Daily Archives: December 10, 2023
Sinking of the Wild Alaskan – Document Dump #46
Where will the whales be? Ask the climate model
Fishers Richard Ogg and Dan Kammerer catch Dungeness crab in waters off Bodega Bay, Calif.
In a new study, scientists say they can now use global temperature models, commonly used in climate science, to predict up to a year in advance when hot ocean temperatures will raise the risk of whale entanglements. This lead time could allow state regulators, fishers and other businesses that depend on the fishery, as well as Californians hoping for a Dungeness crab holiday meal, to plan ahead for potential fishing restrictions. Ecological forecasts could help New England and maritime Canada, where highly endangered right whales are also getting entangled in fishing gear. “My personal opinion is that this is very, very helpful,” said Richard Ogg, a commercial fishing boat captain based in Bodega Bay. more, >>click to read<< 11:57
Bellingham’s shoreline history: A boom, bust of resource extraction
By 1890, the U.S. Census estimated approximately 18,500 people lived in Whatcom County. In the years that followed, additional lumber mills popped up. These included the Puget Sound Mill at the mouth of Padden Creek, the E.K. Wood Mill at Boulevard Park, and the Whatcom Falls Company (Loggie Mill) off Whatcom Creek. Pacific American Fisheries (PAF) first appeared in 1899 to process local salmon, eventually establishing the largest canning operation in the world. Both industries attracted large numbers of Asian immigrant workers, leading later to a significant shift in culture — along with significant racist worker backlash — in the region. The rich salmon runs also attracted canners and fishermen from Croatia, Finland and Ireland. Photos, >>click to read<< 09:20
‘Freaked out’: Big money industry crippling salmon population in Alaska, natives say
There is no more salmon. That’s what native Alaskan Ricko DeWilde is most concerned with these days. Once flowing with abundance, native tribes have been sounding the alarm about the overfishing of Alaskan Ricko DeWilde and other native fish by international fishing companies, essentially wiping out natives’ main source of food as well as a cultural touchstone. “That’s a way of life that we’re losing right there,” DeWilde said. “Any of the fishing along the Yukon River has been prohibited,” DeWilde said. “The commercial fishing industry is just running rampant out here and it’s big money. They take over to board of fish, they take over to politicians, they have them in their pocket and it becomes like a fish mafia out here.” photos, >>click to read<< 08:08
I’m Dreaming of a Crab Christmas: Dungeness Season opens Dec. 16 south of Cape Foulweather
Oregon’s commercial Dungeness crab fishery opens Dec. 16 from Cape Foulweather, just south of Depoe Bay, to the California border. Targeted to open Dec. 1, Oregon’s ocean commercial Dungeness crab season can be delayed or partially opened so consumers get a high-quality product and crabs are not wasted. This year’s season was initially delayed until at least Dec. 16 due to low meat yield in some coastal areas. >>click to read<< 06:50
