Latest news with #salmon
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Major concerns over Southern Water 'drought' plan which could close businesses
Major concerns have been raised over Southern Water's drought plans which could see water continue to be taken from the River Test as water levels fall, the Echo can reveal. Businesses could see sweeping restrictions, including the forced closure of certain swimming pools and car washes 'if necessary'. Major concerns have been raised on the effects the plan could have on the Test and Itchen's wildlife, with one Itchen river activist branding the move a "lethal cocktail" for wildlife. Southern Water itself was unable to rule out an 'adverse effect' on endangered salmon living in the area. Changes to Southern Water's current rules Currently, the utility company can take the equivalent of 80 million litres of water per day from the River Test, provided the overall flow of the river remains above 355 million litres per day. But the company now wants to lower this licensed limit, meaning it would be allowed to continue taking water until the flow drops to 265 million litres per day. READ MORE: 6 rules you need to follow during Hampshire hosepipe ban to avoid £1,000 fine Southern Water said they cannot simply stop taking water from the Test as it was "necessary" to ensure taps remain running, confirming to the Echo that the region is now "in drought". 'We follow a strict legal process, set by the government and regulators, to ensure we are taking the correct steps to both keep supplying water to our customers and to mitigate any negative environmental impact at the same time," a spokesperson told the Echo. Further restrictions would only be brought in if "absolutely necessary", Southern Water said, and would only be needed "if river flows fall below 355 million litres per day". Businesses could be restricted in upgraded hosepipe ban The change is part of the utility company's Drought Order, which has been submitted to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) due to a 'threat of a serious deficiency in supplies of water'. While a hosepipe ban came into effect on Monday, it does not currently impact businesses. But part of the Drought Order means that a Non-Essential Use Ban (NEUB) could potentially be issued, which would see businesses forced to comply with 10 hosepipe restrictions. READ MORE: No discount for hosepipe ban, Southern Water confirms Southern Water said this will only be implemented 'if necessary', but its enforcement would see car wash businesses banned from using hosepipes to clean vehicles. Mechanic vehicle washers would also not be allowed under the Drought Direction 2011, and swimming pools that are only open to paying members may have to close. 'If river levels continue to drop and a NEUB is required, further information will be provided,' a spokesperson for Southern Water said. Potential "adverse effect" on protected River Itchen Gavin Millar from Friends of the Itchen Estuary, who branded potential plans a lethal cocktail. (Image: Friends of the Itchen Estuary) An environmental report conducted by the company concluded that an adverse effect on the River Itchen's Special Area of Conservation 'cannot be discounted'. Reduced flows in the Test could impact the Itchen's salmon population, the company said. Gavin Millar sampling river water. (Image: Friends of the Itchen Estuary) Speaking on behalf of the Friends of the Itchen Estuary, Gavin Millar said the impact of Southern Water's 'excessive water extraction' are evident in low levels, elevated water temperatures and long-term declining ecology. He branded this a 'lethal cocktail' for 'critically endangered chalk stream salmon'. This very rare sub-species of Atlantic salmon is only found in six habitats, two of which are the Rivers Test and Itchen. READ MORE: Work begins on £100m pipeline to boost Southampton's water supply 'Salmon have been swimming in the waters of the Test and Itchen for hundreds of thousands of years but are now at risk of being wiped out for good,' the Test and Itchen Association's director Paul Vignaux explained. He argued Hampshire 'urgently' needs new sources of water, like the Havant Thicket reservoir which is not expected to be operational until at least 2031. 'Until then we will have a shortfall of water in the county and it's our rivers that will be picking up the slack,' Paul said. Hampshire "urgently" needs "sustainable solutions", rivers trust argues Dave Rumble, chief executive of Wessex Rivers Trust. (Image: Wessex River Trust) Dave Rumble, chief executive of Wessex Rivers Trust, agreed that the county 'urgently' needs 'sustainable solutions' to reduce reliance on taking water from rivers. 'This Drought Order highlights just how close to the edge our freshwater environment already is,' he told the Echo. A spokesperson for Southern Water said it has proposed several monitoring, mitigation, and compensation measures to offset the potential effects of the Drought Order. 'These measures are a mixture of actions that are already in place and more that will be implemented over the next year,' the spokesperson continued. 'If we need to implement a Drought Order, we would monitor and react to environmental conditions as required.'
