The Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) at its meeting in Seattle on Thursday, April 10, voted to close recreational and commercial salmon fishing off the coast of California and most of Oregon this year.
The only exception to the closure will be a selective recreational fishery for coho salmon in Oregon, according to Dan Wolford, PFMC member and Coastside Fishing Club science director. The fishery closure will extend from Cape Falcon in northern Oregon to the US-Mexico border.
This complete closure of fishing for chinook salmon will be the first since commercial fishing began in California in 1848. The decision was made because of the "unprecedented collapse" of Central Valley salmon stocks. The Sacramento River fall chinook population, until recently the most robust West Coast salmon run, was the driver of West Coast salmon fisheries.
As recently as 2002, 775,000 adults returned to spawn. This year, even with all ocean salmon fishing closures, the return of fall run chinook to the Sacramento is projected to be only 54,000 fish.
Earth Changes
Among the English-speaking settler societies -- U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand -- an irrational but powerful myth still prevails. It drove "manifest destiny" and is still alive and well, if usually unconscious.
Divinely inspired colonists wrested lands occupied by native peoples and bestowed the mixed blessings of civilization on them. The rationalization for dispossession then -- and now -- was that these "primitive" peoples were not making productive use of their lands. What they did not know, and still do not, is that they took over lands that were largely shaped and maintained by indigenous peoples through extensive and intensive land care practices that enabled them to not only survive but also thrive.
Divinely inspired colonists wrested lands occupied by native peoples and bestowed the mixed blessings of civilization on them. The rationalization for dispossession then -- and now -- was that these "primitive" peoples were not making productive use of their lands. What they did not know, and still do not, is that they took over lands that were largely shaped and maintained by indigenous peoples through extensive and intensive land care practices that enabled them to not only survive but also thrive.
Indonesian Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari said Sunday climate change-related diseases kill about 150,000 people annually in the country, calling on the people to help reduce the impact of climate change.
Rome - Italian authorities say a small earthquake has shaken the Alban Hills southeast of Rome. No injuries or damage have been reported.
Thunderstorm and tornado watches and warnings with the potential for severe weather had Mid-Michigan waiting out the storms Friday night.
Heavy rain and hail tore through most of the region, causing a minimal amount of damage.
Reports of golf-ball-sized hail came into our newsroom. The rain and thunder stormed through Mid-Michigan fast and furious, but left behind one colorful sky
The harrowing sound of a storm lurked in the shadows as Mid-Michigan bear down for the spring shower.
Heavy rain and hail tore through most of the region, causing a minimal amount of damage.
Reports of golf-ball-sized hail came into our newsroom. The rain and thunder stormed through Mid-Michigan fast and furious, but left behind one colorful sky
The harrowing sound of a storm lurked in the shadows as Mid-Michigan bear down for the spring shower.
Waking up to the sight of snow covering Bognor's streets on Sunday was a huge surprise to most of us.
From a local perspective Bognor Regis and its vicinity has always been justifiably proud of its place within the sunshine league and if you look back through history books and read the messages on the reverse of postcards, weather is often mentioned and usually in a complimentary manner.
However, this has not always been the case. We have periodically hit the national headlines, as we have at times been the recipients of many severe weather conditions.
From a local perspective Bognor Regis and its vicinity has always been justifiably proud of its place within the sunshine league and if you look back through history books and read the messages on the reverse of postcards, weather is often mentioned and usually in a complimentary manner.
However, this has not always been the case. We have periodically hit the national headlines, as we have at times been the recipients of many severe weather conditions.
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| ©Unknown |
| When the sea froze around the south coast in 1963 |
As our changeable weather continues, a Kent town escaped a trail of destruction according to a group of workmen who think they snapped an incoming tornado.
Council grass cutting supervisor David Hartley and his team were taking their lunch break in South Willesborough, near Ashford when they spotted the twister advancing in a narrow path over the rooftops.
Or did they - is it a tornado or just a strange cloud formation? Let us know at kentonlinenews@thekmgroup.co.uk
Council grass cutting supervisor David Hartley and his team were taking their lunch break in South Willesborough, near Ashford when they spotted the twister advancing in a narrow path over the rooftops.
Or did they - is it a tornado or just a strange cloud formation? Let us know at kentonlinenews@thekmgroup.co.uk
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| ©David Hartley |
| Twister and shout: It's definitely a dramatic skyline, but is it a tornado or just a bizarre cloud pattern? |
An early morning fire that was started by a lightning strike destroyed the home of Lowell Stailey at 826 Glen Meadows Parkway, with no injuries reported.
According to the Bedford Fire Department report, the home was fully involved when firefighters arrived on the scene at 1:05 a.m., about six minutes after the alarm sounded. At the request of Stailey, firefighters salvaged some pictures and some jewelry and delivered them to the family.
According to the Bedford Fire Department report, the home was fully involved when firefighters arrived on the scene at 1:05 a.m., about six minutes after the alarm sounded. At the request of Stailey, firefighters salvaged some pictures and some jewelry and delivered them to the family.
Though bats are a bit spooky looking, inviting thoughts of Dracula, the real horror story is that bats are becoming sick and perishing. A massive bat die-off is happening. Their extinction in the United States is threatening -- and no one knows why.
Just as news of the massive bee die off is fading away -- though not actually ending -- the plight of bats in the United States is starting to come out. The loss of bats may be an even worse concern than the loss of bees, which are exclusively tame and mass-raised -- over-stressed, over-bred, and grown to be over-sized. They're used to pollinate crops, especially ones that are not natural to the areas in which they're grown, such as almonds in California. Wild bees are doing just fine.
Just as news of the massive bee die off is fading away -- though not actually ending -- the plight of bats in the United States is starting to come out. The loss of bats may be an even worse concern than the loss of bees, which are exclusively tame and mass-raised -- over-stressed, over-bred, and grown to be over-sized. They're used to pollinate crops, especially ones that are not natural to the areas in which they're grown, such as almonds in California. Wild bees are doing just fine.
Bees are in trouble, and in Washington, that could mean agriculture is, too.
Last year, many Washington beekeepers were relieved that they avoided a mysterious Colony Collapse Disorder that silenced hives all over the country. But this year, some beekeepers are reporting a devastating new pathogen - with no reliable cure - is killing their bees in droves.
Some beekeepers are helping to pay for a crash research program at Washington State University to figure out what is going on.
"It's a major disaster in Western Washington. We are into a huge emergency situation," said Yakima beekeeper Eric Olson, who runs the state's largest commercial pollination business.
Last year, many Washington beekeepers were relieved that they avoided a mysterious Colony Collapse Disorder that silenced hives all over the country. But this year, some beekeepers are reporting a devastating new pathogen - with no reliable cure - is killing their bees in droves.
Some beekeepers are helping to pay for a crash research program at Washington State University to figure out what is going on.
"It's a major disaster in Western Washington. We are into a huge emergency situation," said Yakima beekeeper Eric Olson, who runs the state's largest commercial pollination business.
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| ©Dean Rutz / The Seattle Times |
| Yakima beekeeper Eric Olson holds a hive loaded with bees in Long Beach, Pacific County. A new pathogen is devastating the hives of some Washington beekeepers. |
Comment: From the article: In other words: They don't know why the salmon stocks have collapsed. We should add salmon to the list of species mysteriously dying. So far we have bees, bats and frogs.