nation. "We all have too much at stake to place ourselves square in the path of this onrushing deluge of pollution, to allow mile-long trains to divide our communities and jeopardize our air, land and waters."

The Quinault and a group of conservation organizations appealed the permits. And in October of 2013, the Washington Shorelines Hearings Board agreed with the tribe, rejecting the permits for the proposed terminals for failure to address significant public safety and environmental issues. Two of the terminal projects have begun full environmental review processes, and the tribe and local community are fully engaged in opposing them.

On the other side of the country, many residents of a housing project in Albany, New York, discovered that crude-by-rail was coming only after they started seeing—and hearing—long lines of oilfilled rail cars chugging close to their homes and the community playground. They soon found out that in 2012 Global Companies LLC received state permits allowing it to double crude oil storage and loading capabilities at its Port of Albany terminal.

To access the port—which adjoins low-income communities and a playground and is within blocks of an elementary school, a senior facility and a center for the disabled—trains carrying the explosive crude travel a rail line that passes directly through the heart of the city. Yet, the State Department of Conservation approved the project without requiring a full environmental impact review and without complying with its own environmental justice policy, which requires community participation and input on such proposals.

"Some of our clients can literally stick their hand out of their kitchen window and almost touch the trains going by," says Earthjustice attorney Christopher Amato, who, on behalf of a number of groups sent a letter to the New York Department of Conservation, asking the agency to require a full environmental assessment that takes into account not just the rail project but all of the impacts that will come with turning the Port of Albany into a major oil shipping hub.

In March of 2014, Albany residents successfully convinced the county to halt the expansion plans. The news followed pressure by a broad coalition—including community and environmental groups like Earthjustice.

CRUDE-BY-RAIL PROPOSALS CONTINUE, AS COMMUNITIES TAKE ACTION Despite significant pushback from communities, the oil and gas industry continues to ramp up its crude-by-rail operations to take advantage of the current fracking boom around the country. In Washington, Oregon, and California, there are more than a dozen known proposals for new or expanded crude-by-rail capacity.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters In addition, certain members of Congress are calling for the lifting or loosening of the ban on crude oil export to other countries.

"Both coasts are in the crosshairs of the oil industry," says Kristen Boyles, an Earthjustice attorney who represents tribes and conservation groups in Washington and Oregon who are fighting crude-byrail.

In February of 2014, the Department of Transportation took the first initial steps to making crude-byrail safer now, issuing an order that requires railroads to inform state emergency management officials about the movement of large shipments of crude oil through their states and urging shippers to avoid using older model tanks cars that are easily ruptured in accidents.

In addition, communities, no longer content to just lie down on the tracks and hope for additional regulations, are taking matters into their own hands. In December of 2013, two Chicago aldermen proposed that its City Council declare the DOT-111 tank cars a "public nuisance" and ban them from the city. And in February and March of 2014, city councils in Spokane, Seattle and Bellingham, Washington, passed resolutions requiring greater disclosures by railroads on traffic and routes, while Minnesota and the Washington state legislatures debated rail safety bills. Most recently, the city of Richmond and the neighboring city of Berkeley passed resolutions demanding tighter regulations or outright bans of the shipping of crude-by-rail through their communities.

"We didn't go looking for this fight," says Soto, who has spent much of his life fighting social injustice and shows no signs of slowing down.

"But we're going to fight it all the same."

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 Oregon

subsidizing Rainier rail safety project allowing 14 more oil trains a

month June 19, 2014

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters In downtown Rainier, a small Columbia River town where oil trains carried more than 300 million gallons of volatile crude last year, trains and traffic today share the road, creating a hazard the state soon plans to fix.

An $8.9 million project would install curbs, reconfigure parking and add designated pedestrian and vehicle crossings on A Street, allowing trains to speed up from 10 mph to 25 mph and blow their horns fewer times.

It has another key impact. Improvements would allow the number of mile-long oil trains passing through Rainier to increase from 24 monthly to 38, helping expansion plans and profits for an oil export terminal operated near Clatskanie by Massachusetts-based Global Partners.

Editorial Comment:



A recipe for disaster      

Highly explosive product Inadequate rail cars Under-resourced first responders Faster moving trains More trains More traffic and train interactions

Though regulators and Gov. John Kitzhaber acknowledge significant gaps in Oregon’s readiness for oil train accidents, the state’s first major financial commitment to safety improvements subsidizes a project allowing more oil trains.

An ongoing boom in North Dakota is pushing unprecedented amounts of oil into the country’s rail system, leading to a string of accidents that has raised safety concerns nationwide.

The North Dakota crude is far more flammable than traditional crude and moves in tank cars that aren’t as safe as they could be.

Project advocates, including the governor, say improvements to crumbling A Street are overdue and will help both safety and economic development in Columbia County, where unemployment is higher than average and wages are below average.

“This is a longstanding project designed to increase safety by separating trains from vehicle and pedestrian traffic,” said Rachel Wray, a spokeswoman for Kitzhaber. “No matter what companies haul, people living along rail lines in Oregon deserve safe infrastructure in their communities.”

While the A Street project has been under consideration for years, increased oil train traffic has finally given it momentum.

