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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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Observations

Rough weather delays Kodiak barge deliveries, leaving grocery shelves bare
Safeway on Mill Bay Road is the only large grocery store on the island. And store management expected the barge to bypass Kodiak after its last visit, with a resupply stop scheduled ahead of this past weekend. But snowstorms and gusty weather, including hurricane-force winds, scuttled those plans. “In my entire career, I’ve never seen two successive bypasses,” said Mike Murray, the store director of Kodiak’s Safeway.
Kodiak, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Canada's bee colonies see worst loss in 20 years, explosion of mites blamed
Nearly half of Canada's honeybee colonies didn't survive the winter, the largest rate of colony loss in the country in the last 20 years, according to preliminary data. The president of the Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturists calls the finding "pretty disturbing."
Canada
CBC

87,000 cod escaped from farms - one of the largest escapes in a long time
Approximately 87,000 farmed cod escaped from Gadus Group's aquaculture facility, raising concerns about potential impacts on wild fish populations and prompting investigations into the incident.
Norway
NRK

‘This is totally unusual’: Highly pathogenic bird flu still spreading in Alaska, state veterinarian says
More than 1,000 domestic poultry and hundreds of wild birds have died or needed to be euthanized in the state since early spring. Since the first case of a deadly strain of avian flu was detected in Alaska in May, more than 1,000 domestic poultry and hundreds of wild birds have died or needed to be euthanized.
Palmer, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Lack of rainfall cause for up to three weeks of delay for salmon spawning this season
In early October Vancouver Island reached a drought Level 4 which impacted wildlife across the coast. After a mass salmon die off in Bella Bella, concern grew regarding drought and a delayed salmon spawning season. Currently east Vancouver Island is at a drought level of 3, which means adverse impacts are possible, while west Vancouver Island is at a drought level of 2 with less likely impacts. Dave Rolson, Tseshaht First Nation’s fisheries manager, said, “Timing is everything, really, when it comes to fish and when it comes to environmental conditions.”
Bella Bella, British Columbia, Canada

Western Arctic Caribou Herd shrank more in 2022, hurting Northwest Arctic subsistence hunters
Biologists struggle to single out a leading cause of the caribou population’s decline. Increased wolf predation, changed migration patterns and climate warming affecting food sources can all influence the herd. “It’s going to be another rough winter again this year without caribou,” Selawik resident Norma Ballot said.
Selawik, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Third Detection of CWD Confirmed in North Carolina Deer Herd
A third deer in North Carolina has tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). Officials with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission reported the deer was hunter-harvested in Surry County this archery season approximately 10 miles from the two previous positive detections in Yadkin County.
Dobson, North Carolina, United States
N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission

After September storm, Newtok residents are desperate to relocate
Melting permafrost and severe erosion have plagued the community for decades. The most recent storm brought waves so fierce, the water claimed roughly half of the 80 or so remaining feet of land that stands between the back end of the school and the edge of the Ningliq river.
Newtok, Alaska, United States
KYUK

Saxitoxin detected in regional clam
By Diana Haecker
Savoonga, Alaska, United States
The Nome Nugget

Salmon struggle to spawn amid record-setting drought
Record-setting drought conditions have left many of B.C’s streams and waterways too low for salmon to swim up to spawn. Heiltsuk First Nation leaders say hundreds of fish were found rotting in a creek in Bella Bella, B.C., usually teeming by fall with migrating pink and chum salmon.
CBC

After decades of dwindling runs, sockeye salmon return to Yukon fishing village in droves
The number of sockeye returning to Klukshu, Yukon, to spawn began to drop off in the 1990s. This year, hundreds of the bright red fish line the small creek that winds through the village. Neither the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations nor Fisheries and Oceans Canada are sure why the fish have returned after decades of steady decline.
Klukshu, Yukon, Canada
CBC

‘Some of them just disappeared’: Essential pieces of life in Nome were lost in the storm
Nome's landscape is physically altered, with raw material scattered wildly, the coastline reconfigured, and camps that anchored generations of subsistence either flattened or gone.
Nome, Alaska, United States
KTOO

As the storm raged, a mad rush to keep the power on in Hooper Bay
The storm could have threatened the town’s winter subsistence stock if not for the work of local power plant operators.
Hooper Bay, Alaska, United States
KTOO

‘Stebbins is resilient,’ Eastern Norton Sound communities recovering from storm damage
Several communities in the Norton Sound are struggling with contaminated drinking water days after the significant September storm hit the region.
Stebbins, Alaska, United States
KNOM Radio Mission

