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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

For one Utqiaġvik family, spring bowhead whaling marks an important milestone
The article describes a Utqiagvik family's significant milestone in catching the first bowhead whale of the spring season, amidst challenges posed by climate change affecting sea ice stability.
Utqiaġvik, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media
Kavitha George, Alaska Public Media - Anchorage

Found all the newborn reindeer calves killed by eagles
Reindeer herder Risten Inga Eira reports all newborn calves in her district have been killed, highlighting increased predator attacks and the community's frustration with the rising eagle population.
Tromsø, Troms, Norway
NRK

'There's no water': This duck hunter in Fort Smith, N.W.T., went out and found no ducks
A duck hunter in Fort Smith, N.W.T., found his usual hunting grounds dried up and devoid of wildlife due to recent wildfires and record-low water levels.
Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, Canada
CBC

The parasite Kudoa transforms coastal cod into an unrecognizable mucus lump
The parasite Kudoa is causing trouble for the fishing industry in the southern hemisphere. By chance, researchers found the scary parasite in coastal cod from the Helgeland coast.
Hægeland, Agder, Norway
NRK

Cows at two Texas dairy farms have bird flu, another blow to Cattle Country following wildfires
Cows at two Texas dairy farms have contracted bird flu, marking the first known instance of the disease in livestock, amidst recovery from devastating wildfires.
Lubbock, Texas, United States
The Texas Tribune

Lassa fever killed 72 people in six weeks
The Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) said no fewer than 2,122 suspected human cases, 411 confirmed cases, and 72 deaths have been recorded from Lassa fever in Nigeria this year.
Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria
Punch Newspapers

Mystery invertebrate in a red crab
A crab was caught on the ice just offshore in Nome. It had a small invertebrate in the gills of the crab.
Nome, Alaska, United States

First deer with Chronic Wasting Disease found in B.C
The first known cases of Chronic Wasting Disease in British Columbia have been discovered in two deer in the Kootenays. Officials have been keeping an eye on the southeastern area of B.C. for some time, as nearby outbreaks have occurred in Alberta, Montana and Idaho. The two recent positive samples came from an area south of Cranbrook.
Cranbrook, British Columbia, Canada
Castanet

'You just want to give up': Pond Inlet hunter swam to qamutik after snowmobile sank through ice
A young Nunavummiut hunter, who's known for providing country food to his community, fell through the ice in late December on a snowmobile route he'd safely traveled just weeks before.
Pond Inlet, Nunavut, Canada
CBC

A whale the size of an airplane was harvested by hunters in the Chukotka
The Lorino community caught the first bowhead whale in five years.To pull the giant over 17 meters long ashore, all the heavy equipment of the village was needed. According to hunters, this is the third “greenlander” caught in the entire history of the community.
Lorino, Chukotskiy Avtonomnyy Okrug, Russia

Caribou arrive in the Northwest Arctic region
The Western Arctic Caribou Herd has been declining for years, and the migration patterns of the animals have been changing. In several locations in Northwest Alaska, caribou have been arriving later and later in the season. Friday last week, people in Kotzebue finally started seeing caribou — hundreds of them ― crossing the Kotzebue Sound north of town, coming from the Noatak riverside. Ice conditions are one of the reasons for the caribou’s late migration, said Thomas Baker, chair of the Northwest Arctic Subsistence Regional Advisory Council.
Kotzebue, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Absence of Tomcods
Erratic temperatures led to the absence of tomcods, severely affecting local fishing.
Kivalina, Alaska, United States
Jacqualine Schaeffer, Janet Mitchell, Chris Dankmeyer, Sarah Yoder

Hunters report record harvest for Central Southeast moose hunt
Hunters in Central Southeast Alaska have reported a record harvest of 141 bulls during the month-long moose hunt, surpassing the previous record of 132 bulls set in 2021, with the majority of the harvest occurring on Kupreanof Island. A couple decades ago, there were very few of them in the region — and the hunt was almost entirely relegated to the mainland. But over the years, he said he’s seen more moose cropping up on remote islands.
Kupreanof, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Later frosts could make new crops possible in Alaska, but climate change brings challenges, too
Shifting seasons and hotter temperatures could allow Alaska farmers to grow more abundant and diverse produce. But climate change can also bring drought, pests and permafrost thaw.  Human-caused climate change is bringing longer and warmer growing seasons, but also pests and unstable weather.
Fairbanks, Alaska, United States
KTOO

Avian flu detected on poultry farm in Chilliwack, B.C.
The H5N1 strain of avian flu has been detected on a poultry farm in Chilliwack, British Columbia, marking the first confirmed case in the province this fall and prompting increased precautions among poultry farmers.
Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada
CBC