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Parasitic sea vampire bites RFK Jr in health chief's bizarre new stunt
Robert F Kennedy Jr has found himself in another awkward situation involving animals. On a tour of the Nez Perce salmon hatchery in Idaho on Thursday, RFK Jr let a parasitic sea vampire, also known as a lamprey, bite his arm until the creature left a 'hickey' behind. The head of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) posted about the blood-letting adventure on X, writing 'Lampreys hickeys at the Nez Perce salmon hatchery' while showing off pictures of the experience. Lampreys are jawless fish that look like eels but are a completely different species. They have a round, sucker-like mouth full of sharp teeth that they use to latch onto other fish and suck their blood for nourishment. Not content with just one hickey, however, RFK Jr held the roughly two-foot-long lampreys as they sucked blood from both his arms, his wrists, and another person nearby. There is no medical or scientific reason for letting a lamprey bite him, leaving many to question the bizarre stunt. The animal's bites can cause injury, infections, or even significant blood loss with prolonged contact. They aren't used in any therapeutic treatments. One of the fish parasitic lampreys feed on in the wild are salmon, and Indigenous tribes in the Pacific Northwest consider the vampire-like fish a food substitute when salmon supplies run low. RFK's visit to the hatchery aimed at promoting the health and well-being of tribal communities by discussing the importance of traditional foods, like salmon and lampreys. The health secretary shared the images on his X account, where users many of his supporters applauded the move. 'Bro you wild. I like it though, keep it up,' one X user commented. Others welcomed RFK JR to Idaho, with one saying: 'Hey you are in my hood! Idaho is beautiful right?!' However, this is just one of several odd run-ins the HHS secretary has had with nature, and with parasites specifically. In 2012, it was revealed that RFK Jr had a worm in his brain that ate a portion of it before dying. The incident reportedly took place two years early, leading to brain fog and issues with short-term memory. RFK Jr let the creatures bite him on both arms and wrists and also let one bite another person standing nearby RFK Jr held multiple 2-foot-long lampreys during his Thursday visit to Idaho, where he promoted the health and well-being of tribal communities RFK Jr said during a 2012 court deposition while he was divorcing his second wife, Mary Richardson Kennedy, that doctors initially thought he had a brain tumor. However, RFK Jr went for a second opinion before surgery and a doctor revealed that the supposed tumor had not grown and was likely a parasite. 'They said that this is almost certainly a parasite that got into your brain… it's a parasite that's very common in India where I had done a lot of environmental work,' RFK Jr said, according to CNN. The new health secretary was also at the center of controversy right before the 2024 election, after he confessed to dumping a dead bear cub in New York's Central Park. On August 4, 2024, RFK Jr posted a video on X that in 2014, he dumped the baby bear in the park after another car had hit the animal in the woods north of the city. The 71-year-old said he retrieved the cub from the roadside and had intended on skinning and eating the meat, but abandoned the plan due to travel plans with friends. Unfortunately for RFK Jr, he noted that his drunk friends talked him into staging an accident in the famous park, making it look as if the bear had died in the middle of Manhattan after being struck by a bicycle. The incident led a giant mystery that baffled local authorities after the bear's body was discovered by a dog walker in October 2014. RFK Jr did not suffer any penalties for illegally dumping the bear as the statute of limitations for that violation in New York had expired. Still, it led some to question the future member of the Trump Administration's fitness to serve, with critics calling the bear incident evidence of reckless behavior.
CBS News
4 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Hundreds of spring-run salmon rescued after taking detour into Tuolumne River
More than 1,200 adult spring-run Chinook salmon meant to return to the San Joaquin River ended up in the Tuolumne River instead, prompting a five-part rescue operation. The fish were originally released as part of the San Joaquin River Restoration Program. But cooler, cleaner water and improved habitat conditions on the Tuolumne appeared to draw the fish off course, according to officials from the Turlock Irrigation District (TID). "Once the pulse flows had ended the plung pool was a little cut off from the main stem of the river," said Constance Anderson, communications division manager for TID. "So we had to figure out a plan to move them back into cleaner, cooler water." The salmon became trapped below the historic La Grange Diversion Dam after spring flows receded, isolating them in a plunge pool with limited oxygen and rising temperatures. In response, TID worked alongside the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, NOAA Fisheries, and the fisheries consulting firm FISHBIO to safely relocate the fish downstream. "When we discovered that there were salmon in what we call the plunge pool, we were able to move the fish, you know, at least about 50 feet from the plunge pool down to the main stem, to a more appropriate water source," said Josh Weimer, director of external affairs for TID. TID's construction team built a custom transport device, a chamber system designed to assist with fish relocation. Crews carried out five separate rescue missions after realizing just how many fish had gathered. "Initially, when we started the process, we didn't realize how abundant the fish were in the plunge pool," Anderson said. "Which was both very exciting and also meant that we had a few different relocation processes to go through to get them all out." Officials say the salmon were likely drawn to the Tuolumne due to restoration work already underway. TID and its partners, Modesto Irrigation District and the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, have spent years improving habitat along the river, including adding clean gravel, expanding floodplain access and enhancing flows to support native fish. "We are doing habitat restoration. We are putting new gravel back into the river," Weimer said. "So hopefully we see larger and larger salmon runs in the future." The final group of fish was relocated about 10 days ago. The Tuolumne River Partners say they plan to install a segregation weir near Old La Grange Bridge to help manage future runs and prevent spring-run salmon from becoming stranded again.