‘Half of Golovin underwater,’ residents shovel sand out of homes
GOLOVIN RESIDENTS ARE IN CLEANUP MODE as their community works to restore power, phone service and clear debris. After the flood waters receded from the weekend’s severe fall storm, some locals are left with feet of sand in their homes. “At my place we’ve got three feet of sand we’re still shoveling out with the crew here, trying to get the sand out of the living area so we can get the sheetrock to go ahead and dry off,” Alaska Senator Donny Olson of Golovin said.
Golovin, Alaska, United States
KNOM Radio Mission

Yukon River chum and coho runs remain too low to open subsistence harvest
Biologists do not expect either to reach their goals for fish reaching their spawning grounds.
Bethel, Alaska, United States
KYUK

Good, though late, berry picking season
The berry picking promises to be good all over Iceland this year, even though it is starting late, due to the cool, wet summer. Arna, the lactose-free dairy company based in Bolungarvík, has already received a tonne of wild bilberries, which will be used in yoghurt for sale in shops all over Iceland.
Iceland
RÚV

Drought-related disaster declared in Rhode Island, most of New England experiencing drought conditions
Federal officials have declared a drought-related disaster in Rhode Island while New England’s second-largest city is restricting outdoor water use as the drought in the Northeast worsens.
Providence, Rhode Island, United States
Connecticut Public

Researchers find high concentrations of harmful algae in regional waters
Researchers stepping off the research vessel Norseman II in Nome last weekend, brought significant news of having found very high concentrations of a phytoplankton called Alexandrium catenella in regional waters. Alexandrium is an algae that can produce saxitoxins, which can cause dangerous paralytic shellfish poisoning in people. The scientists issued an advisory, notifying Norton Sound Health Corporation, UAF Sea Grant and the Alaska Division of Public Health.
Nome, Alaska, United States
The Nome Nugget

Hunters seeing lower quotas for Fortymile, Nelchina caribou herds
08-03-22 In response to declining numbers of Fortymile and Nelchina caribou, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game is taking a more conservative approach to both harvests this fall.
Fairbanks, Alaska, United States
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Norton Sound crab fishery bounces back with record year following fishing hiatus
After no commercial crabbing since 2019, this summer’s Norton Sound Red King Crab fishery had a record year of $3.7 million dollars in ex-vessel value.
Nome, Alaska, United States
KNOM Radio Mission

Tale of two salmon fisheries: Bristol Bay breaks record, but Yukon River collapses
The booming Bristol Bay salmon run has broken the record set just last year, while on the Yukon River, Chinook are too scarce to harvest.
Bethel, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Volunteers confront an invasion of black slugs near Whittier
Volunteers at the Whittier Slug-Out learned about Alaska’s invasive species and helped mitigate European black slugs near a popular cove on Prince William Sound.
Whittier, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Low early-run king numbers prompt restrictions
Off to a very slow start.
Juneau, Alaska, United States
Juneau Empire

Alaska's first case of highly contagious bird flu strain confirmed in Mat-Su chickens
State Veterinarian Dr. Robert Gerlach says the Mat-Su case confirms that migrating birds have brought avian influenza to Alaska.
Matanuska Susitna Borough, United States
Alaska Public Media

Avian flu returns to Saskatchewan after more than 10 years
The flu now affecting birds in Saskatchewan is a severe strain of influenza that has mingled genes from Eurasia and North America, according to Dr. Trent Bollinger, a professor at Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) and a pathologist. Bollinger said that the severity of the disease, which he says is the H5N1 strain, depends on the species.
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

Bird flu confirmed in additional poultry flocks in Alberta and Saskatchewan
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency say avian influenza has been detected in additional poultry flocks in southern Alberta as well as in Saskatchewan.
Moose Mountain 63, Saskatchewan, Canada
Calgary CTV News

What we know about the deadliest U.S. bird flu outbreak in 7 years
Nearly 23 million birds have died as a highly pathogenic bird flu virus tears its way through farms and chicken yards. It has spread to at least 24 states in less than two months. One of the worst-hit states is Iowa, where more than 5 million birds died at an egg-laying facility in Osceola on March 31.
Osceola, Iowa, United States

Crews work to contain fuel spill after tugboat runs aground north of Sitka
The grounding ruptured one of the tug’s fuel tanks, which can hold around 13,000 gallons of diesel fuel.
Sitka, Alaska, United States