Rainier Mayor Jerry Cole said he’s pushed for the upgrade — “a huge safety concern” — since he was elected more than a decade ago, only to see the state’s interest wax and wane. He understands the recent urgency. “If oil trains weren’t coming through, you wouldn’t see this project on the table,” he said.

It has attracted scrutiny from crude-by-rail opponents. If the state is going to spend millions on oil train safety, said Brett VandenHeuvel, executive director of Columbia Riverkeeper, it should hire more rail inspectors, prepare firefighters or plan for increased spill risks.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters “There are a lot of other important gaps right now that need to be filled before helping an oil train company expand its profits,” VandenHeuvel said.

Taxpayer watchdogs say safety improvements on Rainier’s main street could be achieved for far less. Jody Wiser of Tax Fairness Oregon said if Rainier was concerned about safety, it long ago could’ve changed its diagonal, head-first downtown parking into parallel parking with better views of oncoming trains.

“There are way less elaborate methods that could increase safety dramatically,” Wiser said. “And the community hasn’t taken those steps.”

Though no accidents between trains and cars have been reported in Rainier in the last five years, Larry McKinley, an Oregon Department of Transportation manager, said the project would undoubtedly increase safety. “They’re looking at it as a precaution into the future,” he said.

Construction wouldn’t start until at least late 2016, he said.

Most of the project’s funding will come from the state. Portland and Western Railroad, which operates the line between Portland and the Clatskanie export terminal, will chip in $750,000 for rail improvements. The city of Rainier expects to match that.

The Oregon Legislature approved $2 million earlier this year. The Oregon Department of Transportation’s rail division will add $1.5 million for crossing improvements. And Connect Oregon, a state lottery-funded program, is expected to contribute $2.9 million. Final cost estimates are still being drawn up.

The Rainier project is just one part of a concerted state effort to increase economic development in Columbia County.

Connect Oregon is also slated to spend $4 million at nearby Port Westward to allow larger ships to access Global Partners’ oil train terminal and a proposed coal export terminal.

Global is working on a $50 million to $70 million expansion of its facility, which ships oil to West Coast refineries. The company wants to increase the amount of oil it moves from trains onto barges to 1.8 billion gallons.

It’s currently limited to 50 million gallons, a cap it far exceeded last year.

The Connect Oregon awards will be finalized in August by the state transportation commission.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 Winnipeg derailment renews safety concerns about crude oil shipments June 20, 2014

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters WINNIPEG – An overnight train derailment at the Symington rail yard took all day Friday to clean up.

There were no injuries or leaks after three cars carrying crude oil jumped the tracks and remained upright, but CN crews and heavy machinery were busy at the site near Fermor Avenue and Plessis Road on Winnipeg’s eastern edge.

“We’re a city of railroads, we have major rail tracks running through the centre of our city, right next to where people live,” said St. Boniface councillor Dan Vandal, who’s been outspoken on the topic of rail safety.

The train was moving at a slow speed. Crews quickly responded to check the tanks and tracks.

The cause of the derailment is still being investigated and the Transport Safety Board was notified.

CN Rail says two of the cars were DOT-111 tankers, the same type of crude oil carrying cars involved in the Lac-Megantic train derailment and explosion nearly a year ago that killed 47 people.

Since then, “Transport Canada is requiring that all DOT-111 tank cars built before the January 2014 proposed standard that are used to transport crude oil and ethanol be phased out or refitted within three years,” said Transport Canada in a statement.

“City hall has moved a motion, this is what we want, we’ve punted it up to the federal government.

The federal government is working with the railroad companies and transportation authority and they have the authority to make the improvements,” said Vandal.

CN insists the hundreds of tanker cars that move through Winnipeg every day are safe, even if accidents sometimes happen.

“CN has a very comprehensive emergency response plan in place for any type of incident so we work closely with emergency responders if necessary,” said CN rep Warren Chandler over the phone.

Transport Canada also says these tankers are being replaced with about 55,000 new tank cars, representing nearly half of the current DOT-111 tank car fleet transporting crude oil.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 Oil

by rail data shows 10-15 trains of Bakken crude move weekly through Thurston County, 11-16 go in Pierce June 24, 2014

The state Military Department has publicly released oil-trains data from four operators of rail lines that carry the volatile Bakken crude oil from North Dakota and Montana inside Washington state.

The data released on Tuesday included an oil-traffic report from BNSF Railway that shows 10 to 15 unit trains of volatile Bakken crude oil are shipped through Thurston County every week and 11 to 16 such trains pass through Pierce County. A unit train has about 100 tanker cars each carrying about 680 barrels, which makes each train worth about 68,000 barrels of crude, according to the state Department of Ecology.

On Monday, it was disclosed that Tacoma Rail moves three trains of 90 to 120 tanker cars per week all within Pierce County. The oil may go to U.S. Oil, which operates a refinery near the waterfront.

The oil-by-rail data had been considered secret until the U.S. Department of Transportation issued an order in May for companies to release such information to emergency response personnel in each state by June 6 - if shipments exceed 1 million gallons. Concerns over the oil’s movement have

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters grown steadily after at least four incidents including the disastrous July 2013 explosions in Lac Megantic, Canada, that killed 47 and left that community scarred.

The Military Department, which oversees the Emergency Management Division, refused to cloak the reports in secrecy and gave railroads an opportunity to seek a court order blocking their release. It is the agency’s typical procedure to notify third parties about an information release when potentially proprietary information is involved, spokesman Chris Barnes said Tuesday.

