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The LEO Network is a worldwide network of observers and experts that share their observations of environmental change.
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‘The salmon will come back again’: First Nations document devastating low returns on B.C.’s central coast
First Nations on B.C.’s central coast are sounding the alarm after once-abundant salmon runs see devastatingly low returns in 2021
Bella Bella, British Columbia, Canada
The Narwhal

Where are the tomcods (Eleginus gracilis)? Kongiganak
The tomcod harvests in the Kongiganak, Cavuuneq and Ilkivik Rivers have been a failure. Also in other areas, based on observations from Chevak and Chefornak. Both the surface and bottom trawl results show a clear decline in tomcod biomass in the North Bering Sea.
Kongiganak, Alaska, United States
Brian Lefferts, Anna Godduhn, Jennifer Hooper, Janelle Kinegak, Dana Diehl, Tracy Lewis, Gay Sheffield, Cynthia Paniyak, Natasia Kassel, Elizabeth Buckingham, Mike Brubaker

First Ever Cases of Infectious Salmon Anaemia in Iceland
The Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority (MAST) has found evidence of infectious salmon anaemia (ISA) in an open-net salmon farm in Reyðarfjörður fjord, East Iceland. ISA is a highly infectious viral disease that has no treatment and causes high mortality in farmed Atlantic salmon.
Reydarfjordur, East, Iceland
Iceland Review

Frac-out of Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project drilling under Fraser River
This happened about 250 m from the shore of the Fraser River in a creek at Colony Farms.
Port Moody, British Columbia, Canada

Where are tomcods / Naugat Ceturr'nat (Eleginus gracilis)? Chefornak
Not a single catch was reported in the village of Chefornak. Meanwhile in Kivalina, dozens and dozens of tomcods are pictured and posted on "The Alaska Life" Facebook page.
Chefornak, Alaska, United States

Harmful algae colours the Oslo fjord green
Scientists now say that the harmful alga will survive the winter and that it will probably turn green in the Oslo fjord next year as well.
Oslofjord, Oslo, Norway
NRK
Lea Girolami Bråthen, Dag Aasdalen, Maren Nan Myrseth

Here winter has become two months shorter
Winter will never be the way it was, according to scientists. Towards the end of the century, the Norwegian Meteorological Institute predicts that the winter weather will gradually disappear from Oslo.
Bodø, Nordland, Norway
NRK

Where are the tomcods (Eleginus gracilis)? Chevak
There is usually an abundance of this fish in the fall and early winter season. This is a usual harvest for most YK Delta coastal villages. Note: According to NOAA Bering Sea Bottom Trawl data, there has been an 88% decline reported in the biomass of saffron cod from 2020 to 2021 in the N. Bering Sea.
Chevak, Alaska, United States
Carmen Daggett, Gay Sheffield, Cynthia Paniyak, Jayde Ferguson, Ted Meyers

Mysterious fish ended up in Vetle's boat - expert says it's extremely rare
Vetle Berntsen and the others on the trawler understood little when the black fish ended up on board. No wonder – the fish actually live in deep water around the equator. It turned out to be *Diretmichthys parini*, also known as ducat fish, one of three documented in Norway.
Barents Sea, norway
NRK

Oil spill reaches Laguna Beach, threatens Crystal Cove in Newport Beach as cleanup efforts intensify
The oil likely will continue to encroach on Orange County beaches for the next few days, officials said.
Los Angeles Times

Rare pink salmon spotted southeast of Iqaluit
Karen Dunmall, a biologist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, said pink salmon normally prefer warmer waters than the Arctic has been able to provide. But with the Arctic warming at up to three times the rate of the rest of the world, its waters are becoming more approachable for newcomers like this species.
Nunatsiaq News

Mass stranding of pink salmon
It happened Thursday night and into Friday morning, when the Crown corporation reduced the spill release from the Daisy Lake Reservoir into the river, stranding fish who had moved closer to the banks.
Cheakamus River
Global News

Chinook salmon returning in surprising numbers to Cowichan River
In 2009, the numbers dropped down to just 500 pairs of Chinook returning. Yet, as of Tuesday, more than 8,000 Chinook had returned to their Cowichan River spawning grounds. The improvement is the result of years of conservation efforts by Cowichan Tribes, who have worked to restore the river to its course before logging operations changed the river.
Cowichan River
CHEK

Only two flamingos sighted on Sidi Boughaba Lake
On a hiking trip, observer sees a lone pair of Flamingos at Sidi Boughaba Lake National Park. This was not expected from a sociable bird species that travel in large flocks.
Kenitra, Gharb-Chrarda-Beni Hssen, Morocco
David Oswald, Chyna Williams, Salma Sayeh

High water this summer changes travel on Noatak River
"This year we had a lot more rain than other years, we used to be able to get on our ATVs and travel 10-12 miles upriver. I haven't seen or heard of anyone using ATVs to travel upriver this year. I think the breakthrough channel has a lot to do with us not being able to travel on ATVs. I see a lot of my favorite ATV fishing spots washed away from the highwater."
Noatak, Alaska, United States