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Mortalities Confirmed
The mortalities to date include a snow goose (Hyde County), redhead duck (Carteret County), red-shouldered hawk (Wake County) and bald eagle (Dare County).
Belhaven, North Carolina, United States
N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission

Encouraging signs in Huu-ay-aht rivers, despite salmon declines elsewhere
Observations this year from Huu-ay-aht territory see that volume of herring may finally be improving, as the First Nation is reporting a growing number of wild salmon migrating through its rivers.
Anacla 12, British Columbia, Canada
Ha-Shilth-Sa

Hooper Bay working to contain sewage spill that is threatening important subsistence location
The spill followed a sudden rise in warm temperatures in recent days. Hooper Bay Mayor Sandra Hill said that the thaw and rain had melted the previously frozen land surrounding the sewage lagoon, causing a wall of the lagoon to cave.
Hooper Bay, Alaska, United States
KYUK

A huge Alaska caribou herd's population is again in decline
One of the largest caribou herds in North America has declined by nearly a quarter in the past two years, hitting a population level that justifies new hunting restrictions. The news was delivered last week at the annual meeting of the Western Arctic Caribou Herd Working Group, an advisory organization with representatives of villages dependent
Kotzebue, Alaska, United States
ArcticToday

‘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

‘This new snow has no name’: Sami reindeer herders face climate disaster
“This new snow has no name,” said Lars-Anders Kuhmunen, a reindeer herder from Kiruna, Sweden’s northernmost town, near the Norwegian border. “I don’t know what it is. It is like early tjaevi, which normally comes in March. The winters are warmer now and there is rain, making the ground icy. The snow on top is very bad snow and the reindeer can’t dig for their food.”
Bjurholm, Västerbotten, Sweden
The Guardian

Bowhead pod visits Savoonga with ice conditions unsuitable for hunting
Earlier this week, a pod of about nine Bowhead whales were seen off the northern coast of Savoonga but young ice conditions around St. Lawrence Island prevented hunting. If local hunters hauled a whale out onto young ice, it would break apart.
Savoonga, Alaska, United States

A timeline of how once-in-a-century flooding unfolded across B.C.
Extreme rain swamped rivers and farmland across southern B.C. and triggered mudslides that blocked every major highway connecting the Lower Mainland to the rest of the country in November 2021. This is a timeline of the first week of the crisis.
Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada
A Timeline of How Once In a Century Flooding Unfolded Across B.C.

25-30 reindeer drowned in the river today
25-30 reindeer drowned in the Kautokeino River today after a herd of reindeer passed through the ice. The accident happened when the herd of reindeer was crossing the fragile ice on the river. This is the third similar incident in the area in a couple of weeks. Yesterday, three reindeer went through the ice. They were all rescued alive. This article is also available in the Sami language at this
Heammogietti, Kautokeino, Troms og Finnmark fylke, Norway
NRK

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

Valuable crab populations are in a ‘very scary’ decline in warming Bering Sea
King and snow crab populations in the Bering Sea have plummeted ahead of the harvest season, some by 99% compared to previous years.
Bering Sea
The Seattle Times

Trichinella advisory issued for Coral Harbour
Nunavut's Department of Health is warning Coral Harbour residents that trichinella has been detected in a walrus that was harvested on Aug. 21.
Coral Harbour, Nunavut, Canada
Nunatsiaq News

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.

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

Sunken scallop boat off Kodiak remains pollution hazard decades later
The sunken scallop boat, Saint Patrick, remains a pollution hazard off the coast of Kodiak, Alaska, decades after sinking in 1989, bringing up memories of a devastating fishing disaster in 1981 that claimed nine lives.
Womens Bay, Alaska, United States

Hurricane Ida traps Louisianans, shatters the power grid
Rescuers in boats, helicopters and high-water trucks brought hundreds of people trapped by Hurricane Ida's floodwaters to safety Monday and utility repair crews rushed in, after the furious storm swamped the Louisiana coast and ravaged the electrical grid in the stifling, late-summer heat.
New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
CTVNews

Alaska biologists say wood bison reintroduced to the wild are thriving
State biologists completed an annual survey of the Innoko-Yukon River wood bison population earlier this summer, and they say the results show the animals are doing well six years after a seed group of bison was released in the area.
Holy Cross, Alaska, United States
KTOO

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

The field has been giving strawberries for 80 years, but not anymore – it's completely dead
All farmer Arild Stenhaug is left with is tiny berries that cannot be sold. He believes the cause is climate change. "We have to listen to a farmer who has lost everything," says a researcher.
Utskarpen, Rana, Nordland, Norway
NRK

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

For the second year in row, large numbers of wild reindeer are found dead along Russia's Khatanga River
A state of emergency was declared in mid-August in Khatanga, a small town on the banks of the river of the same name in Russia’s far northern Taymyr Peninsula, after more than 1,200 dead reindeer were found scattered on the river’s banks.
Khatanga, Krasnoyarskiy, Russia
ArcticToday

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

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.

