National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The West Coast’s commercial salmon fleet is clearly in the midst of transformative change.
Ottawa has shuttered approximately 60 per cent of B.C.’s commercial fisheries since 2021 and last month launched a licence buyback program to lure fish harvesters to exit the industry to protect plummeting salmon stocks.
Continue reading Who gets to fish for B.C. salmon in the future?National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
It was a good news, bad news year for humpback whales residing in the Salish Sea on the West Coast.
Nearly 400 humpbacks were sighted in 2022, the highest number on record, said researcher Tasli Shaw, project lead for Humpback Whales of the Salish Sea (HWSS), which identifies and catalogues marine mammals in the region.
Continue reading Humpback whales are riding a crosscurrent of hope and concernNational Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Conservationists striving to prevent species from going extinct find it tricky enough to save Canada’s most magnificent and iconic animals, like southern resident killer whales, mountain caribou or grizzly bears.
But most of the 640 wildlife now listed under Canada’s Species at Risk Act are flora and fauna that don’t get time in the spotlight. More than a third of at-risk species are plants, mosses and lichens most people would probably walk past without a second glance.
Another 30 per cent are slimy, slithery, creepy creatures that folks might well notice but find repellent. But critters like slugs, bugs and snakes are critical to ecosystems, too, and deserve a lot more love.
So, Canada’s National Observer asked three B.C. biologists to champion a less charismatic creature they think is fascinating and deserves a little public adoration.
Continue reading Slugs and bugs are worth saving, tooNational Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
As the year’s climate-related gains and catastrophes wrap, Canada’s National Observer is reviewing the top five stories to make waves in B.C.’s coastal and island communities in 2022.
First Nations, forests and fish-related news surfaced as some top issues from CNO’s Island Insider beat, and are likely to dominate headlines in the new year as well.
Continue reading From fish to forests, how 2022 played out on Canada’s West CoastNational Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Even Scrooge knows a goose is essential to celebrate Christmas.
And that rings equally true for folks living and working on B.C.’s rugged Central Coast, who also depend on a goose for yuletide spirit.
Like Santa’s sleigh — and sporting the same signature red-and-white colour scheme — a “flock” of Grumman Goose aircraft brave rain, sleet and snow to get people and presents home for the holidays.
From Port Hardy on northern Vancouver Island, Wilderness Seaplanes operates the last commercial fleet of the historic aircraft, which fly year-round and act as a lifeline for more than 50 villages, resorts and work camps along the West Coast.
Continue reading It’s not Christmas on B.C.’s rugged coast without a visit from the Goose
