Thursday, December 30, 2010

TRANSPORTATION: Nova Scotia decides the Yarmouth to Bar Harbor ferry not feasible.

Commission: Current Bar Harbor ferry proposal not feasible
By Ezra Silk | Dec 29, 2010
Bar Harbour Times Soup

Yarmouth, NS — After more than two months spent examining five proposals for providing ferry service between Nova Scotia and New England, the Yarmouth Area Industrial Commission has concluded that none of the proposals are financially viable. The Commission, which confirmed that it was considering a route to Bar Harbor, hopes to support a Yarmouth to New England ferry by May 2012, according to a press release distributed late Tuesday afternoon.

“At this point in time it is the Commission’s opinion that the proposals received do not meet the basic requirement of our RFP [request for proposal] process,” reads the press release.

According to the release, the Commission’s basic requirement is, “Clear confirmation of financial capacity to operate a ferry service.”

The CAT ferry service in Bar Harbor ended in December 2009, putting 120 people out of full and part-time work. According to Bay Ferries Limited, the company that operated the CAT, the route had lost its financial viability because of the struggles of the American economy, the rise of the Canadian dollar, and new U.S. passport regulations.

In the statement, the Commission acknowledged that the announcement might be disappointing to the applicants, as well as others who would welcome ferry service to their community.

“While the Yarmouth Area Industrial Commission shares the frustrations and disappointment of businesses and residents of Nova Scotia, New England and particularly Yarmouth County, we feel that we also have a responsibility to ensure that any service provider is financially capable of starting a new service and sustaining that service into the future,” reads the release.

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Media Credit: wikipedia.com

Monday, December 27, 2010

AQUACULTURE - Is the book 'The Salmon Connection" available?

Dr. John M. Anderson's book, The Salmon Connection is the definitive source of information on the history of Atlantic salmon aquaculture in the Bay of Fundy and northern Gulf of Maine. Anyone know who is selling it?
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#aquaculture

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Little border protection from Canadian Coastguard .. but huge development planned for Saint John?

While the US Coast Guard patrols our water, photographs our people, and overhauls boats in our waters, there is still little or no Canadian Coast Guard border protection in Charlotte County. I know we have an agreement of some sort going, but abrogating control of Canadian waters on the border is unwise in the extreme. As for the ability of the RCMP to perform these duties ... well they seem to think that boils down to "highway patrol" on the water.


Congratulations to Saint John, this is the perfect place for headquarters, but an "active" presence on the border is required.




The city is preparing for a final deal which will see Ottawa sell the Coast Guard site on Water Street to clear the way for more waterfront development. Just over 900-thousand dollars have been earmarked in next year's proposed capital budget for the purchase and to begin survey work and environmental assessments.

The five year capital budget projection also includes 2.8-million for repairs to the sea wall on the harbour side - and - another 400-thousand for a pedway from Market Square to the site.

The Hardman Group wants to develop more retail space - a hotel - and - condos in that area.



Turbine pulled out of Bay of Fundy

Last Updated: Friday, December 17, 2010 | 4:20 PM AT CBC News

The damaged underwater turbine in the Bay of Fundy was recovered Thursday by OpenHydro.

The damaged underwater turbine in the Bay of Fundy was recovered Thursday by OpenHydro. (Nova Scotia Power)

The damaged underwater turbine in the Bay of Fundy was recovered Thursday by Irish tidal renewable energy company OpenHydro.

The 400 tonne turbine was removed from the floor of the Minas Channel.

"The turbine is in extremely good condition," said James Ives, OpenHydro's CEO. "All the blades have failed. We have overloaded the turbine. We've underestimated the loadings in the Bay of Fundy. We underestimated the energy in the Bay of Fundy."

OpenHyrdo and Nova Scotia Power first tried to remove it in November.

That attempt was unsuccessful due to a rise in tides. Subsequent efforts to retrive it were hampered by bad weather, including strong winds.

The turbine was deployed in November 2009.

The turbine will now be towed to Cherubini Metal Works in Dartmouth for a forensic engineering assessment.