B.C.'s heat wave may be to blame for several cases of shellfish poisoning
Several people have fallen ill with food poisoning after eating shellfish in B.C. in the last 10 days, and health officials are warning that warm ocean waters might be to blame.
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

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

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.

Exceptional heat takes toll on berries, other crops
An extended period of hot, dry weather is affecting the harvest outlook and impacting grain growth. Even the wild berry season, which was off to a good start, may be in peril.
Kullaa, Satakunta, Finland
Yle Uutiset

B.C. heat wave 'cooks' fruit crops on the branch in sweltering Okanagan and Fraser valleys
Farmers are trying to salvage their cherry crops following damage from a week of extreme temperatures. Cherry crops in the BC Interior have been burned due to the extreme temperatures brought by the heat wave at the end of June.
Peachland, British Columbia, Canada

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.

Paralytic Shellfish Toxin Advisory
The Southeast Alaska Tribal Ocean Research program found that all shellfish species in Settler's Cove and Seaport Beach in Ketchikan and Starrigavan North beach in Sitka are affected by high levels of Paralytic Shellfish Toxin, posing the risk of Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning for consumers.
Ketchikan, Alaska, United States
Southeast Tribal Ocean Research

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

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

Hunt opens for musk ox stranded on ice floes
The musk ox were stranded on the ice floes after wandering onto the sea ice during breakup.
Mekoryuk, Alaska, United States

300 reindeer found dead in Kamchatka
Because of the changeable weather an ice crust arose on the snow and reindeer could not get food on their own. Reindeer herders fed the main herd with compound feed. The dead reindeer, most likely, have strayed from the main herd.
Tigil’, Kamtsjatka, Russia
Reindeerherding.org

Harp seal pups dying on beach as winter sea ice fails
A harp seal pup sits on a snow-covered beach near the town of Blanc-Sablon, Québec, in early March. Normally harp seals give birth and raise their pups on sea ice in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, but this year’s ice coverage is at an all-time low, throwing pups’ survival into jeopardy.
Blanc-Sablon, Quebec, Canada
National Geographic

Some Alaska seals are getting skinnier — probably because of retreating sea ice
As sea ice off Alaska continues its long-term vanishing trend, two seal species that depend on ice may be showing the effects in their bodies. Ribbon seals, distinctive for their black-and-white striped patterns on their fur, and spotted seals, known for their speckled coats, became thinner over time.

In Russian tundra tragedy, up to 80,000 reindeer might have starved to death
Locals in the far northern Russian region believe between 60,000-80,000 animals might have died of starvation over the past few months. The tragedy follows the formation of a thick layer of ice across major parts of the Yamal tundra.
Yamal Penninsula
The Independent Barents Observer

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

Warm winter weather making it a difficult hunting season
From lack of animals on the landscape to safety concerns, to stories of changes in the snow and wind, several northerners discussed the ‘weird’ season and its impact on hunting this year.
Fort Good Hope, Northwest Territories, Canada

Marine species wash up on beaches as red tide hits West Coast
A harmful algal bloom, better known as a red tide, has been building up at Elands Bay on the West Coast, about 220km north of Cape Town.
Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
African News Agency

N.W.T. waters return to normal after record concentrations of metals found in summer
After a summer that saw high water levels and even higher concentrations of metal in two N.W.T. rivers, water testing is showing a return to normal, and a limited impact on local wildlife.
Hay River, Northwest Territories, Canada

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

Duck die-off likely caused by fungal infection
The cause of death is almost certainly acute Aspergillosis, a respiratory tract infection caused by a fungus commonly found in soil, dead leaves, moldy grain, compost piles, or in other decaying vegetation. Wildlife managers say the die-off seems to have stopped, likely due to the fungus source no longer being available.
Salmon, Idaho, United States
ktvb.com

Generation of B.C. salmon likely wiped out by landslide
Homalco First Nation to push for special hatchery permits
Southgate River, British Columbia
Campbell River Mirror
Quinn Bender, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

H5N8 avian influenza detected in wild goose
Bird flu has been detected in a goose found in Rogaland. The Veterinary Institute has analyzed samples from the bird, which show highly pathogenic bird flu A (H5N8). This virus has caused outbreaks among birds in several European countries this autumn.
Rogaland, Norway
Outbreak News Today

Minor to Severe Erosion Across the Region Caused by Strong Bering Sea Storm
Late last week a strong Bering Sea storm hit the region, bringing winds up to 50mph, blowing snow, and high-water. Some communities saw significant erosion while others were mostly unscathed.

