By Lynda V. Mapes
SEATTLE TIMES

SEATTLE -- It looked big. It looked bad. But the marine heat wave that threatened much of the West Coast in the fall of 2019 has mostly dissipated, at least at the surface.

The Northeast Pacific Marine Heatwave of 2019, or NEP19, lasted 225 days and at its peak covered about 3.2 million square miles. It was the second longest-lasting and second-largest such event recorded in the northern Pacific Ocean over the past 39 years, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The disturbance decreased below the agency's classification threshold for a heat wave as of Jan. 5, said Chris Harvey, a fisheries biologist at the agency's Northwest Fisheries Science Center, on Tuesday.

But while NEP19 is mostly gone, it's not forgotten: Scientists caution that it is not clear the heat wave is entirely dissipated, or that it will not return. The deep ocean is still retaining significant amounts of heat. Monitoring of sea surface temperature readings from multiple platforms, including satellites, ships and buoys will continue.

The biggest marine-warming event ever was the original 2014-16 “Blob,” which resulted in unprecedented harmful algal blooms, invasive species, shifts in migratory ranges for animals, including humpback and gray whales, and changes in the marine food web that, among other things, depressed salmon returns for years.

Seabirds and marine mammals starved to death as a result of The Blob, as their marine food supplies collapsed and the heat wave barreled all the way to the shore, leaving them with nowhere to go. Warming water also stoked disease in starfish, wiping out sunflower stars, once a common species.

Salmon and steelhead runs crashed in part because of ocean conditions, hitting lows not seen since the 1990s. Many runs have yet to rebound. That in turn compounded the troubles of endangered southern resident orcas. Lack of regularly available, quality salmon is one of the factors driving them to extinction.

In both marine heat waves, the main driver was the atmosphere, said Andy Leising, research oceanographer with NOAA's Southwest Fisheries Science Center in San Diego. In the case of The Blob, an unusually large and persistent high pressure system stoked warm weather and killed winds that normally would have stirred up cooler water from below. The system stalled and reinforced itself, baking heat into the deeper ocean.

"The atmosphere failed to have its normal pattern of strong winds and storms that would come through and mix that warm water, Leising said. "What happened this winter was it kicked in late, but we got the change in wind and atmosphere patterns and storms that were able to mix the warm water in."

But scientists remain wary. The last event came and went, and came back again, partly because of heat still stored at depth.

"We are going to keep our eyes very peeled on this," Harvey said. "The Blob had a heartbeat to it, there were times when it was very strong and times when it backed off, then it resurged. ... We need to keep our guard up."

The ocean is still on the warm side and the climate models used for forecasting are unanimous in predicting warmer than normal water near the coast, said Nicholas Bond, the state climatologist and senior research scientist with the Joint Institute for the Study of Atmosphere and Ocean at the University of Washington.

The ocean has a memory. With so much lingering heat in the deep ocean, effects from the first Blob are still being seen and it doesn't take much to pile on new impacts.

The Pacific cod fishery in the Gulf of Alaska has collapsed as cod have fled north because heat is still stored in the deep ocean in the gulf, where the adult cod usually thrive. "Right now in that 100-to-200-meter layer, it is warmer than it was during the original Blob," Bond said.

Closer to home, the location of tuna that sport fishers delighted in catching close to shore in Oregon last year was a clue that the ocean was disrupted by the 2019 heat wave, said Nate Mantua, research scientist at NOAA's SW Fisheries Science Center.

Albacore typically are found in warmer water, but last year, Oregon anglers were nailing them right off the beach. Salmon catches, meanwhile, in the same area were dismal.

A bright spot looking ahead is the storms that broke up the 2019 heat wave also dumped enough snow in the mountains in Washington that the freshwater migration conditions for salmon -- at least where there isn't flooding -- should be favorable this year, Bond said.
​
“Our snow pack right now is right around normal, we are still in good shape.”

SOURCE: https://www.adn.com/nation-world/2020/02/19/feared-return-of-the-blob-fizzles-at-least-for-now-as-storms-churn-and-chill-the-north-pacific/

By Adam Vaughan
NEW SCIENTIST

The reappearance of a vast ‘blob’ of abnormally warm water in the Pacific, around seven times the size of Alaska, has raised the prospect of serious impacts on marine ecosystems and the weather.

The marine heatwave stretches up the US and Canadian west coast, covering a similar extent to a mass of warm water in the region between 2014 and 2016, dubbed ‘the blob’. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which reported the new patch this week, notes the last blob caused toxic algal blooms and massive die-offs of marine life.

