04.20.08
Posted in Uncategorized, Environment at 7:59 am by allan
Hello everyone,
We have good news. Yesterday, British Columbias Environment Minister Barry Penner announced that Canada�s federal government will cooperate with the province in removing the diesel fuel tanker now lying underwater in the Ecological Reserve at Robson Bight. Though no definite timing was stated, subsequent comments by Minister Penner clearly indicated that officials are aware that the northern resident orcas are expected to return by early summer.
The decision represents real progress on an issue that should have impelled immediate action of the part of governments. The aftermath of the August 20th accident saw a smoke & mirrors dance (no problem) that delayed inspection of the wreckage, and then, once the dire situation had been dramatically revealed in underwater imagery, we were treated with stalling instead of planning. It took considerable effort from the public side to convince our governments to do an underwater inspection of the wreckage in the first instance, and then even more effort to convince them to do what was obvious from the outset. Now, finally, we have a decision, but is it in time?
We are left feeling very encouraged, but still worried. If the tanker with its toxic cargo can be removed before the orcas return, great, but if it cannot, we will find ourselves once again waiting. What happens now will depend on the ability of government officials to move swiftly through the process of awarding a contract and having the job done. If a call for bids happens this coming week, with a very short window for submissions, and very soon thereafter the contract is awarded, there is time, barely.
As we hold our collective breath, we want to acknowledge the participants in this drama who have brought us to this hopeful point. Living Oceans Society has been instrumental from the outset; BCs Environment Minister Barry Penner has been a true listener and advocate; North Island MLA Claire Trevena has worked quietly behind the scenes in Victoria; North Island MP Catherine Bell has been vocal in Canadas Parliament; and our local leaders: Namgis First Nation Chief Bill Cranmer, Alert Bay Mayor John Rowell, Port McNeill Mayor Gerry Furney, and the board of our Regional District have actively sought a decision. To all of them we are very grateful; and behind & in front of all of them stand all those who have pressed the issue, insisting that those who have the responsibility, act responsibly.
At this point, we have a simple and pleasant request for you to act on. Please write again to the Ministers involved, thanking them for their decision. At the same time, please request that they do what is needed before the orcas return, i.e. before mid June, 2008. Thank you.
Contact details for Ministers Penner and Hearn:
The Honourable Barry Penner
Minister of the Environment
P.O. Box 9047, Stn. Prov. Gov’t.
Victoria, B.C.
V8W 9E2 Canada
phone: 1-250-387-1187
fax: 1-250-387-1356
Email: env.minister@gov.bc.ca
The Honourable Loyola Hearn, Minister
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
200 Kent St. Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0E6 Canada
phone: 1-613-992-3474
fax: 1-613- 995-7858
Email: Min@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
As ever, this comes with our best wishes to you all,
Paul & Helena (Orcalab)
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03.29.08
Posted in Uncategorized, Environment at 8:35 am by allan
When a barge dangerously laden with logging equipment, including a tanker truck of diesel fuel, spilled its load in the heart of the world’s best known orca habitat – the Ecological Reserve at Robson Bight - last August 20th, whale lovers were outraged, environmentalists dismayed, the public alerted, and even the oil industry took note.
Canada’s initial response, via its Coastguard, was to discount the possibility of serious impacts by claiming all the oil and fuel had been released and dispersed. Eventually, after being pressured by NGOs who raised the funds needed to conduct an underwater investigation, the governments of British Columbia and Canada commissioned an underwater inspection of the spill site. This was completed in early December. Months later, despite video evidence (www.livingoceans.org) that the tanker truck is intact and probably still full of toxic diesel fuel we are still waiting for an announcement that the next obvious step – cleanup – will be undertaken before the orcas return in early summer. Organising and conducting the cleanup will take time, once the decision is made, and time is passing quickly. Meanwhile, a ticking toxic time bomb is lying on the ocean floor 350m below Robson Bight.
The absence of official reaction to the evidence from the underwater inspection is puzzling, and disturbing. The only thing that seems clear is that once again the governments are dragging their feet. Possibly they are hoping the problem will go away if they ignore it long enough. That simply isn’t good enough. The orcas will return soon, probably in June & no later than July. If the fuel tanker isn’t removed by the time the orcas arrive, it will be considered too risky to do the job until they leave again in the fall or early winter. This means the cleanup could be pushed back to next spring. Meanwhile, the diesel might remain inside the tanker, or it might not. If it is released when orcas are present, the result could be catastrophic. Leaving it lying at the bottom with orcas swimming above is foolhardy and negligent. For the orcas’ sake, and to ensure the ecological integrity of Robson Bight, the job must be done now. Waiting any longer is not an option.