Ábborášša reindeer owners feel that they were forced to move over thin ice
The reindeer owners feel they had to choose. Pay expensive fines or move with the reindeer across the river even if the ice was too thin. On Saturday, a thousand reindeer went through the ice in Vuorašjávri, a mile east of Kautokeino municipality in Finnmark.
Vuorašjávri, Kautokeino, Finnmark Fylke, Norway

Dead giant octopuses washed ashore south from Kamchtka peninsula on the Kuril Islands
A mass die off of fish and invertebrates has been reported in the Sea of Okhotsk, west of Kamchatka. Dozens of surfers reported symptoms including including poor eyesight, fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, skin rashes and head and throat aches.
Severo-Kuril’sk, Sakhalin, Russia
Siberian Times

Beached bowhead whales in Nunavut point to killer whale attacks
This past weekend a group of hunters on all-terrain vehicles found four dead bowhead whales lying on a beach about 60 kilometres north of the Nunavut community of Kugaaruk. Photos of the bowhead whales taken by Rene Kukkuvak, appear to have a torn tongues and rake-like gouges.
Kugaaruk, Nunavut, Canada
Nunatsiaq News

Why so glum, chum? Scientists perplexed by this year's low chum salmon numbers in Yukon River
This year the Eagle station's fall chum estimate is 23,828 fish. This is far below the escapement goal of 70,000 to 104,000 fish.
Eagle, Alaska, United States

Eco disaster at Kamchatka peninsula with mass death of sea animals at precious Pacific beach
Khalaktyrsky Beach near Petropavlovsk is littered with hundreds of dead sea animals, from deep-sea Giant Pacific octopuses, to seals, sea urchins, stars, crabs and fish. Surfers were the first to raise alarm after problems with eyesight, fevers and throat aches.
Khalaktyrsky Beach
Siberian Times

Salmon and smiles: 30,000 pounds of fish distributed in Whitehorse
The Yukon First Nations Education Directorate gave away 30,000 pounds of free fish as part of its nutritional program in Whitehorse this week. People were particularly happy to receive the donation because salmon are well below the historical average this year.
Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada

Mushers react to scary closure of chum fishery
A lack of chum salmon is causing pain in riverside communities of Yukon and Alaska, as mushers are left without a traditional source of food.
Old Crow, Yukon, Canada

Chilkat sockeye, coho, chum runs appear low compared to past years
So far, the department has counted just under 37,000 fish at the Chilkat weir, well below the 10-year average of 80,000 fish. Zeiser said at this point in the season, it’s doubtful the run will hit the escapement range of 70,000 to 150,000 fish.
Haines, Alaska, United States
Chilkat Valley News

Yukon River fall chum run the worst on record
About 189,000 fall chum had entered the Yukon River as of Sept. 7. At least 300,000 fish must enter the river before either Alaska or Yukon fishers can begin harvesting.
Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada
Yukon News

Pink salmon catches in Nunavik are raising red flags for biologists
After learning about catches of pink salmon near Salluit, Quebec wildlife officials are urging any fishers who net the newcomers to report their catch. Two pink salmon were netted in Nunavik during the summer of 2019 in the Ungava Bay region, one near Kangirsuk.
Kangirsuk, Quebec, Canada

Nunavut government limits hunting of Dolphin and Union caribou herds
The Government of Nunavut is restricting harvest due to what it calls “a recent steep decline in the population” of the herd. That decline has led to a “conservation concern” about the western Nunavut herd’s numbers.
Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, Canada

Foreign plastic continues to wash up on region’s beaches
There has been a surge of plastic trash that has been washing up on beaches in Nome and across the Bering Strait Region.
The Nome Nugget

Yukon Salmon Sub-Committee recommends halt on fishing for Chinook
The Yukon Salmon Sub-Committee is recommending the complete cessation of fishing for Chinook salmon this year on the Yukon River.
Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada
Yukon News

Biologists hope dead sea lion will provide insight into endangered Aleutian population
Officials have been receiving reports of Steller sea lions hauling out on beaches in poor condition, but have been unable to retrieve the animals for research — largely because they are in remote areas.
Unalaska, Alaska, United States