“There’s definitely already been impacts and there’s likely to be further,” says Andrew Leising at NOAA. Algal blooms have already been seen off Washington state.

Simon Boxall at the University of Southampton, UK, says: “We do sometimes see anomalous warm or cold blobs in our oceans so shouldn’t necessarily assume the end of the world is coming. However, the fact it’s becoming more frequent will have an impact on ecosystems.”

Watched carefullyHe adds: “In the long term, if this is happening regularly, it could be we are seeing a difference because of climate change. It is something that needs to be watched carefully. It will bring changes to the area both in terms of ecology and weather.”

Scientists have different definitions of marine heatwaves, says David Ferreira at the University of Reading, UK. But typically, rises of 2-4°C over a region for a prolonged time would be considered a marine heatwave, he says.

While such blobs can’t be attributed to climate change, warmer average global temperatures create the conditions for them to appear, says Ferreira. “In the context of global warming, the warmer the background temperature the higher the probability you might get a blob.”

The climate phenomenon El Nino may also play a role in the formation of blobs, Leising adds.

Shallow blobOne of the key differences between this blob and the last one is the heat only goes down a fraction of the depth of the last event. The depth is a measure of how much heat is being stored, and gives a sense of how long the blob might persist, says Ferreira.

It is unclear clear how long this blob will last. The weather will be key and there are already some signs in the latest data – which comes via satellites and ocean buoys – that some cooling may have occurred in September, according to Leising. “But the jury is still out on whether it will dissipate,” he concludes.

If the blob lasts into next year, it is likely to have significant impacts on ecosystems and weather. “What’s happening in the Pacific is clearly very worrying,” says Jason Hall-Spencer of Plymouth University, UK. “The warming of the sea creates severe destruction to the marine ecology but also to our weather.”
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Hall-Spencer is in Japan this week to undertake marine research but expects his equipment to be destroyed by super typhoon Hagibis, one of the most powerful in decades, which is expected to hit Japan by the weekend
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Read more: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2219501-return-of-warm-water-blob-in-the-pacific-threatens-marine-life/#ixzz6MjSVRYWt

By Amanda Jackson
CNN

With hibernation fast approaching, a grizzly bear family is spotted searching for fish near the shores of Canada's Knight Inlet. They're emaciated.

The heartbreaking images, captured by a Canadian photographer, have sparked concern from wildlife observers. They worry whether the bear and two cubs will even make it through hibernation.

It also shines light on another victim of the climate crisis and the depletion of wild salmon population.

Knight Inlet is a prime tourist spot in British Columbia, Canada for grizzly bear viewing. Visitors from all over the world come to take in the wilderness and admire the wildlife.
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The Mamalilikulla First Nation has been monitoring the bears, specifically those in Hoeya Sound and Lull Bay, for several years.

"They have drastically changed within a couple months," Jake Smith, guardian watchman manager for the Mamalilikulla First Nation, told CNN. "The bears are in trouble."

Smith said when he saw the images on Friday, he knew he had to try to help. The bears' main food source, salmon, is at an all time low in the area. Commercial fishermen in British Columbia are calling this the worst salmon season in nearly 50 years.

In August, a report released by the Fisheries and Oceans Canada noted that Canada's climate is warming twice as fast as the global average, drastically impacting the salmon's ecosystems. The report also cited marine heatwaves, increased floods and droughts as causing greater stress on the fish.

Smith arranged for 500 salmon, donated by A-Tlegay Fisheries Society on Vancouver Island, to be distributed along the shorelines that the grizzlies frequent. Volunteers on Sunday piled the fish in ice chests and delivered them by boat to the area. Smith said bears were present and started eating the fish right away.

"We were about 30 feet away from them," Smith said. "A little grizzly looked up at us and the mother bear came out to get the fish."
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While this is only a small step to help the bears, the First Nation will now continue to monitor the bears for any updates.

Causes of decline in wild salmon population

The wild salmon population has been steadily declining in the British Columbia area over the past few years. Just last month, advocates for commercial fishing asked the government for disaster relief to help the industry.

"The impacts of this climate change disaster has been coast wide," said Joy Thorkelson, president of the United Fishermen and Allied Workers' Union, at a press conference in September.

The warmer weather has impacted the temperature of the water and drastically impacted the salmon run this year, according to CNN news partner CTV.

