Thursday, March 29, 2007

Save the Streams - All

November 26, 2007



click - Save the Streams Presentation

August 17, 2007

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There are five species of Pacific salmon that die
after spawning; Chinook, Chum, Coho, Sockeye,
and Pink. Salmon return to their natal streams and
rivers each year. Salmon travel thousands
of miles and spend one to five years feeding in the
ocean before returning to their birth streams.
Spawning females dig out a gravel nests, called a
redd. The males then fertilizes the eggs and the
female protects the redd for one to two weeks.
Alveins hatch and mature into fry, developing
vertical bars for camouflage, called parr marks.
After a period of feeding fry migrate downstream
towards the ocean and grow into smolts adapting
to their marine environment.

Threats
On top of natural dangers from predators dangers
to salmon from human activities include poor
farming and forest practices, pollution, destruction
of coastal wetlands and estuaries. The territory of
British Columbia salmon has been decimated for
decades by industrial clearcut logging. Roots of
trees anchor steep slopes. Logging increases the
chances of landslides filling vital spawning
grounds with mud, debris, and boulders. Shade
from trees is lost increasing water temperatures.
Other threats include overfishing, urbanization,
hydroelectric dams, and fish farms.

Actions
Salmon play an important role sustaining
forest ecology. Spawners bring vital nutrients
from the ocean into the forest. Carcasses are dispersed
by bears and eagles providing the trees with fertilizer;
nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon. Salmon feed the
rivers helping the survival of young salmon. Farmed
salmon does not replicate this vital role and is
detrimental to wild stocks. Dangers from fish farms
include disease, pollution (including contaminating
shellfish), predation on young wild salmon, and
escapement (Atlantic salmon compete for food and
habitat with wild stocks). Conservation actions include
cleaning up salmon streams (ensuring clean and safe
flowing environments), recycling, using biodegradable
and organic products, and choosing wild salmon over
farmed.

Chinook
Oncorhynchus tshawytscha
Spring, Salmon, King, Blackmouth,
Quinnat, Chub, Tyee (14+kg)
Chinooks have a greenish-blue dark back with
long black spots, a red hue develops around
the fins and belly, male teeth are enlarged and
they have a hooked snout. Tyee reach 1.5 m
and 58 kg, average 90 cm and14 kg. Spawning
peak May to June and August to September.

Chum
O. keta
Dog Salmon
Females are a metallic
blue, males have a
checkerboard colouration,
a dark horizontal stripe, and
canine-like teeth. Average
from 4.5 to 12 kg. Spawning
peak month October.

Coho
O. kisutch
Silver Salmon
Spawning males are red on
their sides, and a bright green
on the back and head areas, with a
darker colouration on the belly, spots
on upper tail fin lobe. They also develop
a hooked jaw with sharp teeth. Females
develop a lesser-hooked snout. Coho
reach 1 m and weigh up to 14 kg, they
average between 3 to kg. Spawning
peak July to August.

Sockeye
O. nerka
Kokanee, Red Salmon,
Blueback Salmon
Varying shades of red resulting
in a brilliant scarlet fish with a
green head. Grow to 83 cm
and weigh up to 7 kg. Spawning
peak month August.

Pink
O. gorbuscha
Humpies
Pale grey, males
develop a hump.
Get up to 76 cm
and to 5.5 kg,
average 1.5 to 2.5 kg.
Spawning peak month
October.

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August 7, 2007

Shawnigan Lake
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Small Mouth Bass

John's Creek
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Goldstream
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Salmon Fry

Thetis Lake

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July 2, 2007





March 29, 2007

SVI
Southern Vancouver Island Salmon Streams

1 SAN JUAN RIVER- Chinook, Chum, Coho
2 MOSQUITO CREEK / DAVIS CREEK- Coho
3 FALLS CREEK / FALL CREEK / FALLER CREEK - Coho
4 SOMBRIO RIVER - Chum, Coho
5 MCVICAR CREEK - Atlantic
6 UGLOW CREEK - Coho
7 UGLOW CREEK - Coho
8 JORDAN RIVER - Chum, Coho
9 KIRBY CREEK / COAL CREEK - Chinook, Chum, Coho
10 MUIR CREEK - Chinook, Chum, Coho
11 TUGWELL CREEK - Chinook, Chum, Coho
12 DE MAMIEL CREEK - Chinook, Chum, Coho
13 SOOKE RIVER - Chinook, Chum, Coho
14 AYUM CREEK / STONEY CREEK - Chum, Coho
15 WILDWOOD CREEK / MATHESON CREEK - Coho
16 METCHOSIN - Chum
17 COLWOOD CREEK / GLEN LAKE CREEK - Coho
18 MILL STREAM / HAZLITT CREEK - Coho
19 CRAIGFLOWER CREEK / DEADMAN'S CREEK - Coho
20 COLQUITZ RIVER / COLQUITZ CREEK - Chum, Coho
21 SWAN LAKE CREEK / BLENKINSOP LAKE CREEK - Chum, Coho
22 SANDHILL CREEK / SHADY CREEK - Chum, Coho
23 HAGAN CREEK / GRAHAM CREEK - Coho
24 TOD CREEK - Coho
25 DURRANCE CREEK - Coho
26 GOLDSTREAM RIVER - Chinook, Chum, Coho
27 JOHNS CREEK - Chum, Coho
28 SHAWNIGAN CREEK / MILL BAY CREEK - Chum, Coho
29 KOKSILAH RIVER - Atlantic, Chum, Coho
30 COWICHAN RIVER - Atlantic, Chinook, Chum, Coho