Norton Sound silver run among lowest harvests in decades
The commercial Silver harvest in the Norton Sound yielded the lowest numbers since 2002.This trend follows suit from last year as well, which yielded far less than projected. The run was “very poor,” Menard said. The preliminary catch was 7,100 Silvers. That’s less than half caught in the commercial fishery last year.
Nome, Alaska, United States
KNOM Radio Mission

Kings Make a Strong Showing on The Klamath
Early last week, we were waiting patiently for the fall run of king salmon to begin their migration upriver. Well, the wait is over. The...
Klamath, California, United States
North Coast Journal

Marine vomit spread along the western coast of Norway
A self-cloning and invincible enemy invades coastal areas. The carpet sea squirt (Didemnum vexillum) or “marine vomit” have been observed nearby Stavanger and Bergen. Large yellow flakes has spread on the seabed and kills everything beneath. It may grow on boats and can spread along the coast.
Engøysundet, Stavanger, Rogaland, Norway
Josef Benoni Ness Tveit, Håkon Mannsåker

More than 200 illegal fishing nets seized on Fraser River by fishery officers
Sweeping salmon closures and protection measures were put in place for the 2021 season to protect stocks of concern. Between 200 and 250 illegal fishing nets have been seized on the Fraser River so far this year.
Port Alberni, British Columbia, Canada
Port Alberni Valley News

Suddenly Njord (13) got a tuna on the hook – I was surprised!
The fishing trip to Gaiakulpen in Vesterelva offered a real surprise to friends Njord Lindgård and Tobias Holm (13).
Vesterelv, Nesseby, Troms og Finnmark Fylke, Norway
iFinnmark

Dismal Yukon River salmon returns prompt widespread fishing closures, emergency aid — and tough questions
A decades-long decline in salmon in the Yukon River has reached a crisis this year, forcing harvest closures and prompting emergency shipments of salmon from other regions of Alaska to river residents who are otherwise facing food shortages.
Bethel, Alaska, United States
ArcticToday

He has lived for 74 years – for the first time the river is dry
Extreme drought in the west means that households with private waterworks are out of water. Elvar's dried up. "The situation is very serious," he says.
Skinlo, Breim, Vestland, Norway

Seeing some Worms in Kenai Salmon
About 10% of our catch during dip net fishing at mouth of Kenai River was harboring these worms.
Kenai River, Alaska, United States
Jayde Ferguson, Mike Brubaker, Ian Williams

Unprecedented salmon declines force fish donations to Alaska’s Yukon River villages
Chum returns are the lowest on record, leaving communities with empty freezers and uncertainty about getting through the winter.
Bethel, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Changes in fish size and parasite load of Kasilof sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka)
"My husband and I have been dipnetting on the Kasilof since 2014. This year we noticed more small fish than usual and all but ~5 of the 35 fish we caught had parasites."
Kasilof, Alaska, United States

Decline in and delayed salmon on the Skeena River
In recent years, we have observed the salmon arriving at our territory along the Skeena River later than normal and in fewer numbers. The total number of wild sockeye (Oncorhynchus nerka) returning to the Skeena River have decreased by 69% in comparison to historical stocks.
Gwax Ts'eliksit, British Columbia, Canada
Kristen Davis, Tom Okey, David Oswald, Cody Thomas

'Unprecedented' absence of southern resident killer whales from Salish Sea
The most common pod of southern resident killer whales who migrate to the Salish Sea during the summer have not been seen for than 100 days, marking a highly unusual absence from their historic summer hunting ground, according to researchers.
Salish Sea
Vancouver Island

Bristol Bay’s Nushagak District is seeing a record-setting sockeye salmon run
Tim Sands, an Alaska Department of Fish and Game area management biologist, said he is hopeful the strong run throughout Bristol Bay will continue next year.
Naknek, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Opah on the Oregon Coast
On July 14, a rare 100-pound opah fish was found on the Oregon coast. The 3.5 foot 100 pound fish washed up at Sunset Beach, and was reported to the Seaside Aquarium.
Sunset Beach, Oregon, United States
WRAL.com

Extreme heat could kill nearly all young salmon in the Sacramento River, officials say
As temperatures near and surpass triple digits, many reservoirs in California's Central Valley have diverted more water to cities and farmers during the drought, making rivers shallower and too hot for the fish to develop from eggs, a process which can take at least 60 days to complete. To combat the poor river conditions in the Central Valley, some fish preservation organizations have tried to save the salmon population by launching large scale trucking operations to transport millions of salmon to the San Pablo Bay, San Francisco Bay and other fish farms where they are more likely to survive.
Sacramento, California, United States
CNN

West Coast drought puts fish and forests in dire straits
West Coast fish and forests are in greater peril than ever as the B.C. government issues widespread drought warnings after a record-breaking heat wave and an explosion of wildfires across the province.
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Vancouver Island

At Least 600 Tons Of Dead Fish Have Washed Up Along Tampa Bay's Shore
The hordes of fish were killed by a red tide, a large "bloom" of toxic algae that appears on Florida's Gulf Coast about once a year. Experts say the bloom shouldn't be happening right now.
Tampa, Florida, United States
NPR.org

Low Abundance of Fish Harms Norton Sound’s Commercial Fishing Season
The prospects are dim for this summer’s Norton Sound commercial fishing and crabbing seasons.
Nome, Alaska, United States
KNOM Radio Mission

Flood Level on Takhini River
"River is running bank full with all gravel bars and low islands underwater."