Another factor for the wild salmon population loss is the open-net fish farming that critics say are spreading disease and pollution in the water.

"Everywhere in the world where there is salmon farming you have a decline in the wild salmon population," said biologist Alexandra Morton, who has been researching the effects of farming for the past 30 years. This type of farming allows for waste to be added back into the water and exposes the wild salmon population to viruses, according to Morton.

In December, the British Columbia government along with First Nations created a plan to transition out of open-net farming by 2023 so that the wild salmon population can recover. The Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance has defended open-net farming as environmentally sustainable, calling plans to phase out open-net farming "a reckless policy, not grounded in science."

Bears forced to travel far for food

​Rolf Hicker, a wildlife photographer, took the images of the thin bears while giving a boat tour. He posted them on Facebook on September 23.

"We saw this sow with her two little ones a couple of weeks ago and then we saw her again only a few days ago," he posted. "I have no idea how she would make it through the winter without salmon."

More than half of Canada's grizzly population lives in British Columbia, and their average weight is 220 to 880 pounds, according to the Nature Conservancy of Canada. They forage for berries and plants, but salmon is their main food source.

Hicker told CNN that not all of the bears that he's seen are this thin, but the majority are not healthy.

Smith and Hicker said the grizzlies are starting to relocate and island hop to other areas, including Vancouver Island, looking for food.

"Provincial biologists cannot confirm why the bears appear to be in poor shape," said a statement from the province's Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development.

"If salmon runs in the area are lower than expected, this will have an added effect and bears may have to travel further to find food."

Grizzly bears hibernate for five to seven months each year and live off the fat built up during the summer and fall months, according to the National Park Service. If female bears go into hibernation leaner than normal, this might impact how many cubs she has, according to Parks Canada.

"Grizzlies are not native to Vancouver Island," said Hicker. " They are spending all their energy swimming to go to another location. They are being forced to do that for food."

Swanson Island, about an hour boat ride from Knight Inlet, is another location where grizzlies are showing up, Smith said.

"They were approaching our camps, and we are seeing them in areas we rarely ever see bears," Rick Snowdon, owner of Spirit of The West, told CNN. He takes tourists to Swanson Island for camping trips and kayaking.

Snowdon said while they haven't had a negative interaction with the bears, they have had to emphasize to guests to use caution.

"I've seen several grizzles with cubs," he said. "They definitely looked lightweight."
​
The natural resources ministry told CNN they will be meeting with First Nations on Thursday to discuss the situation.

Canada isn't the only area facing issues with wild salmon populations. This summer, the heat wave in Alaska resulted in scientist finding hundreds of dead salmon due to heat stress. The water temperatures broke records as it rose to 81 degrees in July in Cook Inlet.

SOURCE: https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/03/americas/emaciated-grizzly-bears-knights-inlet-canada-trnd-scn/index.html

NEWS PROVIDED BY
Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Pacific Region

​VANCOUVER, Sept. 5, 2019 /CNW/ - Healthy wild fish stocks are vital to the economic prosperity and social fabric of British Columbia's coastal communities, and are fundamental to the culture of many Indigenous communities.

The focus on habitat restoration projects and research science is part of a broader approach to addressing declines in salmon stocks that include restoring lost protections for fish and fish habitat in the modernized Fisheries Act, science-based fisheries management measures, reviewing concerns regarding predation and implementing a plan to fight climate change.

Today, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, and the British Columbia Minister of Agriculture, the Honourable Lana Popham, announced 14 projects under the British Columbia Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund (BCSRIF), amounting to almost $6.2 million in year one funding and almost $30 million in funding over the five years of the program.

Projects funded under BCSRIF will advance work to enhance salmon habitats to help support British Columbia's fish and seafood sector, and help secure the sustainability of wild Pacific salmon, as well as other wild fish stocks. Over the next five years, investments through the BCSRIF will help ensure British Columbia's wild fisheries are environmentally and economically sustainable for the long-term, and that employment in the fishery is resilient to the challenges of climate change, as well as evolving economic conditions.

BCSRIF funding is open to Indigenous communities, industry associations, environmental non-governmental organizations and academic institutions. Each application is reviewed and approved by Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Province of British Columbia. Investments through this program will benefit commercial and recreational fishing and aquaculture, as well as science and research initiatives.