Salmon rivers closed in face of high temperatures, low water
Salmon rivers like the Exploits River were closed to anglers around the province by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans earlier this week because of low water levels.
Botwood, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
The Telegram

Salmon Is Disappearing From Russia’s Amur River. It’s Taking Local Tradition With It
The Amur River, once full of salmon, has seen the fish all but vanish since 2017. The problem started because of over fishing. At first companies were harvesting in the first 100 kilometers of the river, and since they have expanded 700, 800 kilometers upstream.
Khabarovsk, Khabarovsk Krai, Russia
The Moscow Times

Resident harvests wayward moose wandering near Utqiagvik
Alaska Department of Fish and Game records show two other unusually wayward moose hunts: One in 2016 taken north of Teshekpuk Lake along the Arctic coast, and another in 2014 on the Kokolik River near Point Lay.
Utqiaġvik, Alaska, United States
Arctic Sounder

Leduc County declares state of agricultural disaster amid wet conditions
Due to excessively wet weather, Leduc County has declared a municipal state of agricultural disaster.
Leduc County, Alberta, Canada
Global News

Iqaluit sees record-breaking rainfalls this week
Iqaluit saw record rainfall yesterday, creating turbulent streams. Heavy precipitation may lead to fat berries and caribou, and lots of mosquitoes.
Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada
Nunatsiaq News

Some salmon return, but ‘not nearly enough’
Chum salmon have started returning the Douglas Island Pink and Chum Inc. Hatchery on Channel Drive, but it’s still not enough to establish a broodstock. As the hatchery struggles to ensure future stocks, fishermen are taking what fish they can just for cost recovery.
Juneau, Alaska, United States
Juneau Empire

A person was fatally poisoned by mussels in Dutch Harbor, and now Alaska warns of high toxin levels
A person has died from paralytic shellfish poisoning after eating blue mussels and snails in the Aleutian Island community of Unalaska, state health officials confirmed Wednesday.
Unalaska, Alaska, United States
KCUB Unalaska

Miners hunting for metals to battery cars threaten Sámi reindeer herder's homeland
Tuomas Siilasjoki and Minna Näkkäläjärvi say they were taken by surprise when a mobile drill rig one day appeared in the horizon. Nobody had asked them about exploring for minerals inside their siida, a reindeer foraging area, in northern Finland.
The Independent Barents Observer

Mongolia Quarantines Russian Border Region Over Bubonic Plague Suspicion
Lab tests confirmed that two individuals had contracted the illness after eating marmot meat.
Khovd, Hovd, Mongolia
The Moscow Times

Alaska SeaLife Center takes on 6 rescued harbor seal pups
The Seward facility began housing five seals found in the Cook Inlet area and another that was rescued in Juneau.
Seward, Alaska, United States

Walrus tongue tests positive for trichinella in Rankin Inlet
A public health advisory sent out Friday says anyone who has eaten uncooked walrus recently, and has experienced stomach pain, muscle pain, diarrhea, swollen eyelids, sweating and weakness, may be infected with trichinella, 'a parasite that causes worm disease.'
Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, Canada

Oily substance found near Savoonga remains a mystery
About a month ago, residents of St. Lawrence Island found a patch of oily, white goo on the beach, along with some dead sea birds covered in the substance.
Savoonga, Alaska, United States

Mary River Mine's iron ore dust concerns local hunters in Nunavut | CBC News
Hunters in Pond Inlet, Nunavut, say that iron ore dust from the Mary River Mine is discolouring the land around Milne Inlet, deterring animals and making it hard to get clean water when people are camping.
Pond Inlet, Nunavut, Canada

Africa's Huge Locust Swarms Are Growing at the Worst Time
As coronavirus takes hold and farmers plant crops, the continent faces a new wave of locusts 20 times larger than one earlier this year.
Africa
Wired

Ten bodies recovered from PNG landslide which buried 12
Ten bodies have been recovered from a landslide which buried 12 people in Papua New Guinea's Western Highlands.
Tambul, Western Highlands, Papua New Guinea
RNZ

Mystery oil coating Westman Islands seabirds
Several dozen oil-covered seabirds have been discovered on the Vestmannaeyjar archipelago in recent days and weeks. The environment agency website states that most of the birds were found around the harbour on Heimaey and on Klauf beach. Oiled birds were first noticed as long ago as the start of this year.
Vestmannaeyjar, South, Iceland
RÚV

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