BBC News
7 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Call for greater monitoring of £12m Colwick fish pass
A charity is calling for greater monitoring of England's largest fish pass, which cost £ described as a "motorway for fish", it was installed at Colwick Country Park in Nottinghamshire by the Environment Agency (EA) and opened in November aim was to "make it easier for salmon and other fish to reach their spawning and feeding grounds" along the River Trent, boosting declining EA has no legal obligation to monitor the effectiveness of the structure and will carry out short-term checks during key migratory windows, but the Trent Rivers Trust fears it is not enough. 'Canary in the coal mine' Wild Atlantic salmon were once native to the River Trent and are the main species the fish pass was designed to help fell rapidly during the industrial revolution when weirs and dams prevented them from reaching breeding grounds and water pollution destroyed their habitats."They've been referred to as the canary in the coal mine," said Alison Baker, restoration director at the Wild Atlantic Salmon Trust."Salmon require cold, clean water and if there's no cold clean water, then we all suffer."The fish pass is built around Holme Sluices, part of a 1950s flood defence scheme owned by the EA on the notoriously unpredictable structure is 210m (656ft) long, 6m (19.7ft) deep and 6.5m (21.3ft) is divided into 20 ascending chambers - each slightly higher than the previous ones to match the slope of the landscape - into which water flows through narrow slots. The EA said the pass - built under the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975 - was "carefully designed and is relevant for all fish species, including salmon".It is yet to carry out any monitoring and plans to perform short-term checks using underwater cameras to "better understand fish migration" in autumn of this year and spring Dr Scott McKenzie, head of rivers and nature-based solutions at the Trent Rivers Trust, said it was not enough to know how efficient the fish pass is or to learn from it."We don't just want a snapshot into whether they can get through at certain times of year," he added."A fish pass like this costs a lot of money; we want to make sure it's worth it."Dr McKenzie said monitoring should involve counting salmon at key breeding sites to check they were "not only navigating the structure, but actually reaching their breeding habitats", and include other recovering species. Dr McKenzie said monitoring should involve counting salmon at key breeding sites to check if they were "not only navigating the structure, but actually reaching their breeding habitats", and include other recovering species. The Trent Rivers Trust is leading a recovery of a 75km stretch of the river - a project that could see further fish passes McKenzie said the facility at Colwick was "only worth it if it's part of a bigger recovery plan which should include monitoring".The EA said: "For salmon monitoring, funding is concentrated on those rivers designated as 'principal salmon rivers', which the River Trent is not."Therefore, a strategy of monitoring at key migration windows is being applied here."Should further funding become available, the monitoring will be enhanced."
CBC
21-07-2025
- General
- CBC
Search for B.C.'s Best Symbol: Round 2 — Animals
Search for B.C.'s Best Symbol: Round 2 — Animals 8 hours ago Duration 1:53 Social Sharing There are a lot of reasons why British Columbians have a deep connection with salmon, from their ubiquity across the province to their circular routine of returning home to spawn. But as the director of UBC's Marine Mammal Research Unit, Andrew Trites, admits, there's also a more selfish reason. "Everything comes back to food, doesn't it?" he said, as he broke down the matchup between the chinook salmon and sockeye salmon in the Search for B.C.'s Best Symbol. Trites pointed out that the chinook is well known because of its massive size — it's called "king salmon" in the United States — while the sockeye is known for its distinctive red colouring and its dense spawning numbers. But there's the element of taste as well. "Is there anything better than putting on the BBQ with a nice piece of chinook salmon? And … when we think of sockeye salmon, the image that comes to mind is smoked salmon because it's a very firm flesh. And who doesn't love eating smoked salmon?" From 8 animals to 4 Beyond the salmon, when you look at the eight animals still in the running in the Search for B.C.'s Best Symbol, a certain theme emerges. "Everything's interconnected," said Trites. "The salmon depend on healthy oceans, healthy rivers, and healthy forest systems. Killer whales and otters, they also depend on healthy salmon … and the bears drag some of the dead carcasses into the woods that fertilize the forest." Interconnected though they may be, we're asking you to vote in four matchups to determine which animals advance to the next round of our friendly competition: Orca vs. sea otter. Steller's jay vs. marmot. Spirit bear vs. grizzly bear. Chinook vs. sockeye salmon. Unlike the first round of the bracket, there are no easy votes at this point. But Trites says that speaks to the powerful connection so many British Columbians have with wildlife — and the reason they're such potent symbols. "All these species hold on some level to people, a level of cultural and spiritual significance." "I'm always struck to hear the emotional effects that it has on people to have seen a killer whale or just to look at awe at spawning sockeye salmon in a river … we're just so lucky to be able to live and coexist with probably the most diverse wildlife in all of North America." Voting is open until 10 p.m. Pacific time. Happy voting!
