Norm Gibbon’s novel ‘Sea Without Shores’ is set in the tiny village of Refuge Cove, on West Redonda Island, during some of the years he was a member of the community. Refuge Cove’s story goes back several decades before that, but in today’s broadcast Norm outlines some of the history surrounding the beginnings of the Refuge Cove Land and Housing Co-op.
Continue reading Beginnings of the Co-op at Refuge CoveThe Village Bay Lake Fire, on Quadra Island, is no longer considered ‘out of control.’ The size has shrank from 4 to 1.5 hectares in extent, and according to BC Wildfire Information Officer Sam Bellion, the fire is now ranked as ‘being held.’
“Last night, they did blanket it in retardent. Crews worked through the night to action the western side of the fire. This morning, when we saw that update to the size, they also observed just rank one low smoldering ground fire along the north and west flanks as they were patrolling this morning. They’re going to be working some more on active pockets of that rank along the southern edge today and working towards that containment. So, it’s looking really good,” she said.
Continue reading Village Bay Lake Fire smaller and ‘Being Held’
National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Critics and supporters of West Coast fish farms are at odds over a recent Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) study suggesting sea lice infestations among juvenile wild salmon aren’t strongly tied to aquaculture operations.
Using industry-reported data, the aquaculture division of DFO analyzed the likelihood that sea lice from salmon farms are causing sea lice outbreaks in wild fish in four areas on the coast.
There’s a trend showing a positive relationship between the amount of sea lice on farms and on juvenile chum and pink salmon in those areas between 2016 and 2021, but it’s “statistically insignificant,” the study said.
Continue reading Tussle over sea lice science unfolds as a federal decision on Discovery Islands salmon farms looms
There have been numerous reports of Pacific White Sided Dolphins in our vicinity this past year. The most recent came from Powell River, where pods of around 200 dolphins were spotted from the shore on December 17th and again on December 28th. One of the reports from Campbell River mentioned more than 100 swimming through Discovery Passage. On their website, Wildwaterways Adventures describes this species in its list of wildlife that fill the Discovery Islands. According to the Times Colonist, “After 100 years of absence, large numbers of Pacific White Sided Dolphins are back in the northern part of British Columbia’s Salish Sea.”
Continue reading Our neighbours, Pacific White Sided Dolphins – to cull or cultivate?
A new study published by the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, states that 70% of the samples taken from 56 fish farms had PRV-1.
One of the co-authors is independent biologist Alexandra Morton, who explained, “The study was my concept and I funded a lot of the analysis and did a lot of the sampling myself. It was truly collaborative with Clayoquot Action sampling the Farms in Clayoquot Sound. An extraordinary man, Dr. Neil Fraser from Powell River got in his speed boat and went to the central coast. The Wild Fish Conservancy down in Washington State, sampled farms there. So it was a sustained effort by a lot of people, and then Dr. Gideon Mordecai did the analysis of the relationship between the different strains that we picked up.”
Continue reading 70% of the fish farms sampled had PRV-1, study finds