As a matter of urgency, please insist that Canada and British Columbia act now. Thank you.
Here are the contact details:
The Honourable Loyola Hearn, Minister
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
200 Kent St. Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0E6 Canada
phone: 1-613-992-3474
fax: 1-613- 995-7858
Eamail: Min@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
The Honourable Barry Penner
Minister of the Environment
P.O. Box 9047, Stn. Prov. Gov’t.
Victoria, B.C.
V8W 9E2 Canada
phone: 1-250-387-1187
fax: 1-250-387-1356
Email: env.minister@gov.bc.ca
Source: Orcalab
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01.03.08
Posted in Uncategorized, Environment at 10:42 am by allan
Unusually benign winter weather conditions during the past 3 weeks have assisted the underwater investigation of the aftermath of the tragic August 20th oil spill in Robson Bight. A mini sub operated by Nuytco Research (http://www.nuytco.com) under government contract has located and documented (in high resolution video) all the equipment that fell 350m to the ocean floor when a barge dumped its load into the orcas’ Ecological Reserve. The full list of equipment can be seen on the Living Oceans Society web site (http://www.livingoceans.org/newsevents/clippings2.shtml) which also details the course of the investigation.
Crucial among the items discovered was a tanker truck laden with 10,000 litres of diesel fuel when it sank. The tanker landed upright and is sitting in sediment up to its axles. Both ends of the fuel tank buckled in under pressure and have a concave appearance. It will take careful examination of the video record to determine whether the tank still contains diesel fuel. We are unlikely to hear the results of this assessment until the New Year. A copy of the video has been promised to Living Oceans, so NGOs will have an opportunity to conduct independent reviews of the evidence.
Because all the equipment has been located, cleaning up the mess at the bottom of Robson Bight, by removing the equipment and assorted debris, has become a practical matter. There is no reason why the current investigation phase cannot be followed quickly by a cleanup phase, so that when the orcas return to their “core habitat” next summer, they will find the waters of Robson Bight as welcoming as they were before the spill.
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12.11.07
Posted in Uncategorized, Captivity at 5:41 pm by allan
Incredibly, this December 11th marks the 38th anniversary of Corky’s capture in 1969. We say “incredibly” for several reasons. One is that Corky, who has held the record for captive orca longevity for decades, is still alive despite her circumstances. Surrounded by concrete walls, shut off from every natural ocean sound, circling her tank around and around and around, totally deprived of her kin - all grounds for giving up – Corky has endured. From our distance we can only admire and applaud her resilience, and yes, character.
Sadly, we reflect on how thing might have been, if only….
Corky, should be a healthy orca mother, secure within her pod and with offspring to carry on her traditions. Her days should be filled with all the routines and adventures of an orca in her natural, ocean home. Tragically, her reality is far different.
Recently, while preparing a short presentation about orcas, we were struck by the stark differences between Corky’s and Springer’s lives. In 1969, outright greed and opportunism sealed Corky’s fate as a captive. By 2002, times and attitudes had changed. Instead of the life of a captive with its endless boredom, the lost orphaned baby orca, Springer, became the beneficiary of an elaborate plan that concluded with her translocation and reintroduction to her family. Now, every year, we anticipate Springer’s return, and welcome her back to her “home” waters.
As we reflect on Corky’s fate, we are acutely aware that in Japan, plans are being made to capture more orcas. Last month, a symposium aimed at producing a “scientific” justification for more captures was held at Kaiyo University. A report on the symposium (in Japanese, English & Spanish) has been posted at http://www.sha-chi.jp. Needless to say, we oppose any futher captures, anywhere. There is no need to repeat the tragic tale that is Corky’s story.
Just what might it take to bring Corky home? So far “we” have tried appeals, demonstrations, messages, protests, art and songs. Alas, for Corky we have come up short. We take heart that the untiring efforts of so many have helped change the careless and destructive attitudes of years ago, sowing the seeds of the sentiments which gave Keiko his freedom and brought Springer back to her family. Although, we will not give up trying to bring her home, we know that Corky has both inspired and earned this enduring legacy already.