​Quotes

"Our government understands the need to protect and restore salmon habitats as a key part of our plan to sustain and restore wild salmon populations. Through the investments being made under the British Columbia Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund, we are taking decisive action in improving conditions and habitat in waterways across the province. Working in partnership with the Province of British Columbia, I am confident that we can and are making substantive progress in protecting and enhancing our wild fish stocks and in strengthening our fishing industry for today, and for generations to come."

The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard

"These projects highlight how many British Columbians are working together to help wild salmon, and how our collective knowledge, respect and appreciation of the species will help them recover. Multiple First Nations, governments, conservation organizations, industry, and academic institutions are working to restore habitat in key streams and rivers in different parts of the province, research ways to optimize performance in community hatcheries, and help understand and prepare for the threats salmon face through climate change. It is a lot of hard work, and it will be ongoing, but the impressive cooperation and commitment of so many British Columbians is helping the outlook for wild salmon recovery."

The Honourable Lana Popham, BC Minister of Agriculture

Quick Facts

• Additional information on the 23 initial projects selected for BCSRIF funding can be found online here.
• The British Columbia Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund is a 70 per cent federal, 30 per cent provincial cost-shared program.
• The Government of Canada is investing $100 million over five years through the British Columbia Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund, and is providing a one-time investment of $5 million for the Pacific Salmon Endowment Fund.
• The Government of British Columbia is investing $42.85 million over five years through the fund and has provided a one-time grant of $5 million for the Pacific Salmon Foundation.
• Indigenous communities, commercial organizations in the wild fisheries and aquaculture sectors, recreational fisheries, as well as non-commercial organizations such as universities and research institutions, industry associations and conservation groups, can apply.
• Salmon are a part of intricate food webs, from tiny zooplankton, to large mammals like whales and bears, in both their freshwater and marine environments.
• Wild salmon are culturally important for many First Nations in British Columbia. Wild salmon is also part of the province's long-running tradition of recreational and sport fishing, which is directly connected to its tourism industry.
• Further opportunities to apply for funding will be provided in the late fall of 2019. Details and exact dates will be made available at a later date.

Associated Links

• British Columbia Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund
• Canadian Fish and Seafood Opportunities Fund
• National Indigenous Fisheries Institute
• British Columbia Conservation Foundation
• Baker Creek Enhancement Society
• Nazko First Nation
• Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium (UVic)
• Sport Fishing Institute of British Columbia
• Scw'exmx Tribal Council
• Secwepemcul'ecw Restoration and Stewardship Society
• Tides Canada
• Watershed Watch Society
• Pacific Salmon Foundation
• Canadian Wildlife Federation
• British Columbia Cattlemen's Association
• 'Namgis First Nation
• Kwikwasut'inuxw Haxwa'mis First Nation
• Mamalilikulla First Nation

Backgrounder
British Columbia projects that are receiving funding through the British Columbia Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund include:

• The National Indigenous Fisheries Institute will engage with Indigenous communities to identify potential large-scale, multi-Nation initiatives that could be supported by BCSRIF. This work will also encourage increased Indigenous involvement in science partnerships, innovation and infrastructure investments that would improve productivity, sustainability, and safety across the sector. The National Indigenous Fisheries Institute will receive up to $385K in funding.
• Led by the British Columbia Conservation Foundation, the "Innovative Habitat Restoration Demonstration" is a multi-year, watershed-scale demonstration project to showcase innovative habitat restoration methods that accommodate the effects of recent ecosystem shifts with benefits to Chinook, coho, sockeye and steelhead. The project will promote restoration, protection and maintenance of healthy and diverse salmon populations and their habitats. The 'Innovative Habitat Restoration Demonstration' will receive nearly $5M (approximately $792K in year 1) in funding.
• The Baker Creek Enhancement Society will collaborate with the Nazko First Nation to undertake restoration of critical habitat affected by the Plateau Fire. This work will also prevent further habitat degradation from normal precipitation and predictable storm events. The Baker Creek Enhancement Society in collaboration with the Nazko First Nation will receive up to $750K (approximately $150K in year 1) in funding.
• The Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium (UVic) will conduct research to improve our understanding of potential threats to Pacific salmonids and their habitats posed by climate change and develop risk assessment tools to support adaptive regional management approaches. The Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium (UVic) will receive close to $1M (approximately $113K in year 1) in funding.
• BCSRIF will support elements of the Sport Fishing Institute of British Columbia (SFI) Vision 2021. This is an action plan to maximize the social and economic potential of the recreational fishery on Canada's Pacific coast. The project aims to improve representation of the fishing community and increase participation in the fishing sector by youth, new Canadians and others. SFI will receive up to $701K (approximately $149K in year 1) in funding.
• The Scw'exmx Tribal Council and partners will assess and rehabilitate degraded habitats in the Coldwater River and Guichon Creek watersheds to improve survival of Thompson steelhead and Chinook salmon. The Scw'exmx Tribal Council and partners will receive close to $1.3M (approximately $126K in year 1) in funding.
• The Secwepemcul'ecw Restoration and Stewardship Society, in partnership with Secwepemc communities and the 100 Mile Natural Resource District will undertake restoration of critical habitat affected by the 2017 Elephant Hill Wildfire in the Traditional territories of the 8 Secwepemcul'ecw Nations. The Secwepemcul'ecw Restoration and Stewardship Society, Secwepemc communities and the 100 Mile Natural Resource District will receive nearly $2.6M (approximately $430K in year 1) in funding.
• Tides Canada and the Watershed Watch Society along with other partners, will implement "Connected Waters", a project to identify priority sites requiring infrastructure upgrades and habitat restoration across the Lower Fraser River watershed, which will support the reintegration of vital wild salmon habitats. Tides Canada and the Watershed Watch Society will receive nearly $600k (approximately $232K in year 1) in funding.
• The Pacific Salmon Foundation (PSF) will conduct a science-based review of hatcheries in the Pacific Region (including community hatcheries and DFO major facilities) to evaluate performance and the effectiveness of current genetic and genomic tools, in order to optimize salmon production in BC. PSF will receive nearly $1.1M (approximately $305K in year 1) in funding.
• The Canadian Wildlife Federation will bring together partners, including federal and provincial governments, non-governmental organizations, First Nations and communities to prioritize fish passage remediation efforts across BC to maximize the benefits for steelhead trout and Pacific salmon. The Canadian Wildlife Federation will receive close to $4M (approximately $1.2M in year 1) in funding.
• The British Columbia Cattlemen's Association will deliver the Farmland Riparian Interface Stewardship Program, promoting habitat restoration and stewardship on agricultural lands in BC. The program will encourage environmental farm planning within the agricultural sector for more "fish friendly" land management practices around riparian corridors, as well as promoting water conservation for BC Interior salmon streams experiencing frequent critical low flows. The British Columbia Cattlemen's Association will receive up to $550K (approximately $110K in year 1) in funding.
• The 'Namgis, Kwikwasut'inuxw Haxwa'mis, and Mamalilikulla First Nations will partner on activities to assess, prioritize and restore critical salmon habitat in the Nimpkish and Kokish Rivers, Rivers flowing from Bond Sound, Thompson Sound, Wakemen Sound, Viner Sound and Rivers Near Hoyea Sound and Lull Creek. The 'Namgis, Kwikwasut'inuxw Haxwa'mis, and Mamalilikulla First Nations will receive more than $4.2M (approximately $479K in year 1) in funding.
• The 'Namgis, Kwikwasut'inuxw Haxwa'mis, and Mamalilikulla First Nations will work together on the first steps towards establishing a genomics lab to analyze samples collected by First Nations with an interest in conducting independent fish health sampling. The 'Namgis, Kwikwasut'inuxw Haxwa'mis, and Mamalilikulla First Nations will receive approximately $50K in funding.
• The 'Namgis, Kwikwasut'inuxw Haxwa'mis, and Mamalilikulla First Nations will implement the Broughton First Nations Indigenous Monitoring and Inspection Plan, using BCSRIF support to build monitoring and oversight capacity over finfish farms in the Broughton, capacity to monitor wild salmon, other marine species (and their ecosystems) and to conduct salmon habitat restoration activities. The 'Namgis, Kwikwasut'inuxw Haxwa'mis, and Mamalilikulla First Nations will receive close to $7.3M (approximately $1.7M in year 1) in funding.

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SOURCE Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Pacific Region
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For further information: Jocelyn Lubczuk, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, 343-548-7863, Jocelyn.lubczuk@dfo-mpo.gc.ca; Media Relations, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 613-990-7537, Media.xncr@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
Related Linkswww.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca

SOURCE: https://prn.to/2MZ4EiF​

By John Paul Tasker
CBC NEWS

While the Senate's transport committee recommended the upper house defeat the bill outright, a coalition of Independent and Liberal senators has cobbled together enough votes to rescue legislation to implement the government's planned ban on oil tankers along B.C.'s northern coast.

