Gulf Islands SCAN TO VISIT OUR Thinking Like An Archipelago - Showcasing The Salish Sea ADVERTISERS WEBSITES Canadian Publications Mail Product Volume 25 Number 15 August 1 —August 14, 2013 $2 at Selected Retailers Sales Agreement Nº 40020421 Photo: Davy Rippner A serious business; which one is closer? Measuring during Brooks Point fundraiser bocce in the trees event (see story, Round The Islands, page 7). Stormwater and dust control questions Another early warning on salmon Fish biologist Alexandra Morton of Sointula has viruses found in farmed salmon (in BC identified another virus which appears to be supermarkets), cutthroat trout from Cultus on Texada - Patrick Brown endemic among farmed salmon on the BC coast Lake, chum salmon from near Campbell River, Vancouver is fast becoming the greatest Campbell River, some 520,000 tonnes and could possibly infect wild salmon. farmed steelhead from Lois Lake, and Atlantic capacity coal shipping port on the west coast annually. The virus is Piscine retrovirus (PRV), which salmon morts (dead fish from fish farms) from of North America. Existing facilities, at The Proposed Operation Norwegian research has associated with the the central coast, Morton’s paper sets out proof Roberts Bank and in North Vancouver, are Coal is to be delivered to FSD in 7,000 foot spread of heart and skeletal muscle that the PRV virus arrived in BC from Norway reaching their maximum size, handling long, 135 car BNSF unit trains, carrying an inflammation (HSMI) among farmed salmon. in 2007 and in Chile in 2008, give or take a year. mainly Canadian metallurgical coal. estimated 12,500 tonnes per train. The HSMI is characterized by muscle tissue Morton has found PRV in 97% of farmed Proposals to build new coal ports on the US train’s hopper cars will be unloaded directly deterioration, anorexia, and organ damage, and salmon she has sampled in BC supermarkets. Pacific coast are running into public into two 8,000 tonne capacity barges (there a 20% mortality among farmed salmon. Fish However, HSMI cannot be easily identified opposition and permitting difficulties. It is is no storage pile at the Fraser Surrey docks). with HSMI swim slowly and near the surface, because it affects parts of the fish which are therefore not surprising that a new proposal Each barge will be towed to the mouth of the and are long and thin. Marine Harvest, the gutted before the fish are put on sale. has emerged to provide for shipping Fraser, where it will be hooked to another full Norwegian company dominant in the world Farmed salmon are not tested by the Wyoming thermal coal through the Lower provincial government, and the province does barge for a ‘tandem tow’ to Texada. (The farmed salmon industry, lists HSMI as the Mainland. not accept that HSMI is caused by PRV. Neither Fraser River and the George Massey Tunnel second leading cause of death among its farmed This proposal combines the BNSF the federal Department of Fisheries nor the do not accommodate deep-draft seagoing salmon. railway, Fraser Surrey Docks (FSD), and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency test for PRV. ships.) Virus Came From Norway Lafarge barging and Texada Island bulk Once at Texada, the barges will be Norwegian research has established that the loading facilities. Initially planned to handle unloaded either to a stockpile, or directly into Morton’s research has been documented in a virus can be transmitted to wild salmon. two million tonnes in the first year, it a Panamax coal bulkcarrier if the ship is recently published peer reviewed paper in the However, the presence of PRV has not been provides for four million tonnes in present. To handle four million tonnes per July 11 issue of Virology Journal, co-authored established in BC’s wild salmon; the theory has subsequent years, and an eventual expansion year, this plan involves one train per day, one with the Atlantic Veterinary College of the been advanced that by the time the disease has to eight million tonnes annually. The Texada tandem tow per day (each way), and the daily University of Prince Edward Island and Chile’s advanced to HSMI, an infected salmon, facility currently handles the shipment of Centro de Investigaciones Biologicas Aplicadas. swimming more slowly than its peers, may have coal barged from the Quinsam mine near COAL PORT, please turn to page 2 Through the tracing of genetic sequences of been eaten by predators. 