They will try to extract information on six sensor systems.

Then it will be decided if another attempt to put a turbine in the Minas Channel will happen and if it will be the refitted turbine or a new one.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia/story/2010/12/17/ns-turbine-pulled-out-of-bay-of-fundy.html?ref=rss#ixzz18TgNSYVf

Irving dam criticized after N.B. flooding

Last Updated: Friday, December 17, 2010 | 9:32 AM AT CBC News

Liberal MLA Rick Doucet said many St. George residents are upset over J.D. Irving's handling of the water levels of its Lake Utopia hydroelectric dam.

Liberal MLA Rick Doucet said many St. George residents are upset over J.D. Irving's handling of the water levels of its Lake Utopia hydroelectric dam. (CBC)

Some flood victims in St. George, N.B., are questioning whether the disaster could have been prevented if J.D. Irving had released water from its Lake Utopia hydroelectric dam before the worst of this week's storm.

Residents in the southwestern New Brunswick community say they believe the company left water levels too high at the dam.

Citizens formed a local committee to examine the high water levels several years ago.

Liberal MLA Rick Doucet said corporate officials with J.D. Irving actively participated in those meetings. But Doucet said not much has came from those meetings.

"We've worked with Irving, they've been at the table, we've had some great discussions, [the Irvings are] telling us what they're going to do, but it's not happening," Doucet said.

"I think people have had it now, and people are going to want some action on this."

The company operates the southwestern New Brunswick dam to generate electricity for its mill.

A spokesperson for J.D. Irving told CBC News on Thursday that it manages the dam according to the weather and water level information it was given earlier this week.

'As a result, when we do get something like this [rain storm], we're behind the 8-ball before we even start.'— Bruce Jackson, St. George resident

The company's spokesperson said they were caught off guard when the storm exceeded all expectations.

Officials with the province's Emergency Measures Organization said this week that they have never seen water levels rise so quickly in the community.

The community's concerns with the high water levels did not just start this week when the area was hit by flash flooding.

Even in normal weather conditions, Bruce Jackson, who lives in the community, said the water levels at the dam are a concern.

"What has consistently been the concern is that the water has left at an artificially high level — by [one-], two-, three-feet high — to generate [electricity]," Jackson said.

"As a result, when we do get something like this [rain storm], we're behind the 8-ball before we even start."

Environment Canada said 172 mm fell in St. Stephen earlier this week.

Southwestern New Brunswick was among the regions hardest hit by this week's floods.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2010/12/17/nb-jd-irving-lake-utopia-st-george-flood-628.html?ref=rss#ixzz18TfAXqa7

