The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently released a survey that showed the total number of marine species at risk within the Salish Sea doubled between 2002 and 2015. While the Discovery Islands are within the study area, the EPA study did not list specific locations. So Cortes Currents asked Max Thaysen, President of the Friends of Cortes Island, about the species of risk in our area.
Continue reading The accelerating pace of Species becoming ‘at Risk’Tag Archives: Max Thaysen
Heron Day on Cortes Island
CKTZ News, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Cortes Island’s second annual Heron Day was Sunday, September 5th.
“Heron day is where we get a whole bunch of volunteers to go out in different spots around Cortes Island, at the same time, to count Heron,” explained Max Thaysen, President of the Friends of Cortes Island (FOCI). “If we have multiple eyes counting at the same time, then we know we are not double counting heron that are cruising around the island.”
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Stranded in the heat, sand, and rocks
There was a boat stranded in the sand, at Smelt Bay, on Saturday. The Woody Point’s anchor lay not too far distant, a testament to its owner’s original intention. The ocean was perhaps another hundred feet distant.
CKTZ News came to take pictures for another story. Thousands of mussels died on the exposed rocks at the southern side of the beach. They were presumably casualties of the heatwave that ravaged shellfish populations throughout the West Coast almost two weeks ago.
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Abnormally high number of Shellfish deaths on Cortes Island
CKTZ News, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
In the midst of a heat wave that may have left as many as a billion dead marine creatures along the West Coast, there appears to have been an abnormally high number of shellfish deaths reported at a number of Cortes Island locations.
Daily temperature highs of between 35°C and 40°C were recorded, at the Cortes Island School, during the last five days of June.
Continue reading Abnormally high number of Shellfish deaths on Cortes Island
Bernadette Jordan’s strategy to save Pacific Salmon stocks
On June 8th, Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan announced the guiding principles of what may be largest government action to save Pacific Salmon stocks in Canadian history.
Continue reading Bernadette Jordan’s strategy to save Pacific Salmon stocks