0 is at these SERIOUS COFFEE locations — look for the ‘Island Tides’ yellow boxes outside or racks inside! Sidney—Beacon Avenue Nanaimo—VI Conference Centre Parksville—Heritage Centre Mall South Duncan—Sun Valley Mall Nanaimo—Beaufort Centre Courtenay—Southgate Centre, Cliffe Avenue Nanaimo—Crnr Island Hwy @ Hammond Bay Rd Duncan—Cowichan Commons Mall Port Alberni—Shoppers Drugmart Plaza, 10th Ave Nanaimo—South Parkway Plaza Mill Bay—Island Highway @ Frayne Rd Nanaimo—Hammond Bay Rd CO-OP Campbell River—Willow Point Village Page 2, ISLAND TIDES, Aug 1, 2013 AT POINT ATKINSON AUGUST Day Time Ht./ft. Ht./m. Day Time Ht./ft. Ht./m. 0648 4.9 1.5 0021 9.2 2.8 31 1425 12.5 3.8 8 0532 13.1 4.0 WE 1857 11.2 3.4 TH 1212 4.3 1.3 2355 13.1 4.0 1901 14.4 4.4 0743 4.6 1.4 0057 8.5 2.6 1 0530 13.1 4.0 9 0617 12.8 3.9 THU 2016 11.2 3.4 FR 1245 4.9 1.5 1924 14.4 4.4 0048 12.8 3.9 0136 7.9 2.4 2 0833 4.3 1.3 10 0706 12.5 3.8 FR 1617 13.5 4.1 SA 1319 5.6 1.7 2116 11.2 3.4 1950 14.4 4.4 0143 12.8 3.9 0218 6.9 2.1 3 0919 3.9 1.2 11 0801 12.5 3.8 SA 1654 13.8 4.2 SU 1356 6.9 2.1 2202 11.2 3.4 2020 14.4 4.4 0235 12.8 3.9 0303 6.2 1.9 4 0959 3.6 1.1 12 1904 12.1 3.7 SU 1724 13.8 4.2 MO 1437 17.9 2.4 2240 10.8 3.3 2052 14.4 4.4 0323 13.1 4.0 0354 5.6 1.7 5 1035 3.6 1.1 13 1021 11.8 3.6 MO 1752 14.1 4.3 TU 1527 9.2 2.8 2314 10.2 3.1 2130 14.1 4.3 0407 13.1 4.0 0450 4.9 1.5 6 1109 3.6 1.1 14 1153 12.1 3.7 TU 1816 14.1 4.3 WE 1629 10.2 3.1 2347 9.8 3.0 2214 14.1 4.3 0449 13.1 4.0 0551 4.3 1.3 7 1141 3.9 1.2 15 1324 12.8 3.9 Photo: Toby Snelgrove WE 1839 14.1 4.3 THU 1750 10.8 3.3 Summer family fun at Campbell Bay, Mayne Island. 2308 13.8 4.2 FULL MOON: MONDAY, AUG 20 ADD ONE HOUR FOR DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME COAL PORT from page 1 unloading of 12,500 tonnes of coal at Texada (on a six days per justifies a more detailed review than is proposed by the Ministry. week basis). Stormwater Management Plan The approximate capacity of a Panamax bulk carrier is The stormwater management plan is based on this stockpile 70,000 tonnes; this schedule would indicate one ship a week. capacity, and also on what is termed a ‘once in five years, 24- Double all these figures for eight million tonnes. hour rainfall event’. This is estimated at 2 inches of rain in 24 However, because deepsea ships cannot easily be scheduled accurately, and to allow for increased throughput and the separation of customer shipments, Lafarge has requested approval of storage for 800,000 tonnes of coal. The Lafarge Proposal Fraser Surrey docks are under the authority of Port Metro Vancouver (PMV), which has approved the scheme despite the objections of the Metro Vancouver Region’s board, The board heard some 40 delegations before voting 21-4 to oppose FSD’s proposal. PMV has not heard AT FULFORD HARBOUR representations from the public. AUGUST However, the Texada facility is not within PMV’s jurisdiction. hours. This assumption is criticized as inadequate, and also for Day Time Ht./ft. Ht./m. Day Time Ht./ft. Ht./m. Lafarge must get its permit from the Ministry of Energy and the lack of any provision should a more serious rainfall event Mines. take place. 0618 3.3 1.0 0436 9.2 2.8 31 1440 9.2 2.8 8 1127 3.0 0.9 In its application to the provincial Ministry, Lafarge states In order to prevent stormwater from carrying coal fines into WED 1756 8.5 2.6 TH 1848 10.2 3.1 that the operation will meet the conditions in a June, 1990 the sea, Lafarge proposes the construction of a ‘water infiltration 2259 9.8 3.0 permit granted to a predecessor corporation, Ideal Cement. pond’ which would allow seepage into ‘the adjacent estuary’. The 0708 3.3 1.0 0021 6.9 2.1 (These conditions required that coal should not enter the water ‘estuary’ referred to would appear to lie behind the beach to the 1 1539 9.5 2.9 9 0527 8.9 2.7 THU 1934 8.9 2.7 FR 1159 3.6 1.1 or foreshore, dust suppression equipment should be installed, south of the point of land on which the stockpile is located.