CLIMATE: N.B. flood damage 'beyond imagination': Alward

Number of flooded N.B. roads down to 70 from 120 earlier this week

Last Updated: Friday, December 17, 2010 | 10:02 PM AT Comments115Recommend66
CBC News
Charlotte County has been one of the New Brunswick areas hardest hit by flooding.
Charlotte County has been one of the New Brunswick areas hardest hit by flooding. (CBC)
The damage left behind by this week's flood that hit parts of southwestern New Brunswick is "beyond imagination," Premier David Alward said on Friday.
Many communities along stretches of southern and western New Brunswick saw extensive damage to roads, bridges and houses following the floods, with Charlotte County the hardest-hit place in the province, according to the Emergency Measures Organization.
The destruction inflicted on many of the communities is "sad," Alward said.
"It is really beyond imagination especially in parts of southwestern New Brunswick and Charlotte County. Many homes covered up to their rooftops, vehicles under water, many people displaced," Alward said.
"Throughout much of the St. John River Valley and southwestern New Brunswick and Charlotte County, many roads and the rail system has been breached."
At one point during the flood, 120 roads were partially or fully flooded, but that is now down to 70.
Bonny River flooded
All roads and bridges leading into the southwestern community of Bonny River, which is near St. Stephen, were either washed out or underwater.
The Canadian Red Cross set up shelter at the Bonny River Fire Department to help residents who lost their homes in the flood.
The main commute to and from Bonny River in recent days has been by boat, such as those operated by Cooke Aquaculture, which has been helping by ferrying people and supplies.
Many roads were fully hidden by water except for the tops of stop signs, while the local landscape was filled with broken porches and waterlogged houses.
'I love my spot on the river but as I've always said, to have the best spot,
there are prices to pay, but I think this price is too high.'— Angela Steen, Bonny River resident
Nicole Norman, who lives in nearby Second Falls, said she finally got a chance to assess the damage to her home on Thursday, and saw the inside was a disaster.
"I saved some of my daughter's Christmas gifts, that's about it. Everything else is ruined," Norman said.
Angela Steen, another Bonny River resident, said she fared a little better.
Her basement is completely flooded but she managed to save some items.
Steen said after what happened during the flood, she can't imagine living in her home much longer.
"I love my spot on the river but as I've always said, to have the best spot, there are prices to pay, but I think this price is too high," said Steen.
Steen said she is relieved the water has finally crested, but she said it will be a long time before things are fully back to normal in her community.
Relief offered
Alward toured the area Wednesday after announcing the government would extend various forms of relief to people affected by the rising waters.
The plan outlined by Alward includes complimentary reconnection of electrical services and free water testing.
Gary MacDonald wades through a flooded parking lot to get to his vehicle near the St. John River on Tuesday in Fredericton. G
ary MacDonald wades through a flooded parking lot to get to his vehicle near the St. John River on Tuesday in Fredericton.(David Smith/Canadian Press)
The premier said the government will also help with health and safety inspections and that citizens can register for funding through the disaster financial assistance program by contacting Service New Brunswick.
Alward said the government is offering residents $4,000, which will help people start taking care of their immediate needs.
Federal cabinet minister Keith Ashfield said the government is willing to help the provincial government fund efforts to rebuild after the flood.
Alward and Transportation Minister Claude Williams have estimated that millions of dollars worth of repairs need to be done to infrastructure across the province because of the floods.
A complicating factor is some road work will have to wait until the spring because the full repairs cannot be completed during the cold and snow of winter.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2010/12/17/nb-flood-waters-receding-in-southwestern-nb.html?ref=rss#ixzz18TcD2neQ

Monday, December 13, 2010

AQUACULTURE: Study shows sea lice not to blame for collapse of BC salmon populations

Male and female Lepeophtheirus salmonisImage via Wikipedia

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Public release date: 13-Dec-2010

Contact: Sylvia Wright
swright@ucdavis.edu
530-752-7702
University of California - Davis

UC Davis study: Wild salmon decline was not caused by sea lice from farm salmon
Study is first to combine 10 years of farms' sea-lice counts and 60 years of wild fish counts

A new UC Davis study contradicts earlier reports that salmon farms were responsible for the 2002 population crash of wild pink salmon in the Broughton Archipelago of western Canada.

The Broughton crash has become a rallying event for people concerned about the potential environmental effects of open-net salmon farming, which has become a $10 billion industry worldwide, producing nearly 1.5 million tons of fish annually.

The new study, to be published online this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, does not determine what caused the crash, but it acquits the prime suspect: small skin parasites called sea lice.

The study's lead author is Gary Marty, a veterinary pathologist and research associate at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. An expert in fish diseases, Marty has been studying the health of pink salmon since the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska.

"For anybody concerned about the effect of farm salmon on wild salmon, this is good news," Marty said. "Sea lice from fish farms have no significant effect on wild salmon population productivity."

The new study is the first to analyze 20 years of fish production data and 10 years of sea-lice counts from every salmon farm in the Broughton Archipelago and compare them against 60 years of population counts of adult pink salmon.

The study concludes that farm fish are indeed the main source of sea lice on the area's juvenile wild pink salmon, but it found no statistical correlation between lice levels on the farms and the lifetime survival of wild pink salmon populations.

Pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) are the most abundant wild salmon species in the Broughton Archipelago. When they are a few months old, juvenile pink salmon leave the streams where they were born. They mature at sea, then return to their native streams to spawn and die two years after their parents.