Please, today: Light a candle for Corky, and believe.
(Paul & Helena)
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08.15.07
Posted in Uncategorized, Environment at 5:48 am by allan
Endangered killer whales and military vessels that use sonar can co-exist in the straits of Georgia and Juan de Fuca, military experts insist.
However, the navy could probably cope with a mid-frequency sonar ban at certain times of the year, provided Canada is not facing any direct threat, said Capt. Jim Heath, Maritime Forces Pacific assistant chief of staff for operations.
The navy, environmental groups and marine-mammal scientists in B.C. are looking carefully at a ruling from a federal judge in Los Angeles barring the U.S. navy from using high-powered sonar in nearly a dozen training exercises off Southern California.
The judge said lawyers had made a persuasive case that sonar could harm whales and other marine life.
Full story: Times Colonist
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07.04.07
Posted in Uncategorized, Environment at 6:49 pm by allan
B.C. killer whales under threat, report says
Science team urges protecting habitat and food to turn population numbers around
MARK HUME
June 27, 2007
VANCOUVER — Killer whales are among the most fearsome predators on the planet, but on the West Coast they are fighting for survival in an increasingly noisy, polluted and salmon-poor ocean.
Saving the two distinct populations that live along British Columbia’s coast - known as the northern and southern residents - will be difficult and could take more than 25 years, but it can be done, a report by a federally appointed killer-whale recovery team says.
In a new assessment, the 24-member team, which includes some of the world’s top killer-whale experts, examines the threats and warns that, without action, all resident killer whales could eventually vanish from the Pacific Northwest.
The report, which this week went into public circulation for a 60-day comment period, identifies critical issues, including the need to protect core habitat and to preserve adequate stocks of chinook salmon, the prime food item.
The Globe and Mail
“This is a key step,” Christianne Wilhelmson, program co-ordinator for the Georgia Strait Alliance, said of the report’s release. “Without this important part of the strategy, the future of the species would have truly been in doubt.”
Ms. Wilhelmson, whose organization, together with the Western Canada Wilderness Committee and Sierra Legal, was threatening to go to court to force the long-awaited document into the public domain, said she is thrilled the report defines critical habitat.
“Without protecting habitat you are not going to save killer whales,” she said.
Alexandra Morton, a former killer-whale researcher who studies salmon on the B.C. coast, said Canada needs a plan to save the resident populations, or they will be lost.
“I have seen what can happen here in the Broughton Archipelago,” she said. “When I came here in 1984 it was the perfect place to study killer whales. Then in 1991 the fish farming industry started using underwater acoustic devices [to scare off seals and sea lions] and the killer whales left the area. They haven’t been back.”
“The fish farmers didn’t intend to displace killer whales, but that’s what happened. You just never know what the last straw will be …We clearly need a plan to protect habitat and food sources if we want to save resident whales.”
The 93-page report says there are only 85 killer whales in the southern resident population, which declined by 17 per cent between 1995 and 2001, and 205 whales in the northern population, which dropped 7 per cent between 1997 and 2003.
“Seasonally, they are exposed to high levels of boat traffic,” a status summary states.
“The availability of their prey is reduced relative to historic levels. High levels of persistent organic pollutants may be compromising their reproductive and immune systems, leading to reduced calving and/or increased mortality rates.”
The report highlights the importance of chinook runs to killer whale populations, saying the whales’ mortality rates climb when salmon stocks are low, and birth rates increase when salmon are abundant.
In addition, the report raises concerns about the high level of chemicals in whales and the impact increased boat traffic is having.
Core areas for killer whales need special protection, the report says.
It identifies Johnstone Strait, between Kelsey Bay and Port McNeil on northern Vancouver Island, and Juan de Fuca Strait-Haro Strait-Boundary Pass, around the southern tip of the island, as key areas.
Critical habitat can be protected under Canada’s Species at Risk Act only after it has been identified in a recovery strategy.
The report states that in order to maintain killer whale populations, the government will have to ensure:
that there is an adequate supply of salmon;
that chemical and biological pollutants don’t become so severe they impair immune responses or limit reproduction;
that disturbance from human activities, including boating, doesn’t disrupt behavioural activities;
and that all critical habitat is identified and protected.
