Latest news with #Coho
Vancouver Sun
6 days ago
- Politics
- Vancouver Sun
A world first: Researchers announce plan to save B.C.'s endangered southern resident orcas
For the first time, scientists from around the world have come up with a plan to save the critically endangered southern resident orcas that travel in B.C. waters. Southern resident orcas, also called killer whales, live in the Pacific Ocean off the coasts of B.C., Washington, Oregon and California, where they once thrived. Now there are only 73 southern residents left. An independent science panel of 31 experts — including researchers from Simon Fraser University, the U.S.-based Center for Whale Research, and the David Suzuki Foundation among others — gathered in Vancouver in March to address conservation and recovery of the species. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Out of it came a report published Monday with 26 recommendations for governments on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border, including tougher restrictions on toxic chemicals that are harming the orcas, mainly by killing the salmon they depend on for food. The report recommends governments eliminate all chemicals that accumulate in southern resident killer whale food chains by accelerating the phaseout of legacy chemicals like PCBs and PBDEs, and strengthening regulations on emerging contaminants such as 6 PPD-quinone and PFAS, per-and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, which are used in everything from waterproof clothing to non-stick cookware. PCBs, which were once heavily used in industrial products, were banned in Canada in the 1970s because of environmental and health risks. Although no longer produced, they still exist in older equipment and materials. Tanya Brown, an assistant professor of marine ecotoxicology at SFU and co-author of the report, said the deadline for elimination of existing PCBs was supposed to be the end of this year but was recently extended to 2029. 'So we keep seeing more extensions of a contaminant that was essentially banned in the 1970s,' said Brown, also a former research scientist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada. She said governments need to stop allowing these toxic chemicals to have continued use over time. Emerging contaminants such as 6PPD-quinone — used on vehicle tires to prevent breakdown — have been shown to be 'extremely toxic,' especially for Coho salmon, said Brown. 'Every time it rains, you have these tire particles that have accumulated on the road, and then that's all being washed off, ' said Brown. 'So you get these toxic pulses in the freshwater environment.' Brown added that 6PPD still isn't regulated despite pressure on the government to regulate and eliminate it from the marketplace. Other key recommendations in the report include protecting early runs of Chinook salmon that return to the Fraser River in the spring and early summer and establishing abundance thresholds that would trigger fishery closures in seasons of low returns. Recognizing the value of wild salmon as prey, use of hatchery salmon should ensure production aligns with the southern residents' prey preferences such as Chinook salmon and prioritize production for the orcas over fisheries needs, the report says. The report also include measures to address the problem of noise. Previous research by the University of Washington found the Salish Sea is too noisy for the orcas to hunt successfully. Underwater noise from vessels is affecting every step in the hunting behaviour of the orcas, including finding, pursuing and capturing prey, the researchers said. The panel recommends governments should finalize and implement vessel noise reduction targets that are biologically relevant to the southern residents, expand ship slowdowns to 11 knots while expanding slowdown zones, and set mandatory noise output standards for large commercial vessels. As well, the panel recommends phasing out the controversial Southern Gulf Islands anchorages to 'eliminate avoidable noise from bulk carriers and improve port arrival management practices.' A report last year from the B.C. conservation group Raincoast and a team of international scientists found that time is running out for the southern resident killer whales as they face increased threats, such as habitat degradation through underwater noise, high concentrations of industrial chemicals, and declining quality and quantity of Chinook salmon. The study's worst case scenario predicted they could be extinct within 40 years. Brown said losing the southern resident orca would be a devastating loss. 'They are apex predators in our marine ecosystem on this coast,' she said. 'Once you lose a species, then everything becomes vulnerable.' Brown called on governments to work together and implement these recommendations to save the species from extinction. In a 2023 study , UBC researchers analyzed tissue samples from six southern resident killer whales and six Bigg's whales found dead along the coast of the province from 2006 to 2018. They found 4-nonylphenol or 4NP, which is used in manufacturing as emulsifiers in pulp and paper processing, as well as soap and other detergents, in 46 per cent of the samples. In 2018, a southern resident killer whale known as Tahlequah captured the world's attention when she pushed the body of her dead calf for more than two weeks in waters off B.C.'s South Coast, in what many scientists called a display of public grief. ticrawford@
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First Post
03-07-2025
- Business
- First Post
A US restaurant is serving lab-grown salmon, will you have it?