The outcome was far from certain after the committee that studied the legislation recommended against passing the Liberal plan. The committee issued a scathing report this week saying that, if passed, the bill would stoke a nascent separatist movement in Western Canada, and accused the government of unfairly targeting Alberta's oilpatch at a time of constrained pipeline capacity and cratering oil prices.

The strongly worded report — penned by the committee's chair, Conservative Saskatchewan Sen. David Tkachuk — prompted a backlash of sorts Wednesday night from other senators who called it overly partisan.

Senators rejected the committee's report by a vote of 38 to 53, with one abstention. Now, senators are expected to make amendments at the third reading phase of the legislative process before sending the bill back to the Commons for approval.

The Senate also voted this evening on Bill C-69, the government's controversial overhaul of the environmental assessment process. The Senate's energy committee passed more than 180 amendments to that bill that would, among other things, limit the environment minister's ability to interfere in the regulatory process and stop and start project timelines.

Having passed the Senate, C-69 now returns to the House of Commons with all 180 amendments. 

While not explicitly written into the Liberal government's 2015 platform, then-third party leader Justin Trudeau vowed to institute a moratorium on oil tankers docking at ports along the northern B.C. coast when unveiling his plan for the environment at a Vancouver-area event in June, 2015.

In describing the legislation, Tkachuk said it is "not as advertised" — that it is not a "moratorium" at all because there is no set timeline, and should be described as a ban. (The Conservative Party recently launched a series of ads with the tagline, "Justin Trudeau, not as advertised.")

In the report, Tkachuk said the legislation was motivated not by a desire to protect the pristine Great Bear rainforest but rather by electoral considerations. He said Trudeau is willing to undermine the Prairie economy to court votes elsewhere.

Tkachuk said Trudeau is "targeting one region, where the political rewards for the government of the day are few, in order to please voters in other regions of Canada — regions where the government of the day has far greater potential to win seats.

"Your committee notes the ruling political party has historically been unable to win a significant number of seats in the region targeted by this bill, and that all credible polls indicate the ruling party will be unable to win a significant number of seats in the upcoming federal election."

Independent Quebec Sen. Andre Pratte said that, while he opposed parts of the tanker ban bill and will offer amendments at the third reading stage, he thought Tkachuk's report did a disservice to the committee's deliberations on the legislation.

While many reports are produced with a degree of consensus — with contributions from members of the committee from different parties — the committee's deputy chair, Independent Quebec Sen. Julie Miville-Dechêne, said there was no such offer from Tkachuk.

"He said no to any steering committee, as usual. We were therefore unable to decide in a collegial manner how to go about writing the report. My only priority then became to ensure that whatever report was prepared would be put before the Senate promptly so that we can all vote on it," the senator told her colleagues.

"I therefore urge you to emphatically reject this 21-page report, which does a disservice to the Senate and does not do justice to the diversity of opinion among the 139 witnesses who appeared before us."

However, while she was critical of the Tkachuk report, Miville-Dechêne and other dissenting senators did not draft a minority report to respond to the Tory-penned document.

Independent Manitoba Sen. Murray Sinclair said the transport committee is clearly "dysfunctional," given how much bickering there was between members at its meetings and in the chamber Wednesday.

"It's appearing to me, from being here, that this committee did not function properly and did not function in a collegial matter. I therefore consider it to be a dysfunctional committee," the former judge said.

"The committee did not appear to be able to get along very well in its work and deliberations, and that causes me concern because now we are being asked to be parties to this report as members of the chamber."

The "dysfunction" label prompted claims of unparliamentary language from the Conservative opposition, with one senator saying the description "defamed" the work of the committee.

Independent Quebec Sen. Rosa Galvez said the mood at the transport committee, of which she is a member, was "extremely unpleasant" under Tkachuk's leadership.

She said the committee's travel, to locations in B.C., Alberta, and Saskatchewan, was essentially a waste of time because dissenting voices were all but excluded from Tkachuk's final report.

"A cost-benefit analysis of this report would be absolutely scandalous," Galvez said.

"Overall, I got the feeling that our work was being undermined and even sabotaged. Rather than conducting an in-depth analysis of Bill C-48, of its weaknesses and limitations, so that we could suggest amendments and make observations that could be effective in improving it, we created a hostile and aggressive atmosphere that prevented the legislation from being studied in the best interests of Canadians."

Galvez said her colleague, Independent Alberta Sen. Paula Simons — who sided with the Tories to vote down Bill C-48 at committee — was "harassed" to vote a certain way.

