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Scientist: 1 to 5 per cent of debris in ocean from Japan tsunamis could reach North America

2/28/12

Tsunamis generated by the magnitude-9 earthquake in Japan last March dragged 3 million to 4 million tons of debris into the ocean after tearing up Japanese harbours and homes.

Scientists believe ocean currents are carrying some of the lumber, refrigerators, fishing boats and other objects across the Pacific toward the United States.

One to 5 per cent of the 1 million to 2 million tons of debris still in the ocean may reach Hawaii, Alaska, Oregon and Washington and British Columbia, said University of Hawaii senior researcher and ocean current expert Nikolai Maximenko.

That's only a portion of the 20 million to 25 million tons of debris the tsunamis generated altogether, including what was left on land.

Maximenko plans to discuss Tuesday at a news conference his latest estimates for where the debris is and when it may wash ashore. Last year, his team estimated debris could arrive in Hawaii in early 2013.

Some debris appears to have already arrived in the U.S., like a half-dozen large buoys suspected to be from Japanese oyster farms found in Alaska late last year.

Nicholas Mallos, conservation biologist and marine debris specialist for the Ocean Conservancy, said many of the objects are expected to be from Japan's fishing industry. The conservancy is hosting the news conference.

Fishing gear could harm wildlife, such as endangered Hawaiian monk seals, if it washes up on coral reefs or beaches.

"The major question is how much of that material has sank since last year, and how much of that remains afloat or still in the water column," Mallos said.

It's unclear whether items like refrigerators will make it across because there's little precedent for such things in the ocean.

Golden Rule Restoration Nearly Complete

The mission of the Golden Rule Project of Veterans for Peace (VFP) is to repair, restore and renovate the famous sailing ketch, the Golden Rule. This little ship was sailed by four brave crewmen, led by Albert Bigelow, in an attempt to stop atmospheric nuclear testing in the Marshall Islands. They were boarded by the US Coast Guard, arrested, and the boat towed back to Honolulu, twice. Eventually, the Golden Rule sank in Humboldt Bay.

Veterans For Peace, together with friends of the Golden Rule, will once again sail this vessel in opposition to militarism and the manufacture, testing, and use of nuclear weapons. Over a period of years, we plan for the Golden Rule to take its message of peace far and wide – on all three coasts, as well as the Great Lakes and inland waterways.

This Sunday, March 4, Veterans for Peace will celebrate the completion of the restoration efforts. Listen to Coastal Currents Wed. at noon on JHUM (104.3 and 104.7 FM) for an interview with Baykeeper Skipper Chuck DeWitt, who has been working to restore the Golden Rule.

For more info, visit the Golden Rule Project website.

New Sea Kayaking Guide to the Redwood Coast

New Sea Kayaking Guide Published by Explore the North Coast

California’s Humboldt and Del Norte counties are a sea kayaker’s paradise. From protected flat-water on coastal lagoons, to challenging open ocean and rock gardens along breathtaking shores, sea kayakers can find it all on the redwood coast. Sea Kayaking the Redwood Coast is a full color guide that describes thirty-five routes in nineteen locales, from the mouth of the mighty Eel River to the spectacular coastal areas of Crescent City.

Designed for beginner to expert paddlers, this essential guide provides detailed d Sea Kayaining the Redwood Coast irections to launch areas, descriptions of routes, facilities and potential hazards. Sidebars describe the rich cultural history and the abundant wildlife of the area. Detailed maps show launch locations and facilities, along with prominent landmarks needed to safely explore the region. This guide is a must for all sea kayakers wishing to explore California’s magnificent redwood coast.

For sale at the Humboldt Baykeeper office, 217 E Street, Eureka, and at many local bookstores.

For more info, click HERE.

Obama Administration Takes Important Step toward Protecting America’s Waterways

2/22/12

From the Chesapeake Bay to the Puget Sound to the many smaller waters in between, America’s waterways are today one step closer to protection under the Clean Water Act, as the Obama administration is now in the final stage of issuing guidelines to restore critical Clean Water Act protections to the nation’s waterways.

“This is an important step forward for America’s waters and the people who depend on them and enjoy them,” said Shelley Vinyard, federal clean water advocate for Environment America. “Once these guidelines are final, everyone from the Great Lakes fisherman to the family visiting the shores of the Narragansett Bay will be able to reap the rewards of cleaner water.”

The guidelines come at a time when nearly 60 percent of the country’s streams, 20 million acres of wetlands, and 117 million Americans’ drinking water is at risk of pollution, thanks to two polluter-friendly Supreme Court decisions in the last decade. The guidelines, which were proposed last April, received overwhelming support from ordinary citizens, thousands of public health professionals, and hundreds of farmers, local elected officials, and recreational businesses—from Confluence Kayaks in Colorado to Angus Murdoch, a farmer from central Virginia.

The proposed guidelines are expected to be finalized by early spring, and were sent to the Office of Management and Budget on Feb. 22.

The industries primarily responsible for this pollution—mega-agribusiness, the coal industry, Big Oil and big developers, are fighting to block these guidelines. In fact, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) introduced a bill Feb. 16 that, if passed, would block the president and his administration from ever finalizing these guidelines, and would leave as many as 2.5 million miles of streams nationwide permanently unprotected.

“We are excited that the administration has taken this step toward restoring the Clean Water Act and has reiterated its commitment to protecting America’s waterways from pollution,” Vinyard said. “We are counting on the Obama administration to continue to stand up to big polluters, and look forward to working with them to ensure all Americans have clean water in which to swim, fish, recreate, and drink.”

Noyo Harbor's fishing heydey

2/21/12

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and these historical photos from Noyo Harbor, at the south end of Fort Bragg, tell a more vivid story about Northern California's rich fishing heritage than any list of numbers. The photos show halibut the size of full grown men, and decks overflowing with the day's catch.

Fishing has been a part of the area's way of life for as long as people have lived there. And that is precisely why north coast residents are so intent on protecting their ocean resources.

Fortunately, local fishermen are working alongside conservationists, businesses, tribal leaders and government groups on an ocean protection plan tailored for the region's unique socioeconomic and environmental conditions. The Marine Life Protection Act has brought these stakeholders together to plan a system of sea life refuges that balances protection of key breeding and feeding grounds with tribal and fishing access.

The community's marine protected area plan has earned support from state decisionmakers, with some adjustments to accommodate traditional tribal harvest. The plan is expected to be finalized later this year.

Original Article