But no court action was taken, and the military released details to The Olympian, News Tribune and other news organizations that had requested the data. It also posted links to the BNSF report with three others on its web site Tuesday afternoon.

Courtney Wallace of BNSF Railways told McClatchy Newspapers that the company changed its tune about releasing the data once it learned from federal transportation officials that the data wasn’t protected from disclosure.

“Once it became clear from the federal government that crude oil was not considered sensitive, secure information, we continued on our path of simply complying” with the department’s emergency order, spokeswoman Courtney Wallace said in an email to McClatchy for a story by reporter Curtis Tate.

Oil by rail shipments have skyrocketed in Washington state and 17 million barrels were shipped inside the state last year, according to state officials. U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., has said that figure could triple in the next few years.

The oil-by-rail data had been the subject of hearings in the state Legislature this year, and a bill requiring such disclosure passed the House but was blocked in the Senate by the Republicandominated Majority Coalition Caucus, which sought a study instead of disclosure. BNSF officials claimed in testimony that too much detailed disclosure would put them at odds with the Homeland Security Department, based on terrorism concerns. The Western States Petroleum Association testified there were proprietary concerns related to oil volumes.

BNSF is considered the nation’s largest shipper of crude by rail.

Officials with county-level emergency management organizations have been reviewing the data for a few weeks since shortly after it was turned over to the Military Department on June 6. It remains to be seen how well the data will satisfy the needs of emergency responders.

Kathy Estes, director of Thurston County Emergency Management, said last week that she would like to see even more detailed information showing oil volumes. The data she received did not specify how much oil is on a train.

“My perspective is we are getting snapshots in time. We don’t have a lot of information about historic quantities. We are just getting familiar with the receipt of the data and how we will use it,’’ Estes said.

“This is new for us and we’re happy to know more about what is occurring here.’‘ Estes said that it is possible the county’s emergency management plans will have to change once they get a better sense of the hazards. She said additional drills or changes in drills are quite possible.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters “It’s a logical result. Because it is a bigger hazard in our communities we will spend more time preparing” for, Estes said.

Spokesmen for Pierce County Emergency Management have not yet responded to a reporter’s queries last week about how it may respond to the new information.

Editorial Comment: This article only addresses the tip of the iceberg.



  

The rail cars carrying the Bakken deposit oil and those carrying toxic diluted bitumen from Alberta's tar sands are inadequate for transporting these hazardous materials. The updated rail cars are also inadequate. The issue is that they rupture easily during derailments resulting in catastrophic losses and risks to wild ecosystems.

Bakken oil extracted by extremely dangerous fracking practices is now understood to be far more volatile than traditional crude oil.

At the same time toxic diluted bitumen is impossible to clean up following spills - in addition, it sinks to the bottom of waterways, thus irreversibly risking fragile wild ecosystems.

There is so very much to risk with so little to gain from the extraction, transportation and burning of these petroleum products - They should be left in the ground!

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

Coal

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 Federal

Court Halts Plans for Colorado Coal Mine Citing Climate Change Concerns July 3, 2014 The federal coal leasing program has many flaws, such as cheating taxpayers out of billions of dollars, increasing mining that damages nearby land and water resources, and subsidizing the coal mining industry’s efforts to boost exports. But the biggest problem is that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) pays almost no attention whatsoever to the very obvious fact that when burned, coal will release carbon pollution and contribute to climate change.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters However, thanks to an important recent court ruling, the BLM may now have a tougher time denying its role in unlocking huge amounts of carbon pollution. A federal court last week blocked Arch Coal’s plans to expand a coal mine in Colorado, on the grounds that the BLM failed to consider the impacts of climate change when it approved the mine expansion.

“This decision means that these agencies can’t bury their heads in the sand when confronting the very real impacts of climate change,” said Ted Zukoski, an attorney with Earthjustice, which brought the case along with WildEarth Guardians, High Country Conservation Advocates and the Sierra Club.

Jeremy Nichols, WildEarth Guardians’ Climate and Energy Program director added, “This mine expansion was a lose-lose-lose proposition. We stood to lose our backcountry at the expense of our climate. Thankfully, the feds will have to take into account the costs of carbon pollution before approving more coal mining.”

One key component of the court ruling points to the BLM’s failure to incorporate the federal government’s “social cost of carbon” in its review. InsideClimate reports: The decision was a significant judicial endorsement of a policy tool known as the “social cost of carbon,” which economists and climate scientist use to put a price in today’s dollars on the damages from drought, flood, storm, fire, disease and so forth caused by future global warming due to our emissions from burning fossil fuels.

The BLM has tried to defend its head-in-the-sand approach to coal leasing and climate change with a variety of excuses, and it’s worth reading through the court ruling for the judge’s rebuttals (key sections are pages 16-32). One that deserves particular attention is the judge’s rejection of BLM’s argument “that the same amount of coal will be burned whether or not” this particular coal lease is approved.