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06.28.07
Posted in Captivity at 8:06 am by allan
VANCOUVER — Animal-rights groups are furious over a bylaw tweak they say will allow the Vancouver Aquarium to stock its tanks with more dolphins and whales.
On Monday, the Vancouver Parks Board approved the rewording of a contentious bylaw, which now states the facility can take in an “animal in distress,” whether or not it can be released.
No Whales in Captivity spokesman Robert Light called it a tactic for the aquarium to bring in more animals in preparation for its planned $80-million expansion.
“They need an alibi to take any whale or any dolphin in the world at any time and keep them,” he said, adding the group plans to boycott the aquarium’s sponsors.
Full story: Globe & Mail
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06.26.07
Posted in Environment at 6:10 pm by allan
Recovery Strategy for the Northern and Southern Resident Killer Whales (Orcinus orca) in Canada (2007)
Two distinct populations of killer whales (Orcinus orca), known as the northern and southern residents, occupy the waters off the west coast of British Columbia. In 2001, COSEWIC designated southern resident killer whales as ‘endangered’, and northern resident killer whales as ‘threatened’. Both populations are listed in Schedule 1 of the Species at Risk Act (SARA). These two populations are acoustically, genetically and culturally distinct.
Resident killer whale populations in British Columbia are presently considered to be at risk because of their small population size, low reproductive rate, and the existence of a variety of anthropogenic threats that have the potential to prevent recovery or to cause further declines. Principal among these anthropogenic threats are environmental contamination, reductions in the availability or quality of prey, and both physical and acoustic disturbance. Even under the most optimistic scenario (human activities do not increase mortality or decrease reproduction), the species’ low intrinsic growth rate means that the time frame for recovery will be more than one generation (25 years).
To read the proposed recovery strategies, please visit the SARA (Species at risk act) public registry.
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04.12.07
Posted in Uncategorized at 9:00 am by allan
Enviro groups slam Canada’s sonar in naval mock-up.
Every two years, Canadian warships spend a month cruising Hawai’i, where they fire missiles and track “hostile” submarines on their ships’ mid-frequency sonar. The enemy subs in these high sea battles aren’t actually enemies at all: they are vessels from other friendly nations come to take part of the U.S. navy’s biennial Rim of the Pacific Exercises (RIMPAC) war games.
As in other years, last July Canada sent a delegation; this time, the Esquimalt-based frigates HMCS Algonquin, Vancouver and Regina, escorted by six CF-18 fighter jets from Bagotville, Quebec and two Aurora patrol aircraft from Comox took their turn in the waters off the 50th state.
Already by the late 1990s, the Natural Resources Defence Council (NRDC), a U.S. non-profit organization composed of scientists and lawyers, began sounding the alarm about what naval sonar was doing to whales and other marine mammals.
Joined by other groups, and mounting evidence, the NRDC says naval sonar kills whales and dolphins, and they’re trying to get the U.S. courts to stop American and Canadian warships from holding the next RIMPAC in 2008.
Full story: Tyee
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02.25.07
Posted in Uncategorized at 9:29 am by allan
BAINBRIDGE ISLAND, Wash. — If they are allowed to police parts of Puget Sound, this is how Navy-trained dolphins and sea lions are expected to nab terrorists in wetsuits:
Using its sonar, a dolphin locates a swimmer approaching Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, where Trident submarines with long-range nuclear missiles are based. Swimming through the water in spurts of up to 30 mph, the dolphin seeks out and bumps the swimmer with a “nose cup.” The device releases a strobe that rises to the surface. An armed Navy security team speeds toward the flashing light.
Sgt. Andrew Garrett and Navy dolphin K-Dog participate in a 2003 training exercise near the USS Gunston Hall in the Persian Gulf. The dolphin is outfitted with a tracking device that helps the handler when the dolphin is out of sight. (Photos By Brien Aho — Associated Press)
Alternatively, a sea lion collars swimmers around the piers of the naval base. Sea lions have excellent underwater hearing and, with their large eyes, can see underwater five times as well as people. Carrying a C-shaped leg cuff in its mouth, a sea lion dives, approaches the swimmer from behind and snaps the cuff around one ankle.
full story: Washington Post
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