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The problem of shifting baselines goes well beyond Atlantic cod and applies to many commercial species including Pacific herring. Industrial fishing of Pacific herring started long before the 1951 baseline that is used as a "historical" number.
Want to Save a Failing Fishery? Take the Long View | Hakai Magazine
hakaimagazine.com
Half a millennium of fishing records shows Canada could have saved the Atlantic cod.
Nice to see the resilience...
‘Explosion of Colour’ as Great Barrier Reef Begins Spawning Event - The Energy Mix
www.theenergymix.com
Australia's Great Barrier Reef is spawning in an explosion of colour as the World Heritage-listed natural wonder recovers from life-threatening coral bleaching episodes.
A report worth reading!
Plastic Pollution is a Threat to Global Security | Ocean Legacy Foundation
oceanlegacy.ca
REPORT: PLASTIC POLLUTION IS A THREAT TO GLOBAL SECURITY INTRODUCTION There are no proven formulas which provide one solution to ending the plastic pollution crisis. The issues surrounding plastic...
You might be thinking, "If each herring lays 20,000 eggs, what's all the fuss about protecting them? Surely there's plenty!" Unfortunately, that is not the case for pacific herring.![]()
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Even in the best-case scenario, only a fraction of herring eggs survive. Herring eggs are susceptible to a variety of physical and biological dynamics such as wave action and predation. As a result, egg mortality is very high.![]()
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On the Pacific coast, female herring face an even larger challenge – the herring roe fishery. The herring roe fishery targets herring BEFORE they lay their eggs which are then exported and used as a delicacy. Last year, over 11,000 tons of herring were captured for their eggs in the Strait of Georgia's herring roe fishery. Only about 10% of the catchweight is actually roe. The remaining 90% is ground up for pet food and fish farm food. ![]()
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Pacific herring are the foundation of the marine ecosystem, providing food for salmon, pinnipeds, whales and a large diversity of marine birds. Herring is also an important part of many First Nations' food and culture. 4 out of 5 Pacific herring fisheries have already collapsed due to population concerns. The Strait of Georgia is home to the last viable herring spawn and represents our last chance to protect the most important element of the marine ecosystem. ![]()
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Please send an email to Fisheries Minister Hon. Joyce Murray encouraging her to place a moratorium on the Pacific herring to allow stocks to rebuild. ![]()
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Contact Hon. Joyce Murray at min@dfo-mpo.gc.ca![]()
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Visit conservancyhornbyisland.org/herring to learn about CHI's proposed solution for Pacific herring. ![]()
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Illustrated by: Mia Music for CHI![]()
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#BIGLittleFish #lettheherringlive #pacificherring #bcpoli
Biological ‘treasure troves’ need mapping in marine protection plan
www.nationalobserver.com
A number of sites of exceptional biodiversity — well-known to the region's First Nations but previously undocumented by science — have been identified along B.C.'s central coast and should be prot...
It's a windy day - hopefully, the power stays on! It already went out once on Lacon, but it's back on so fingers crossed for the meeting.![]()
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REMINDER: Our AGM is at 4 pm this Thursday (Nov 25th). We hope that you can join us via Zoom. ![]()
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zoom.us/j/96359220873?pwd=cE9ZaGN0MkIrQkE5SFhhRXRPTnB1UT09![]()
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Meeting ID: 963 5922 0873![]()
Passcode: 679297![]()
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Or telephone:![]()
One tap mobile![]()
+14388097799,,96359220873#,,,,*679297# Canada![]()
+15873281099,,96359220873#,,,,*679297# Canada![]()
Dial by your location![]()
+1 778 907 2071 Canada (Vancouver)![]()
Meeting ID: 963 5922 0873![]()
Passcode: 679297![]()
Find your local number: zoom
The Salish Sea Vessel traffic projections, provided by the Friends of San Juans, sees a 25% increase in large, ocean-going commercial vessel traffic relative to 2020. The projection assumes that all of the proposed new and expanding terminal and refinery projects are permitted and constructed, although, notably, there are still a number of projects classified as TBD and they are not included in this 25% increase. The Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion project and the proposed Roberts Bank new container ship terminal make up almost half of the projected increase in vessel traffic.
Updated Salish Sea vessel traffic projections released | Islands' Sounder
www.islandssounder.com
Submitted by Friends of the San Juans.
𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐅𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐘 𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓:![]()
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The 2021/2022 Food and Bait and Special Use herring fisheries that were scheduled to open today, November 20th, have been DELAYED. The November 20th opening was already a delayed start to the normal opening of November 7th. ![]()
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Could this mean that the new Fisheries Minister, Honourable Joyce Murray, is actually listening to the concerns of several First Nations, over 170,000 petition signers, endless letters from concerned community members, and over 65 environmental organizations and scientists who are calling for a moratorium on the herring fishery?![]()
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Now is the time to make your voice heard. Pacific herring are the backbone of the marine ecosystem and the Strait of Georgia is home to the last viable herring spawn. ![]()
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CHI is proposing the government implement a Herring Recovery Plan that will place a moratorium on herring fishing on the bc coast until stocks have rebuilt and provide $100,000,000 to:![]()
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𝟏. Assist First Nations to rebuild the stocks![]()
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𝟐. Buy back herring commercial fishing licences![]()
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𝟑. Support fishermen with retraining programs![]()
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𝟒. Support fishing communities![]()
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𝟓. Conduct independent science![]()
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𝟔. Support small-scale local Industries that may develop markets to use herring for human food. I.e move from a low-value high-volume fishery to a high-value low-volume fishery. ![]()
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Your voice matters. Please join us in writing a letter to encourage Joyce Murray to protect #pacificherring by placing a moratorium on the Pacific herring fishery and implementing the Herring Recovery Plan. To read our recent letter to DFO click here: bit.ly/3kS5zkw.![]()
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𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐭:![]()
MP Joyce Murray, Minister, Fisheries and Oceans Canada![]()
House of Commons, Ottawa, Ont. K1A 0A6![]()
min@dfo-mpo.gc.ca 1.888.816.4446![]()
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MP Gord Johns, NDP Critic for Fisheries, Oceans and Coast Guard![]()
House of Commons, Ottawa, Ont. K1A 0A6![]()
Gord.Johns@parl.gc.ca (250) 947-2140![]()
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#BCpoli #lettheherringlive #BIGLittleFish
A good article on the importance of the ocean. It's crucial that the practices recommended are truly sustainable (e.g., "shifting our diets to sustainable "blue foods") .
phys.org
Climate change is commonly discussed as though it's a uniquely atmospheric phenomena. But the crisis is deeply entwined with the ocean, and this has largely been neglected in international climate tal...
Lovely illustration with an important message!Pacific herring are the foundation of the entire marine ecosystem. Just like us humans, young herring rely on their elders for knowledge. ![]()
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Generations of herring populations travel together and return to the same spawning areas every year. Older herring pass on important hereditary knowledge, like where to spawn, to juvenile herring so that they can continue the life cycle. ![]()
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This transfer of knowledge is disrupted when older herring are unnaturally removed from the group through mismanagement of the commercial herring roe fishery. In this fishery, the largest fish, which are the oldest, are caught for their roe - the rest of the catch are ground up for fish farm and pet food. The removal of the older herring who hold important information for the young fish could explain why herring no longer return to historic herring spawning locations – they have simply forgotten where to go. ![]()
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The Georgia Strait is home to the last remaining Pacific herring spawn on the coast. Visit the conservancyhornbyisland.org/herring to learn more about how you can help protect this important species. ![]()
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Illustrated by: Mia Music for CHI![]()
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#lettheherringlive #herringfacts #BIGlittlefish #pacificherring
When will DFO get serious about sustainable fisheries management in this country? The current approach is clearly unacceptable.
www.comoxvalleyrecord.com
Oceana Canada’s audit investigated 194 Canadian fish stocks and listed 33 in critical condition
Please email email the Minister of Fisheries Joyce Murray and ask her to implement the Herring Recovery Plan: min@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
Commentary: Industrial aquaculture is a threat to coastal communities
fortune.com
It's true that the U.S. imports a lot of cheap, unsustainable seafood, but industrial aquaculture is not the right solution.
www.comoxvalleyrecord.com
Canadian Coast Guard says it is working with the ship’s owner to determine the next steps
It would be nice to see industrial scale fishing banned everywhere.
Cop26: Oceanographer Sylvia Earle calls for industrial fishing ban on high seas
www.theguardian.com
Ending unsustainable commercial exploitation of the Earth’s ‘blue heart’ is as vital as curbing fossil fuel use, says pioneering biologist
Dennis Forsyth on the Gravelly Bay hotspot. Lovely photos and great commentary as usual!
Beach clean up efforts underway from container spill on northern Vancouver Island
www.cheknews.ca
Beach clean-up efforts are underway to remove the debris from 109 shipping containers that were knocked off a cargo ship in rough seas off the coast of Vancouver Island on Oct. 22. Hazardous chemicals...
It's an unsustainable practice that shouldn't happen anywhere. This practice also contributes to climate change as it releases millions of tonnes of seabed carbon annually.Bottom trawling causes large amounts of bycatch and habitat destruction as everything that happens to be in the way gets swept up in a net dragged on the seafloor.![]()
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It does not belong in our marine protected areas!![]()
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cpawsbc.org/bc-ocean-conservation-dragging-behind/![]()
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#MPAmonitor #MarineProtectedAreas #BottomTrawling #conservation #BCcoast
www.comoxvalleyrecord.com
More than 100 containers went overboard from the MV Zim Kingston near Victoria last week
Canadian Parks and Wilderness Association recently released a detailed report assessing Canada's Marine Protected Areas: cpaws.org/our-work/ocean/oceanreport/![]()
This National Observer article highlights some of the findings.
Canada’s marine protected areas aren’t as safe as you think
www.nationalobserver.com
Many of Canada's marine protected areas are weakly protected and vulnerable to threats from extraction industries, trawling, or dumping despite Canada's ambitious conservation goals as it heads to COP...