This is a familiar argument from fossil fuel companies and the federal agencies that too often favor their interests, and it has been debated at length in regard to fossil fuel projects such as the Keystone XL pipeline and coal export proposals—check out KC Golden’s post for a good explanation of some of the reasons why this is a weak argument, such as that it: a.) defies basic economics b.) ignores the x-factor: economic “lock-in” to dangerous climate disruption c.) is morally dubious This court ruling highlights yet another simple reason why this argument is so absurd when it comes to federal coal leasing – coal competes with other, less polluting forms of generating electricity. The judge writes (page 30): The production of coal in the North Fork exemption will increase the supply of cheap, low-sulfur coal. At some point this additional supply will impact the demand for coal relative to other fuel sources, and coal that otherwise would have been left in the ground will be burned.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters That gets to the core of why the federal coal leasing program is in such need of reform, and why community, health and environmental groups have called on Interior Secretary Sally Jewell to establish a moratorium on coal leasing. Even as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency moves forward with rules to limit carbon pollution from power plants, the BLM is simultaneously leasing coal at cheap rates, ignoring the enormous damage it will do to our climate and undermining progress toward cleaner forms of energy.

President Obama knows that when it comes to fossil fuel reserves, “We’re not going to be able to burn it all,” and it has been over a year since he reminded us that “someday, our children and our children’s children, will look at us in the eye and they’ll ask us, did we do all that we could when we had the chance to deal with this problem and leave them a cleaner, safer, more stable world?

Instead of heeding those words, the BLM continues to do all it can to subsidize the coal industry at the expense of everyone else. Right after the court ruling came down, it announced plans to hold yet another coal lease sale in Colorado, which would likely give more than 8 million tons of publicly owned coal, at subsidized rates, to the reserves of Bowie Resource Partners—a company that is aiming to boost coal exports from the West Coast.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

Geothermal

 Canada’s high temperature geothermal reserves are in British Columbia

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

Hydropower

 “DamNation” Watch Movie Trailer HERE 2014 DamNation Screening Schedule HERE Sign Petition to President Obama HERE: Crackdown on Deadbeat Dams

Sam Mace Inland Northwest Director Save Our Wild Salmon “Congratulations. I am so excited for this film!”

Editorial Comment: Thanks to Patagonia and project partners for DamNation – with the history of failed dams in the USA, no new dams should be built.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 Don't rush Site C dam, mayor urges July 9, 2014

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters The community most affected by the proposed third dam on the Peace River is urging the B.C. government to get more answers before going ahead.

Hudson's Hope Mayor Gwen Johansson made the rounds of Vancouver media this week, backed up by a consultant's report that questions the need for the $8 billion project assessed by a federalprovincial joint review panel this spring.

Energy Minister Bill Bennett has said the cabinet will consider the federal panel's report and decide this fall whether to issue permits to allow construction to begin in 2015.

The report by planning and engineering consultants Urban Systems reinforces many of the doubts expressed by the joint review panel, including the cost of the dam and the alternatives available to meet anticipated power demand.

Those options include upgrading the gas-fired Burrard Thermal generating station in the Lower Mainland. The federal review estimated that upgrade could be done for the $1 billion that BC Hydro would pay in interest on the debt generated by the Site C dam.

Urban Systems looked at other options, including geothermal, solar, new natural gas generation and "microgrids" with distributed power from solar or other small sources.

Johansson said the dam would flood more productive farmland in the Peace River valley, and commit the region to another big power source for 100 years at a time when small, distributed sources are becoming competitive.

"Hudson's Hope has done its bit," Johansson told CBC radio Wednesday. "We have suffered the consequences of the Bennett Dam and Peace Canyon dam. If there are alternatives I think we should have a really close look at them."

The Urban Systems report compares Site C's estimated power cost of $110 per megawatt hour with a new gas cogeneration plant in Calgary that is expected to cost $30 per megawatt hour.

Johansson echoed the joint review panel and NDP leader John Horgan's call for Site C to be reviewed by the B.C. Utilities Commission, to assess its cost estimates and BC Hydro's projections for future electricity demand.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

Water from the Elwha River flushes through rearing pens at the state Department of Fish and Wildlife's Elwha Channel fish hatchery west of Port Angeles on Wednesday.

 About 14,000 young salmon die in Elwha River release of 2.6 million fish June 19, 2014 PORT ANGELES — About 14,000 dead 6-month-old salmon were counted in the rearing ponds of the state Department of Fish and Wildlife's Elwha River rearing facility after 2.6 million were released Tuesday afternoon.

“That's higher than normal mortality would be at this time,” said Randy Aho, hatchery operations manager for the Fish and Wildlife region that stretches from the Long Beach Peninsula to the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

“I would say normal mortality [would be] a few thousand, especially with this large number.”

About 14,000 dead fish out of 2.6 million total represents a 0.5 percent mortality rate.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters State-run facility Aho said the young chinook, eager to access the salt water of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, likely injured and killed themselves banging against the sides and bottoms of the rearing ponds at the state-run facility about 3½ miles from the mouth of the river.

The deaths had nothing to do with the amount of sediment in the river or the rearing ponds, Aho said, nor did they involve fish disease.

“It's just an unfortunate event,” Aho said.

He estimated the 14,000 fish had eaten about $200 worth of food over their six months of life.

Last April, some hundreds of year-old chinook were found along the lower banks and mouth of the Elwha following their release from the rearing facility into silt-choked river water.

April release Facility staff had released 196,575 young fish April 5.