Tkachuk defended the committee's work and the report it produced.

"This was not a waste of time. This was the Senate at its best," he said of the committee's travels.

• Coastal First Nations slam senators, say upper house doesn't have 'legitimacy' to kill tanker ban

• Jason Kenney now says Alberta can live with amended C-69 environmental assessment bill

• Garneau says he's open to amendments as opposition to B.C. tanker ban bill mounts

He said the bill, which would ban tankers capable of carrying more than 12,500 metric tons of oil from an area that stretches from the northern tip of Vancouver Island to the Alaska border, is "so egregiously bad that it should be stopped in its tracks."

"Your committee has concluded from the varied and quite passionate testimony put before it, from a broad range of witnesses who appeared in Ottawa, British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan, that Bill C-48 is both divisive and discriminatory," Tkachuk said.

He said the legislation, which does nothing about oil tanker traffic in Eastern Canada, serves only to bolster a growing Western Canadian separatist movement.

"The feeling of resentment, I can tell you, is palpable and any legislation that pours fuel on that particular fire should not be allowed to proceed," Tkachuk said.

He said the bill will cost "us all," as it imperils the future of Alberta's oilpatch and conventional oil development in Saskatchewan — two major economic drivers for the Canadian economy.

If enacted, the ban would frustrate future pipeline projects like the now-defunct Northern Gateway project, or the proposed Indigenous-led Eagle Spirit pipeline.
​
"Your committee strongly maintains that targeting one region of Canada for economic punishment is unconstitutional and destructive to the fabric of Canadian federalism," Tkachuk said.

​SHANNON LOUGH
Coast Mountain News

As the federal government reviews the Fisheries Act, two North Coast B.C. residents flew to Ottawa to present how they think the act should be improved.

There are eight key areas to Bill C-68 and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples is listed as number two.

John Helin, mayor of the Lax Kw’alaams Band near Prince Rupert, painted a grim picture of his Indigenous community as he spoke to the Standing Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans – how members are struggling to make a living, and his experience with fisheries enforcement officers “racially profiling” members.

“We have a fleet of 70-80 gillnetters that can’t make a living anymore fishing for salmon. We have a fish plant in my community that at its peak, employs up 100 members in the village and we’re having a lot of challenges keeping that operation going,” Helin said.

To keep the fish plant going, they’ve diversified by processing groundfish, but he said with all the other fisheries coming into the area, they’ve lost an opportunity.

“There was a herring fishery in our day in the 70s and 80s, a seine herring fishery, and it wiped out that fish. To this day, that stock doesn’t come back. So herring is a staple, not just for people, but for other fish in the sea that feed off herring. So it’s alarming to us when DFO allows one guy to go out fishing and everyone else agrees to tie up,” Helin said.

Helin said the band wants to sign a comprehensive fisheries agreement with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, but had never done so since losing a fisheries case. He said it’s resulted in members being targeted on the water.

“It got so bad where one of the fisheries enforcement guys boarded my son’s boat, he was fishing my boat, and he had his 10-year-old kid on the boat, and this guy pulls his gun on the deck of my son’s boat without provocation. That went to court and it was tossed out. That shows how we’re treated in our own traditionally territory,” he said.

“When you talk about reconciliation, consultation, they’re just empty words for us. So hopefully coming before committees like this, we can make the improvements that we want.”

Earlier in the day, third-generation fisherwoman, fisheries biologist and Prince Rupert resident Chelsey Ellis presented her suggested amendments to Bill C-68, saying more and more licenses and quota are being transferred from fishermen and away from coastal communities.

“For the few young fish harvesters trying to persevere, it’s getting harder to earn a living and find a safe, reliable and professional crew to work with,” Ellis said, adding young people are not joining the industry because they don’t see a future in it.
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She called for measures to prioritize and incentivize licenses and quota for “those taking the risks and working long hard hours” to harvest Canadian seafood, and the promotion of independence of owner-operator enterprises within all commercial fisheries.

To see a visual representation of LNG projects in B.C. as of April 2019, view current export facilities and pipelines map (PDF, 1MB).

Source:
B.C. Government
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/natural-gas-oil/lng/lng-projects

Source: Natural Resources Canada, Government of Canada
https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy/natural-gas/5683

Canadian LNG Projects
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Context

Much has changed in the North American liquefied natural gas (LNG) market in the past decade. Throughout the early to mid-2000’s, concerns over decreasing conventional supplies of domestic natural gas led to bullish predictions about future LNG demand in North America, resulting in an investment boom to build new LNG import facilities.