Because of their two-year lifespans, the pink salmon born in odd-numbered years are genetically different from those born in even-numbered years. In the 60-year record, both lines of pink salmon have had tremendous, unexplained population swings, even before fish farms were established in the late 1980s.

Sea lice are natural parasites of adult pink salmon. The adult louse, about the size of a small watermelon seed, attaches itself to a fish's skin and feeds on its host. Minor lice infestations are not harmful to pink salmon, but a severe infestation can weaken or kill the smallest fish (those about the size of a paperclip). On fish farms, veterinarians treat the fish with medicated feed when lice populations become too high.

The Broughton fish farms raise Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in net-sided pens in the water. Wild pink salmon are separated from the farm fish only by the mesh of the net enclosures. Lice freely pass from wild fish to farm fish, and vice-versa.

Record high numbers of wild pink salmon returned to spawn in rivers of the Broughton Archipelago in 2000 and 2001, but only 3 percent of that number returned in 2002, and only 12 percent in 2003.

Also, in 2001, the first examination of Broughton juvenile pink salmon found that more than 90 percent had lice. In the next two years, when the salmon numbers plummeted, the hypothesis arose that sea lice from fish farms were to blame.

Calls went up for the farms to move the fish from open-net pens to closed containers. And government regulators ordered farmers to use stricter anti-lice treatments.

In the new study, Marty and his colleagues were able to see, year by year, how many lice were on the farms when the young pink salmon went to sea, and how many of those salmon returned to spawn. The results were surprising.

"The salmon that returned in such low numbers in 2002 were exposed as juveniles to fewer sea lice than were the salmon that returned in record high numbers in 2001," Marty said. "Sea lice from farm fish could not have caused the 2002 wild salmon population crash."

Marty's co-authors are Sonja Saksida, director of the British Columbia Centre for Aquatic Health Sciences in Campbell River, and Terrance Quinn, professor of fish population dynamics at the Juneau Center of the School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Quinn is a world authority on mathematical modeling of fish populations. Saksida is a veterinarian and the first researcher given access to confidential records from all the Broughton aquaculture companies.

Marty is also the fish pathologist for the British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture and an affiliate faculty member of the University of Alaska School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences.

Marty said that even though the trio used much of the same fish and lice data used in previous studies, they reached a different conclusion for two reasons: First, the fish farmers gave Saksida their records, and second, the old and new data were analyzed using methods common in veterinary medical science that were not used in many of the previous studies.

"The major lesson of this study is that we cannot settle for simple explanations for wild-animal population declines. There are very complex interactions among disease, environment and animal population health. Sustainability studies must engage all the science specialties to pursue a better understanding of these relationships," Marty said.

###

None of the authors received compensation from any source for this analysis. Quinn has never worked for any fish farm company. Marty has never worked for any fish farm company in Canada; in the United States, he consulted for the industry in 2000 and 2001. Since 2004, Marty has analyzed fish-farm samples for the British Columbia provincial government, which is paid a fee for those services by the farm companies. Saksida, as part of her private veterinary practice over the past 15 years, has done contract work for all three fish farm companies that operate in the study area.

About UC Davis

For more than 100 years, UC Davis has engaged in teaching, research and public service that matter to California and transform the world. Located close to the state capital, UC Davis has more than 32,000 students, more than 2,500 faculty and more than 21,000 staff, an annual research budget that exceeds $679 million, a comprehensive health system and 13 specialized research centers. The university offers interdisciplinary graduate study and more than 100 undergraduate majors in four colleges -- Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Biological Sciences, Engineering, and Letters and Science. It also houses six professional schools -- Education, Law, Management, Medicine, Veterinary Medicine and the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing.

Sunday, December 5, 2010

BUSINESS: Calais LNG reaches another "Tipping Point"

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Cursed by their own rush to push through applications with the Maine Board of Environmental Protection and the FERC, Calais LNG LLC has lost their principal investor Goldman Sachs and the option on the land at Devil's Head where their terminal was to be built. While deadlines have been extended numerous times to accommodate this well-connected company, new deadlines set by both agencies may finally determine the future of this proposed development.