Department of Fish and Wildlife officials said then the amount of sediment in the river likely contributed to their deaths by damaging their gills and making it harder for them to breath.

The sediment coursing down the Elwha has been freed by the removal process for the once-towering Elwha dams, part of a $325 million river restoration project still underway.

Smolting stage Rearing facility staff released the 2.6 million fish Tuesday afternoon once they saw that the young salmon were throwing themselves against the sides of the rearing ponds, Aho said.

The 6-month-old chinook had reached their smolting stage, he said, meaning they were ready to leave the river.

“When they reach that stage, they want to get the hell out of there,” he said.

“They want to get out to the salt water.

“By releasing them when they did, that eliminated higher mortality rates.”

Aho said staff members use fish activity level as a sign the fish are ready to be released.

Staff members had planned to release them later that evening to take advantage of a low tide, Aho said, which helps the water in the rearing ponds, and the fish therein, reach the Strait more quickly.

Cover of night The evening was also sought so the young fish could have the cover of failing light to protect them from predators, Aho added.

The roughly pinky-finger-sized young chinook were born in Fish and Wildlife's Sol Duc hatchery in Beaver and were trucked to the Elwha facility between March 10 and April 23, Aho said.

The 32,500 pounds of fish were transported over numerous trips, he added.

On April 5, Aho said, the Elwha River facility released 201,074 year-old chinook that experienced no mortality. ?????

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 County Won't Intervene in Weyco Land Fees No: Lewis County Commissioners Won’t Join Grays Harbor Counterparts Weyerhaeuser's decision to charge between $150 and $250 for a limited number of access permits has many sportsmen and government officials up in arms, but their hands are tied.

Nonetheless, some counties are trying to find a solution.

Lewis County isn’t one of them.

Officials from Grays Harbor County want to eliminate tax breaks for landowners charging for public access. Some Cowlitz County officials like that idea as well, but others want Weyerhaeuser to reduce or waive access fees for current and past company employees. Lewis County commissioners aren’t going to do anything because they say it wouldn’t make much of a difference.

“One reason, it’s private property. We don’t have any control over how they use it or what their tax rate is,” Commissioner Bill Schulte, who represents West Lewis County and lives in the Doty-Dryad area, said. “Personally, I’m disappointed, but it’s their property and it’s legal.”

Another reason Lewis County isn’t going to get involved, Schulte said, is because it wants to build a dam on the Chehalis River right through Weyco property and it doesn’t want to make waves.

“They are our partners in that project and how we negotiate a settlement will be around those lands will determine the success of that project,” he said. “We’re going to have to negotiate and it doesn’t work well if we start out slamming them over something that isn’t in our jurisdiction.”

Commissioner Edna Fund agrees and said the majority Weyerhaeuser landholdings aren’t in Lewis County to begin with.

of

“(Most of it) is out of our jurisdiction, and if we pass something, it doesn’t change anything,” she said.

“At this point, it’s not on our agenda.”

“I don’t have much of a comment,” Commissioner Lee Grose said. “It’s private property.”

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters In an email to The Chronicle, Weyerhaeuser spokesman Anthony Chavez said the company is, “Currently evaluating the proposed ordinance in Grays Harbor County and question the county's authority to tax our timberlands in this way. Our preliminary research suggests the ordinance is inconsistent with state law and invalid.”

Chavez said the company enacted the permit fees to combat the expenses of road maintenance and illegal dumping that occurs on their property.

Under the new permits, only the hunter, his or her spouse and their immediate children under 18 years old will be allowed to be on the property. Everyone else will be required to buy a separate permit. If someone shoots an animal, they won’t be allowed to bring unpermitted friends onto the property to help them drag it out.

Skeptics of the new plan say vandals will still have from February to the end of July to damage the property and the company should have reached out to hunting groups who would have helped repair the damage for free Despite the frustrations echoed by hunters and county officials, the permits are in high demand.

Editorial Comment:

 

 

 

Unbelievable!

Weyerhaeuser Company, the one responsible for irresponsible logging practices that contributed to the catastrophic flood damage throughout the Chehalis River basin December 3, 2007 now charges Washington taxpayers and others to access rivers, streams and lakes and the wildlife these public waters sustain Outdoor recreation in Washington state is becoming more and more a wealthy person’s pastime.

More Washington citizens and visitors are turning away from outdoor recreation in Washington state – simply too costly with greatly reduced opportunities.

Closing Big Timber lands to the public will lead to increased poaching and damage.

Truly shameful that Lewis County Commissioners are in bed with Weyerhaeuser Company so as to not make waves regarding the proposed Chehalis River dam that will never be constructed.

The 800 permits available for the Vail tree farm sold out in three minutes; Pe Ell South’s 550 available sold out in 12; as of Thursday Pe Ell North had sold 330 of 500.

The company says it implemented the permit system to recoup some of the expenses it sees from road wear, vandalism and illegal dumping, but many people from the public see it as a money grab.

In an earlier interview with The Chronicle, Chavez said the company wants to keep its land open to the public but it also wants to recoup some of the damages it sees from its usage.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

Liquefied Natural Gas

Young salmon smolts use the underwater eelgrasses of Flora Banks and the surrounding shallow channels to adjust to the Pacific’s salt waters, following their outbound migration from the Skeena River watershed.