Around 2008, dramatic changes in the North American natural gas market began, driven by  surging U.S. unconventional natural gas production (mostly from shale gas). This changed the outlook for LNG imports. Natural gas production increased, North American prices fell significantly, and the expected need for imported LNG collapsed. In fact, LNG exports began to be contemplated.

As unconventional gas production increases, the U.S. is becoming increasingly self-sufficient with respect to natural gas. Pipeline exports from Canada to the U.S. are decreasing. With ample unconventional resources, industry has shifted its focus from importing LNG into North America to exporting LNG from North America.  The export of LNG could facilitate Canadian natural gas production growth and result in significant investment, jobs and economic growth.

Canadian LNG ProjectsEighteen LNG export facilities have been proposed in Canada – 13 in British Columbia, 2 in Quebec and 3 in Nova Scotia – with a total proposed export capacity of 216 Million tons per annum (mtpa) of LNG (approximately 29 Billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of natural gas).

Since 2011, 24 LNG projects have been issued long-term export licenses. Canada’s only operational LNG terminal (an import terminal) is Canaport LNG’s regasification import terminal located in Saint John, New Brunswick.

According to a Conference Board of Canada study, which estimates the potential contributions LNG exports may make to the Canadian economy, an LNG export industry equivalent to 30 mtpa in British Columbia could add roughly $7.4 billion to Canada’s annual economy over the next 30 years, and raise national employment by an annual average of 65,000 jobs. The Government of Canada is working closely with British Columbia, other provinces and industry partners to create conditions to support the development of an LNG industry in Canada.

EXISTING IMPORT TERMINAL

Canaport LNG: Saint John, New Brunswick

CANADIAN LNG IMPORT AND PROPOSED EXPORT FACILITIES

13 West Coast (British Columbia) Export Terminals
Kitimat LNG
LNG Canada
Cedar LNG Project
Orca LNG25 Years
New Times Energy
Kitsault Energy Project
Stewart LNG Export Project
Triton LNG (On Hold)
Woodfibre LNG
WesPac LNG Marine Terminal
Discovery LNG
Steelhead LNG: Kwispaa LNG

5 East Coast Export Terminals
Goldboro LNG
Bear Head LNG
A C LNG
Energie Saguenay
Stolt LNGaz

Canadian Government Position
The Minister of Natural Resources Canada has stated “The Canadian Government is taking steps to grow the Canadian economy, create good jobs and opportunities for Canadians, while protecting our environment for future generations. As the Prime Minister has emphasized, in the 21st century we must get our resources to market sustainably and responsibly. For all natural resource projects, the government is working closely with provinces and territories, Indigenous peoples, and other interested parties to ensure that the highest standards of public and environmental safety are being met, while creating new export opportunities for Canada’s natural resources.”

Regulations and Permitting
While the ongoing operation of LNG terminals generally falls under provincial regulation, most LNG terminal proposals require both federal and provincial environmental assessments and permits. 

Most of the proposed LNG facilities require new pipelines or the expansion of existing pipelines.  Intra-provincial pipelines are provincially regulated, while pipelines that cross a provincial or international border are federally regulated.  For more information on pipelines, please see Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Concerning Federally-Regulated Petroleum Pipelines in Canada.

A permit from the National Energy Board (NEB), Canada’s federal energy regulator, is required to export LNG from Canada. The NEB reviews export licence applications to ensure that the proposed volume of gas to be exported is surplus to Canadian requirements. Since 2011, 24 LNG projects have been issued long-term export licenses ranging between 20-40 years. More information on export licences is available on the NEB's website.

LNG Facilities and Safety Regulations
LNG facilities are classified as industrial sites and must meet all federal, provincial and municipal standards, codes and safety regulations. These regulations are constantly updated to ensure that the health, safety and security of the environment and Canadian public are protected. The Canadian Standards Association (CSA) has a specific standard for LNG production, storage and handling (CSA Standard CAN/CSA Z276-01). This standard establishes essential requirements for the design, installation and safe operation of LNG facilities.

Useful Links
These websites provide useful background information on LNG and LNG regulatory processes in Canada.

• Generation Energy
• National Energy Board
• Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
• Major Projects Management Office
• BC Oil and Gas Commission
• LNG Projects in British Columbia
• BC LNG Alliance
• BC LNG First Nations Alliance

READ MORE: https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy/natural-gas/5683