Kuskokwim River Chum Run Extremely Low So Far
The Kuskokwim River king salmon run does not look particularly strong this year, but chum numbers look even worse. Historically, around 60% of the salmon in the river at this point in the season would be chum or sockeye, but right now Bethel Test Fishery numbers show that just over 20% of the salmon are.
Bethel, Alaska, United States
KYUK

Low king counts to close Anchor River, Deep Creek to fishing
“The midpoint of the Anchor River king salmon run was extremely late. These fish are really having some odd, unprecedented run timing and behavior."
Kasilof, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Karuk Tribe Declares Climate Emergency
The Karuk Tribe has declared a climate emergency as the Klamath River Basin has seen the worst conditions in history with very low precipitation and...
Yreka, California, United States
North Coast Journal

Sleeper Shark (Somniosus pacificus) in Kasitsna Bay
A decomposing sleeper shark was found on the beach in Kasitsna Bay.
Seldovia Village, Alaska, United States
Michael Opheim , Chyna Williams, Gay Sheffield

Abnormal growth on Inconnu (Stenodus leucichthys)
A tumor is present on the lower jaw of the sheefish (*Stenodus leucichthys*).
Nunam Iqua, Alaska, United States
Jayde Ferguson, Erica Lujan, Jeremy Fitka

‘Everyone Loses’: The Government Is Rationing Water at the California-Oregon Border
A major drought has forced farmers and Indigenous tribes to compete for water in a situation nobody ever wanted.
Lakeview, Oregon, United States
Vice

Research Shows Predators May Be Large Factor In Decreased King Salmon Size
The size of king salmon returning to Western Alaska rivers to spawn has been decreasing over the past few decades. Researchers at the University of Alaska
KYUK

Rare salmon shark spotted near Catalina Island
Salmon sharks are rarely seen this far south; typically they swim off Alaska and in the northern Pacific Ocean where they have access to their favorite food.
San Pedro, California, United States
Orange County Register

Magne Vorland got grey shark – shattered 43 year old Norwegian record
Magne Vorland (27) was surprised when he saw what was coming to the surface. "Unusual," says the expert.
Ålfjorden, Rogaland, Norway

Black Patches on Cisco fish (Coregonus autumnalis) appear to be Phaeohyphomycosis
Fish caught while ice fishing has black patches on skin. Appears to be the same black fungal syndrome previously reported in Kipnuk.
Emmonak, Alaska, United States

Zebra mussels on Marimo moss balls are causing an emergency in WA
Moss balls imported from Ukraine to pet shops in the United States have been found to house the invasive Zebra mussel. Once in bodies of water, this mussel reproduces rapidly and wreaks havoc on ecosystems.
Seattle, Washington, United States
Crosscut

Police believe large numbers of dead fish have a natural explanation
In Eikefjorden in Kinn municipality, large quantities of dead horse mackerel recently washed ashore. The whole thing will probably end up as a meal for birds and other fish-interested animals, the police say. The cause of the fish kill remains a mystery.
Eikefjord, Kinn, Vestland

Had to go into the flood to save car
Several properties in Trysil have been affected by flooding after ice flow in Trysilelva. The garage where Johnny Stenbrenden has his beloved Chevrolet Camaro was flooded.
Jordet, Trysil river, Norway
Mette Finborud Børresen, Hans Andreas Solbakken, Torunn Myhre, Ola Bjørlo Strande

Goldfish invasion of Hamilton Harbour
Pet fish dumped in local waterways have become the scourge of Hamilton’s marshes and harbour
Hamilton Harbour, Ontario, Canada
Macleans.ca

Salmon freeze to death in the Skjoma river in Narvik – Statkraft refuses to release more water
The Skjoma River in Narvik is frozen through in several places – and locals fear the salmon population will have to endure a sharp reduction again. Statkraft says it will lose money if they release more water.
Skjoma, Narvik, Norway

Thousands of salmon lost in major seal attack
More than 50,000 juvenile fish were killed or escaped in the incident on Skye, says an industry body. The Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation (SSPO) said predation attacks continued to have a significant impact on fish health and welfare.
Portree, Scotland, United Kingdom
BBC News

Lake Washington sockeye hit record low, another signature Seattle fish at brink of extinction
Some 22,950 sockeye were counted at Ballard’s Hiram Chittenden Locks in 2020, but only about 3,000 made it to the mouth of the Cedar. Another 40 to 50% of those fish typically die on the spawning grounds before they can reproduce.A vortex of climate change, urbanization and predators endangers a beloved species.
Seattle, Washington, United States
Seattle Times

Strange electric rays wash up on Provincetown beach
Researchers document unusual find: 31 torpedo rays wash up on Provincetown beach just after Christmas.
Provincetown, Massachusetts, United States
Cape Cod Times

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