 LNG terminals could collapse B.C. wild salmon run: SFU scientists New science shows that Pacific Northwest LNG and Prince Rupert LNG are smack dab in the most sensitive spot for millions of Skeena salmon, treasured by fisheries, anglers, First Nations and sushi lovers.

July 9, 2014

READ ENTIRE VANCOUVER OBSERVER ARTICLE HERE

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

Solar

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

Anesco is to build solar parks on three former colliery sites in Nottinghamshire

 30MW of solar to be built on former Notthinghamshire colliery sites July 1, 2014

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters Three former collieries are set to witness what is being billed as "major regeneration" as a 30 megawatt solar array is installed across brownfield sites in the East Midlands.

The old coal-mining land in Nottinghamshire – split over Welbeck Colliery in Mansfield, Gedling in Lambley and a third site in Bilsthorpe – will see enough ground-mounted solar panels constructed to provide power to around 10,000 homes.

From coal to solar Of the three sites, the Welbeck Colliery, which was owned by UK Coal and closed in 2011, will be the first to come online. The 32 acre, 11.2 megawatt (MW) solar farm will encompass 44,160 solar panels mounted on approximately 15 kilometres of frames. The energy generated is predicted to power more than 3,450 homes in the local area and lead to carbon savings of around 5.11 tonnes each year.

Construction is being managed by renewable energy consultancy Anesco in conjunction with landowners, Harworth Estates, who own 30,000 acres across 200 sites.

Eddie Peat, director of Natural Resources at Harworth Estates, said: "Low carbon energy projects are an important part of Harworth Estates' commitment to the community and the environment, and our solar projects with Anesco will deliver both energy for thousands of new homes and new jobs for the region."

The Welbeck site will be followed by 5.74 MW installations at both Gedling and Bilsthorpe. There is also a fourth installation currently in the planning stage for Askern, in South Yorkshire.

Anesco, which previously constructed a 30 acre, 5 MW solar farm in the New Forest and a 40 acre, 10 MW solar farm at Owls Lodge, near Andover, is aiming to commence construction on all three sites by the end of the year.

"These sites are based in the Midlands and north of England, which is important as we believe it is essential that solar developments are made across the UK and not just in the south west," said Adrian Pike, CEO of Anesco.

Record-breaking The solar industry broke records in the UK, meeting an estimated 3.9 per cent of the UK’s electricity demand over 24 hours on Saturday June 21, according to a Guardian report.

In 2013, Anesco was named the UK's fastest growing private company in the prestigious Sunday Times Fast Track 100.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

Government action

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 B.C.

First Nation evicts CN Rail, logging companies, fishermen from their lands July 10, 2014

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters VANCOUVER - Buoyed by a landmark Supreme Court of Canada decision, hereditary chiefs of the Gitxsan (GIT-san) First Nations have served eviction notice to CN Rail, logging companies and sport fishermen to leave their lands.

Chief negotiator Gwaans (gwons) Bev Clifton Percival says these companies have until Aug. 4 to cease operations and leave 33,000 square kilometres of Gitxsan territory along the Skeena River in northwestern British Columbia.

Clifton Percival says the band has been trying to negotiate a treaty with the Crown since 2001 but hasn't made any progress and hasn't had any negotiations for several years.

She says in 2012, some of the lands awarded to the Gitxsan in an earlier high court ruling were given to the neighbouring Kitsumkalum (kits-um-kalem) and Kitselas (lit-sey-liss) nations in an agreement in principle signed with the provincial and federal governments.

The Gitxsan say because of the Crown's failure to consult them, the companies are trespassing.

Clifton Percival says timber sales, fishing licenses and rail shipments can continue after the Crown has obtained the consent of their chiefs.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

Greenwashing

 Rail Officials Explain Improvement Grant to Chehalis Officials Pitch: Funds Will Improve Capacity for Current Loads, Not Oil Trains, Business Claims June 27, 2014 Don Seil, Pacific region general manager for Genesee & Wyoming, presented the Chehalis City Council with a plan to improve the Puget Sound and Pacific Railroad earlier this week.

The Puget Sound and Pacific is a railroad subsidiary company of Genesee & Wyoming that interchanges to the BNSF and Union Pacific railroads. Most of its infrastructure is nearly a century old and in need of repair. Four trains derailed from it between April and May. The Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, or TIGER, Grant, is a $9 million federal grant, which was applied on behalf of Genesee & Wyoming by the Port of Centralia. It would improve rail infrastructure between Blakeslee Junction and Grays Harbor. If awarded, Genesee & Wyoming will contribute $3.9 million in matching funds. No local money is required.

Last year, the company moved 36,000 car loads and employed about 40 people locally, Seil said.

According to him, the improvements are needed to keep up with growing demands on the rail line.

The grant will bolster the track’s capacity for longer and more frequent trains hauling brewers’ grain, soybean meal and automotive parts from the Midwest. ed: of course this track’s renovation is being done to “grease the skids” for the proposed Grays Harbor oil storage and export facilities.

The money would improve rails, ties and bridges, upgrade two crossings, allow trains to travel up to 20 miles per hour from the current 10 mph, make two 8,000-foot sidings for trains to pull off the main line for others to pass and possibly create a quiet zone within Centralia.