Eliminate Toxic Flame Retardants

US Citizens - Urge your State Senator to Vote Yes on SHB 1024 to Eliminate Toxic Flame Retardants!

Click here

Toxic fire retardants turn up in orcas

DFO Recovery Strategy for Transients

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The long-term goal of this recovery strategy is:

To attain long-term viability of the West Coast transient killer whale population by providing the conditions necessary to preserve the population’s reproductive potential, genetic variation, and cultural continuity.

To achieve this goal objectives have been established for the next five years.

Population Objectives
• population size will remain at or above the current level
• number of breeding females in the population will remain at neutral or positive growth rate levels
• determine numerical and demographic population objectives that represent long-term viability for this population

Distribution Objectives
• continue to utilize their known range
• prey will be available, in quantities adequate to support recovery, throughout the currently known range
• studies to determine how range is utilized at a population and sub-population level

Recovery Objectives
• average contaminant load will decline below current levels
• prey populations will be protected from anthropogenic factors
• current measures to protect from vessel disturbance will be maintained or expanded if determined necessary
• will not be exposed to acute or chronic sound levels in excess of those considered to cause behavioural or physical harm in cetaceans
• quantity, quality and distribution of prey necessary to sustain or increase the current population level will be determined
• greater understanding of the impacts of contaminants and other biological and non-biological pollutants will be developed
• the effects of vessel disturbance on will be evaluated
• a more comprehensive understanding of the impacts of chronic and anthropogenic ambient noise will be developed

Ref. - DFO Recovery Strategy for Transient Killer Whales

Monday, March 26, 2007

Vessel Effects on Orcas


Designated critical habitat for Southern Resident killer whales.
(Proposed Recovery Plan)

Request for Information and Comments
Suggestions included a moratorium on all whale watching, prohibiting whale watching for one or more days per week, developing a permit program for commercial operators, and requiring whale watch vessels to purchase and install Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) equipment to allow for monitoring their activities.

NMFS has developed a preliminary list of options for consideration and comment:

Codify the current Be Whale Wise marine mammal viewing guidelines –
Codifying the guidelines, in whole or in part, as regulations.

Establish minimum approach rule –
Have to consider whether the current guideline of 100 yards is appropriate for this regulation.

Prohibit vessel activities of concern –
Surrounding whales or otherwise preventing a reasonable means of escape.

Establish time-area closures –
Restricting human access to specific areas.

Operator permit or certification program –
Approach rules or establish closed areas that applied to all vessels except those operated under a whale watching permit or certification.

You may submit information and comments concerning this ANPR by any one of several methods:

E-mail: orca.plan@noaa.gov.
Federal e-rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
Mail: Assistant Regional Administrator, Protected Resources Division, Northwest Regional Office, National Marine Fisheries Service, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115.

Public Hearings
Based on the level of interest in killer whales and whale watching, public meetings have been scheduled for April
18, 2007, 2–4 p.m. in The Grange Hall, Friday Harbor, WA and April 19, 2007, 7–9 p.m. at the Seattle Aquarium, Seattle, WA. Requests for additional public hearings or special accommodations must be made in writing by April 23, 2007.

(Federal Register Notice)

More than $1B for Victoria sewage treatment

The cost of building a centralized sewage-treatment facility for Greater Victoria has been pegged at $1.2 billion by the Capital Regional District. That's a big increase over the original estimate last year of $500 million. The new preliminary estimate in 2007 dollars is for design and construction, and does not include operations of the facilities. Regional district chair Denise Blackwell said homeowners could be facing property tax increases of $300 to $500 each a year, depending on which municipality they live in. She also told CBC News that municipal officials will try to find ways to ease some of the financial pain. "It'll be phased in over time. So that's one of the things we'll have to look at is, how can we phase it in so that it's a gradual increase in taxes to the local taxpayer, because it is a shocking number." A first draft of the sewage treatment plant will be made public by the end of April. The Capital Regional District has been ordered by the provincial government to submit a timeline by June 30 for the project. The federal, provincial and municipal governments have already agreed to help pay for sewage treatment for the capital city, which flushes 129 million litres of raw sewage into the ocean on a daily basis.

Ref.