Tag Archives: Alaska

Animals, Rivers & Oceans

No European Green Crabs in the Discovery Islands, yet

The Friends of Cortes Island (FOCI) have not found any European Green Crabs in Manson’s lagoon, and so far there’ve been no sightings north of Nanaimo.  

“We haven’t found any, that’s really good news, but we’ve been very pleased to partner with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO).  Hopefully, if we ever find them, we’ll be able to trap them out and stop them from harming the valuable habitat here,” explained Helen Hall, Executive Director of FOCI.

Continue reading No European Green Crabs in the Discovery Islands, yet →
Indigenous Nations, Rivers & Oceans

Yukon River’s salmon runs likely to stay small while Indigenous Peoples’ sacrifice grows

Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The collapse of wild salmon is causing a current of pain that spans the length of the Yukon River, from its mouth at Alaska’s Bering Sea to the headwaters in Canada’s Yukon territory 3,000 kilometres away.

Indigenous people on both sides of the border spoke about the devastation the loss of chinook salmon and the more recent collapse of chum stocks are having on communities while testifying at the Yukon River Panel, a bilateral commission that manages salmon stocks, during its meeting in Whitehorse this week. 

Continue reading Yukon River’s salmon runs likely to stay small while Indigenous Peoples’ sacrifice grows →
Rivers & Oceans, Tourism

Prince Rupert gets a $3.5 million boost from the return of cruise tourism

By Kaitlyn Bailey, Prince Rupert Northern View, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

After two years without any cruise ships in Prince Rupert due to the COVID-19 pandemic, cruise tourism returned bigger than before.

Between May 17 and Oct. 3, 42 cruise ships with more than 40,000 passengers stopped in the city, the P.R. Port Authority (PRPA) announced.

Continue reading Prince Rupert gets a $3.5 million boost from the return of cruise tourism →
Rivers & Oceans

Canada’s not prepared to handle marine cargo spills, House committee finds

Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A parliamentary committee wants Ottawa to limit the environmental damage and plug response gaps for marine cargo spills after a container ship lost more than 100 sea cans and was immobilized by a stubborn fire on the B.C. coast last year. 

Continue reading Canada’s not prepared to handle marine cargo spills, House committee finds →
Animals, Rivers & Oceans

Discovery Islands surfacing as a humpback hot spot

National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

It’s marvellously symbolic that Nick the humpback whale returns year after year with her offspring to the waters surrounding the Discovery Islands, wedged between B.C.’s remote central coast and Vancouver Island. 

She frequents the waters off Cortes Island near Whaletown — once a whaling station and rendering plant set up in 1868 as part of a colonial industry that eradicated humpbacks in the waters off eastern Vancouver Island by the early 20th century. 

Continue reading Discovery Islands surfacing as a humpback hot spot →