The plan is endorsed by Gov. Jay Inslee, Sixth District Congressman Derek Kilmer, the Department of Defense, numerous companies and several Washington cities, including the city of Centralia.

The port will benefit from the grant improvements because the trains often block truck access to some of its property, according to Port Executive Director Kyle Heaton. The port will also receive $50,000 for handling the application.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters At the end of his presentation, Seil asked the council to write a letter of support for the project, but because Chehalis won’t be impacted by the improvements, city officials won’t write it.

“It was just information for us,” Chehalis City Manager Merlin MacReynold said. “We’re not directly affected, so I don't see our council getting involved with stuff going on in another jurisdiction.”

Centralia would be most directly impacted since the rail line runs through town. Seil gave the same presentation to Centralia City Council in mid-April.

The quiet zone would be created by shutting down six crossings along Sixth Street, but trains would move through the area quicker and wouldn’t have to blow their horns at every crossing. The grant would pay for those improvements, but only if Centralia approved.

The city drafted a letter of support for the grant and Mayor Bonnie Canaday signed it.

Although oil is mentioned nowhere in the 32-page application, nor at any point during Seil’s presentation, the Puget Sound and Pacific could become key in moving oil to three facilities planned for the Port of Hoquiam, if those are approved.

Oil isn’t mentioned, Seil said, because the company’s focus is on materials it is already shipping, not potential ones.

“The reason we’re putting forth the application through the Port of Centralia is that it gives us the opportunity to handle our current customers,” he said. “If crude comes, we’ll handle it, but there may be needs to expand even further.”

Seil also said that Genesee & Wyoming owns only the rail line and as a common carrier it is legally required to accept whatever materials its customers’ cars are holding, so long as they meet federal regulations.

100% Pure Bovine Excrement

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 Third-party evidence confirms Marine Harvest's healthy salmon June 19, 2014

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters Marine Harvest Canada (MHC) has provided the Federal Court of Canada with information resulting from significant new research confirming the company's salmon are not a risk to wild salmon or consumers.

Responding to a legal challenge initiated by Alexandra Morton against the Minister of Fisheries and MHC, last week the company provided the Court with evidence including fish health data, which refuted the allegations made by the marine biologist showing them as clearly erroneous and scientifically baseless.

The legal challenge - which questions the authority of the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans to allow the company to transfer fish from its facilities - includes allegations that the piscine reovirus (PRV) is linked to heart and skeletal muscle inflammation (HSMI), and suggests that the latter is present in MHC's farm-raised Atlantic salmon.

MHC provided the Court with independent third party evidence that confirms PRV occurs naturally in wild fish in the Pacific Northwest, predates the start of BC salmon farming operations, does not compromise fish health in the farms of MHC or in farmed or wild salmon in BC in general, and is not associated with HSMI. Furthermore, HSMI has not been found in any fish (farmed or wild) in the Pacific Northwest despite extensive testing.

"While the court would have been within its right to dismiss this case due to lack of evidence brought forth by the applicant, Marine Harvest wanted the case to proceed to set the record straight," says Vincent Erenst, Managing Director at MHC. "Since these allegations were made, we've commissioned a significant amount of independent research confirming our fish are healthy."

Proceedings were completed on 13 June. Justice Rennie will rule on the authority of the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans to authorize BC's salmon aquaculture facilities to transfer fish from one site to another in the coming months.

Marine Harvest Canada is British Columbia's leading aquaculture company and supplier of Sterling brand salmon, producing 40,000 tonnes of fresh farm-raised salmon at sites on and around Vancouver Island.

Don Staniford:





“Complete & Utter Cr*p Quote of the Week from Marine Harvest Canada's Managing Director: "While the court would have been within its right to dismiss this case due to lack of evidence brought forth by the applicant, Marine Harvest wanted the case to proceed to set the record straight"” “I guess Marine Harvest paid for the studies or even wrote a report which one of the many prostitute rent-a-scientists signed - or even their best friends at the CFIA?”

Addie Hollingsworth:

 

“Who did the studies?”

“Where is the proof?”

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

Wild Game Fish Management

 Feds Quintuple Allowed Catch on Endangered Salmon Species Expecting a huge sockeye run, DFO widens the net for coho.

June 27, 2014 Fisheries and Oceans Canada is allowing commercial fishermen to catch five times as many endangered coho salmon in anticipation of this year's massive sockeye run on the Fraser River.

Conservationists are outraged with the federal decision, which they say will further threaten the coho species in the rush to allow fishermen a greater catch during the annual sockeye return. This year's return is expected to be tremendous, as high as 70 million fish.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters Sockeye and coho swim together in the areas open to commercial fishing, which means coho are at risk of getting caught in the net along with the sockeye.

The government has tried to protect coho by limiting the unintentional bycatch to three per cent since 1998. Canada's new plan quintuples that and will allow for 16 per cent bycatch.

A spokesperson for Fisheries and Oceans Canada, known as DFO, said in an email that coho stocks were returning and could sustain the increased catch, but that claim was met with skepticism from conservationists.

"It's confusing," said Gord Sterritt, executive director of the Upper Fraser Fisheries Conservation Alliance. "What's basically happening is that DFO is allowing open season on an endangered salmon that has not yet been declared recovered."

More data needed Interior Fraser coho was put on the federal list of endangered species in 2002 after stocks decreased at an alarming rate because of overfishing in the 1990s.