It seems likely that Calais LNG is in a state of chaos since reporters seem unable to make contact with key staff, their website still shows Goldman Sachs as their principal investor and the last update on their home page was January 27, 2010. As one wise investor said, "When the lawns are untended ... beware."

If you are interested in the history up to now, this is available at www.savepassamaquoddybay.org or follow the links below.

Art
*********************************
Calendar > 2010 December
Dec 13 — FERC deadline for Calais LNG to provide a schedule for re-establishing TRI and financial capacity.

Documents > Environment & NEPA-related > Maine Board of Environmental Protection (BEP) > LNG proposal — Calais LNG > Letters > 2010 December
Dec 2
Calais LNG to BEP, admitting the applicant's lack of TRI and financial capacity
Dec 3
Maine State Chamber of Commerce comments on Calais LNG delay
Roosevelt Campobello International Park comments on Calais LNG delay

Maine LNG Terminal Development Failure History> 2005–2010 > City of Calais > Location: Calais Village of Red Beach > Developer: Calais LNG Project Co. > Anti-LNG Organizations: Save Passamaquoddy Bay 3-Nation Alliance > Results
2010 Aug 31 — Calais LNG failed to renew its option to purchase the land required for its proposed terminal by this deadline, losing title, right, or interest (TRI) required for Maine and FERC permitting;however, at the Sep 15 Board of Environmental Protection meeting regarding the project, the company failed to inform the BEP of this lapse.
2010 Nov 17 — Owners of the land required for Calais LNG's terminal notified the BEP that Calais LNG had not renewed its option to purchase upon expiring on Aug 31; meaning, Calais LNG no longer holds the required TRI for state permitting.
2010 Nov 23 — Calais LNG wrote to the BEP that if the BEP were to recommence the permitting process, the applications would be appropriately and summarily dismissed, due to lack of financial capacity and TRI.
2010 Dec 3— FERC wrote to Calais LNG, indicating FERC's awareness of Calais LNG's lack of financial capacity and TRI. FERC demanded Calais LNG provide a schedule by Dec 13 to when the company would secure TRI and financial capacity.

BEP Hearing Schedules > Calais LNG project BEP Hearing Schedule > 2010 July 19–23


[Historical information added]
2010 Jul 13 — Calais LNG notified the BEP that the company's state permits were incomplete,requesting delay of the permit hearings.
2010 Jul 14 — The BEP granted Calais LNG's request to delay the hearings.
2010 Jul 21 — Calais LNG indicated it had lost its financial partner, GS Power Holdings, a subsidy of Goldman Sachs.
2010 Aug 31 — Calais LNG failed to renew its option to purchase the land required for its proposed terminal, losing Title, Right, or Interest (TRI) in the land. TRI is required for Maine (and FERC) permitting.
2010 Nov 17 — Owners of the land required for Calais LNG's terminal notified the Maine Board of Environmental Protection that Calais LNG had not renewed its option to purchase upon expiring on 2010 Aug 31; meaning, Calais LNG no longer holds the required TRI for state permitting.

FERC > FERC LNG Project Review Process > eLibrary Dockets > eLibrary Docket Comment Submissions >Formal Filing Docket Comment Submissions > Calais LNG — CP10-31 & CP10-32 > 2010 > December

> Dec 3
Filed By: Save Passamaquoddy Bay — Requesting FERC dismiss Calais LNG's permits for failing to have the requred TRI and financial capacity. Issued By: FERC OFFICE OF ENERGY PROJECTS — Demanding that by Dec 13, Calais LNG provide a schedule for re-establishing TRI and financial capacity.

LNG Developers > Developer #3: "Calais LNG Project Company LLC"
> Aliases
Updated North East Energy Development (NEED)
> Partners in Calais LNG Project Co. and/or North East Energy Development LLC
Updated partnership information

News Stories & Editorial > Dec 4 [For faster page loading, go to our Latest News page.]
US Natural Gas Production Foils LNG Imports
LNG exports from US a real possibility; hurdles remain (Dec 5)


Media Credit: wikipedia.com