A Haitian restaurant in the US is serving fresh Coho salmon from a lab in San Fransico with pickled strawberries and spiced tomatoes alongside rice crackers. It features all the attributes of a fish; the pinkish-orange colour and white fat lines striped along the steak read more Imagine taking a hearty bite of the most sumptuous salmon you have ever seen at a fancy restaurant. But what if we tell you the feast on your plate was not caught from the sea and was grown in a laboratory? A Haitian restaurant in the US is serving fresh Coho salmon from a lab in San Fransico with pickled strawberries and spiced tomatoes alongside rice crackers. It features all the attributes of a fish; the pinkish-orange colour and white fat lines striped along the steak. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The restaurant, Kann in Portland, Oregon, has added the dish to its menu after the lab-grown fish became the first cell-cultured seafood to be greenlit by the US Food and Drug Administration. The approval of the salmon, developed by California-based Wildtype, marks a major milestone for the alternative protein industry. This sector has been striving to create substitutes for conventional meat and seafood that can help address rising global food demand while reducing environmental and climate impacts. Wildtype co-founder, Justin Kolbeck, told the Washington Post, 'We're not looking to put fishermen out of business, we are not looking to eliminate the need for fish farming. The amount of seafood that is currently in demand, and where it's projected to go, are so high we actually need all of the production that we're doing from those other tools, plus ours, plus maybe some help from the plant-based world, to be able to meet that demand.' How is the fish grown in lab? Producing animal-based food in the lab is not a new concept. While chicken and other proteins can be easily grown from plants or fermentation, the cultivation of seafood is done by using animal cells. Wildtype uses cells collected from Pacific salmon, following which they are grown in big steel tanks and fed with a mix of nutrients like amino acids, vitamins, salts, sugars, proteins and fats. Explaining the process of cultivation, Kolbeck said that the cells are first rinsed in a centrifuge, then moved to a commercial kitchen, where they're blended with plant-based ingredients to add structure, shape, and additional nutritional value. The entire exercise takes approximately two weeks to create a 220-gram, uniformly cut block of fish. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD What about lab-grown meats? Lab-grown meats have already made it to American planes, as the US Department of Agriculture approved two companies, Upside Foods and Good Meat, to sell them in 2023. With the approvals, the United States became the second country after Singapore to allow the sale of so-called cultivated meat, which is derived from a sample of livestock cells that are fed and grown in steel vats. Cultivated meat companies hope their products will provide an appealing alternative for meat eaters looking for a more environmentally friendly and humane option for their cuts, and who may be unsatisfied with vegetarian products already on the market.
Chicago Tribune
22-05-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Construction bids delayed until July for replacing Porter bridge
The bid opening for a new North Mineral Springs Road Bridge in Porter has been delayed until July, and the challenges might include how construction crews will have to work around the presence of the Coho and Chinook Salmon in the Little Calumet River's East Branch. The bridge just south of U.S. 20 suddenly closed on Dec. 1, 2023, when an inspection discovered deteriorating steel beams that made the structure unsafe. Porter County had originally planned to replace the bridge in 2026 or 2027. There was no money available to do an emergency replacement of the span. To expedite the project, the county had to finance the project on its own because requirements connected with federal funds could delay the project even more. The bid opening had to be pushed back from May to July 15, because right-of-way had to be purchased from three property owners near the bridge, said Mike Jabo, director of the Porter County Department of Development and Stormwater Management. The bridge's design will be different with the deck set at a higher level over the river. Jabo said the new bridge will cost 'a significant amount of money.' He didn't want to release an estimate before the bids were submitted. If all goes well, the bridge is projected to open around Memorial Day next year — May 29, 2026. Meanwhile, the closure will continue to have the biggest impact on the Spring House Inn complex, which is south of the bridge on North Mineral Springs Road. The complex includes an inn, Uno Pizzeria & Grill restaurant, a bar and banquet facilities. Vishal Patel, the owner, has said the restaurant has lost 25% of its revenue because of the closure. 'We have (detour) signs up everywhere, but it doesn't seem to do enough,' said Michael Barry, Porter's development director/building superintendent. The Spring House Inn complex can be accessed from Beam Street off U.S. 20 to N. Mineral Springs Road. Patel has said he believes that although there are detour signs on U.S. 20, visitors to the Indiana Dunes National and State Parks speed past because they are unfamiliar with the local roads. Another replacement issue could be the presence and movement of the Coho and Chinook Salmon in the Little Calumet River's East Branch. Porter County has to obtain permission from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources for an exception to work in the river where the salmon are present from July 15 to Nov. 30. Jabo said they will have to abide by the rules. Barry said the bridge construction could still proceed above the water. The construction will start with the demolition of the old bridge and then building a retaining wall.
Vancouver Sun
06-05-2025
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
U.S. ferry to Victoria delays full summer schedule until June 26
Citing slower than expected traffic volumes, Black Ball Ferry Line is delaying implementation of its full summer sailing schedule. Rather than ramping up to four sailings of the MV Coho car ferry daily between Victoria and Port Angeles, Washington, by June 12, as the company had hoped, it will now add the extra sailing starting June 26. Black Ball president Ryan Burles said when they made the decision last fall to implement the fourth sailings in early June — based on a strong spring in 2024 and expectations that this year would be similar — they had no idea there would be tension between the U.S. and Canada this spring. The impact of President Donald Trump's tariffs and threats directed at Canada has been felt at border crossings across the country and Burles said Black Ball has seen a 14% drop in traffic this year. Stay on top of the latest real estate news and home design trends. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Westcoast Homes will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. As a result, the June sailing schedule for the Coho will continue with three sailings daily until June 26. The company has cancelled the 9:30 p.m. sailings from Port Angeles between June 12 and June 25 and cancelled the 6:10 a.m. sailings from Victoria between June 13 and June 26. Travellers with reservations on those sailings have been notified by phone and email, and will be offered alternative sailings, or a full refund.