Only in the past three years have coho stocks begun showing signs of recovery. According to DFO's 2014 forecast, about 50,000 of the endangered salmon will return, which exceed the department's long-term recovery goal of 40,000.

Sterritt, who is also the fisheries resource manager for the Northern Shuswap Tribal Council, said three years was too little recovery time to go on. "We need more data," he said. "We could be in a position where we're driving these stocks down again."

Aaron Hill, a biologist with Watershed Watch Salmon Society, said that the federal decision was "very short sighted" and delaying the species' recovery.

Hill said coho catches could be significantly decreased by moving the fisheries off the coast and inriver where the two species separate. In-river fisheries are historically run by First Nations.

Coho is 'extremely vulnerable': scientist Dr. Patricia Gallaugher, director of the Centre for Coastal Science and Management at Simon Fraser University, is renowned for her work and research with salmon conservation in B.C. She said coho was an "extremely vulnerable" species that DFO was mandated to protect and recover under the federal Wild Salmon Policy.

The increase of the bycatch rate seems to be in direct conflict with that mandate, said Gallaugher.

According to DFO, the most recent generation of coho averaged 36,000 fish.

Even if this year's returns were to reach 50,000, the scientist finds a fivefold bycatch rate "highly surprising" as it would also imply a fivefold increase in returns, she said.

Bycatch can be prevented Both Gallaugher and Hill said this year's massive salmon run is only due to a few strong sockeye populations. Many other populations are still doing poorly or are classified as endangered.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters Like the coho, such populations would also be hurt by this year's intensive fishing.

Gallaugher said fishermen could avoid or manage bycatch of endangered salmon by using special gear or placing them in recovery boxes from which they could be released into the ocean.

"But all of that takes time, and if you're rushing to get as many fish as you can then it's not going to happen," she said.

It would also require a strong DFO presence to ensure enforcement, and Gallaugher doubts the department has the capacity.

Editorial Comment:



These bycatch experiments have failed miserably in Oregon and Washington for the very reasons identified:

   

Time Money Human greed Effective enforcement

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters

 Rich countries pay zombie fishing boats $5 billion a year to plunder the seas June 25, 2014 The industrial fleet that now drags the high seas for fish has a combined engine power 10 times stronger than it did in 1950. Its nets are so huge that they’re sometimes big enough to hold 12 jumbo jets. And it is largely thanks to this all-out assault on high-seas fishing stocks that two-thirds of those stocks (paywall) are at the brink of collapse—or well past the edge.

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters But instead of discouraging this trend, rich countries are paying those vessels to overfish like there’s no tomorrow. Japan, China, the US, the EU and other countries pay $27 billion to subsidize these vessels, according to a report (pdf) by the Global Ocean Commission, an independent body of international leaders focused on ocean conservation policy. Of that, $5 billion alone goes on fuel subsidies from rich countries to industrial fishing fleets.

Global Ocean Commission

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters Without the subsidies, most of these businesses would fail. So thoroughly have industrial fleets overfished the seas that they couldn’t afford the fuel to travel the ever-increasing distance needed to catch the same amount of fish if their governments didn’t lavish public funds upon them.

In economics, you’d call these zombies — unprofitable companies that would fail if governments didn’t prop them up.

There are two big problems with zombies. First, they take resources that could go to support new, productive companies. And by subsidizing zombies, governments allow them to keep prices low, driving productive companies out of business.

If industrial fleets weren’t subsidized, they’d go out of business. Small-scale fisheries that don’t need enormous amounts of fuel to catch huge hauls of fish—i.e. the ones using sustainable fishing practices—would then in theory thrive. Many of these fishermen are in poor countries whose governments can’t afford to compete in the industrial looting.

Worse, there’s a double-whammy zombie effect going on in the fishing context. Government subsidies to highly destructive industrial fleets don’t just deprive small-scale fishermen of finite taxpayer dollars and edge them out of the market with cheap prices; they also rob them of current and long-term fishing stocks.

Global Ocean Commission

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters Not all subsidies are bad. In fact, subsidies to promote fishery resource conservation and management—things like stock assessments and stock monitoring—are exactly the kinds of things we should be pressing our governments to foot the bill for (those are represented in blue in the chart below). But some $16 billion in subsidies goes exclusively toward making it cheaper to catch more fish.

That’s a problem, given that the global deepwater fleet is already 2.5 times bigger than what the GOC says is sustainable to maintain global fish stocks.

Global Ocean Commission

Legacy – August 2014 Wild Game Fish Conservation International 2014 – Honoring Sacred Waters Take, for example, the global high-seas bottom-trawl fleet. The top 12 highest-catching nations pony up a total of $152 million a year, worth a quarter of what the fleet catches. Yet this fleet’s margins are typically 10%. That means these highly destructive vessels couldn’t stay in business if not for government gimmes.

Global Ocean Commission Governments tend to be leery of slashing subsidies because of the potential impact on jobs and, hence, politics.

For instance, in 2006 Spain upped its fuel subsidy 60% after fishermen blockaded Mediterranean ports to protest oil prices. But the industrial fisheries are actually not huge employers, even within their sector: GOC reports that the biggest vessels catch 65% of all marine fish, while employing only 4% of fishermen.