Highly pathogenic avian influenza confirmed in Pocahontas and Guthrie counties: No public health concern, says CDC
Two cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) have been confirmed in Pocahontas and Guthrie counties in Iowa, but the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that there is no public health concern.
Iowa, United States
KGAN

Several hundred reindeer drowned in Porsanger
Several hundred reindeer drowned in Porsanger during their migration from summer to winter pastures, causing significant loss for the district and prompting the local government to offer crisis support to affected reindeer owners.
Skáiddejávri in Porsanger, Norway
NRK

Ice that survived Arctic summer hits low, with implications for traditional harvesting and shipping
David Kuptana, an elder and full-time harvester said ice should be forming around his home on Victoria Island this time of year — but instead, temperatures have been hovering around zero and it's been raining.
Ulukhaktok, Northwest Territories, Canada

Scientists observe chum salmon spawning in North Slope rivers
Scientists from the University of Alaska Fairbanks have observed an increase in chum salmon spawning in North Slope rivers, potentially indicating a shift in their population and a signal of climate change. Elizabeth Lindley, a Ph.D. student working on the project, says that while evidence of spawning in a new region may be a positive for salmon, the impact on important subsistence resources including Arctic char and Dolly Varden is uncertain.
Colville River, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Tribe catches coho salmon on free-flowing Elwha River, a first since dam removals
The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe catches coho salmon on the free-flowing Elwha River for the first time in over a century since the removal of dams, marking a historic moment for the tribe and the river's recovery.
Elwha River, Washington, United States
The Seattle Times

Thousands of Utah turkeys die after being infected with avian flu in Sanpete County
Thousands of turkeys in Sanpete County, Utah, have died from highly pathogenic avian influenza, leading to the quarantine and depopulation of the affected farm, with concerns about the potential impact on turkey sales during the upcoming holiday season.
Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
FOX 13 News Utah (KSTU)

Cambodia records 2nd death from H5N1 bird flu so far this year
A 50-year-old man in Cambodia has died from H5N1 bird flu, marking the second death from the virus in the country this year. Prior to his death about 50 chickens had died and were shared with neighbors to eat.
Cambodia

Avian influenza death of Alaska polar bear is a global first and a sign of the virus' persistence
The highly pathogenic influenza that just claimed its first known polar bear victim continues to circulate in the world’s wild populations.
Utqiaġvik, Alaska, United States
Alaska Beacon

Humpack Salmon Spread in Iceland, Threatening Local Fish
Anglers caught dozens of humpback salmon in Eyjafjarðará river yesterday, RÚV reports. Humpack salmon are spreading in Iceland and threatening local fish species in Icelandic rivers.
Hjalteyri, Northeast, Iceland
Iceland Review

Red or Black Currants?
Red and Black Currants are present on the property and the moose seem to be picky about what berry they like to consume.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Something is eating salmonberry leaves
"This season we have observed many salmonberry bushes that appear to be defoliated. It seems something is eating the leaves. We have also noticed the berries look sickly."
Seldovia, Alaska, United States
Jessie Moan, Mike Rasy , Katie Spellman, DeShana York, Stephen Payton

Wildfire smoke, climate change affecting N.W.T. berry pickers and their harvest
Cathy Pope, a berry picker from Norman Wells, N.W.T., said there has been an abundance of blueberries this year, and that she's "never seen it like this." Despite the ample availability of fruit, thick wildfire smoke — some of the worst in the country, at times — has made it hard for Pope to go out and pick.
Norman Wells, Northwest Territories, Canada

A temporary ban on salmon fishing was introduced in Chukotka
A temporary ban on all salmon fishing has been implemented in Chukotka, Russia due to declining salmon populations.
Anadyr, Chukotskiy Avtonomnyy Okrug, Russia
Prochukotku.ru

Tapioca disease in pink salmon
White cysts in the muscle of salmon could be caused by Henneguya salminicola also called "tapioca disease". It affects the texture of the meat but is not a health concerns for people. White cysts could also however, be from a tape worm. That is a human health concern. Guidance on how to check the cysts to confirm and how to prepare food so it is safe to eat, is provided.
Kelsey Bay
Jayde Ferguson, Dionne Sanderson, Jordan Brubacher, Sarah Yoder, Ted Meyers

Smaller salmon and slower returns
The sockeye salmon are coming back smaller for the Newhalen River and Iliamna Lake, plus not a thick as they once did when I was younger.
Newhalen, Alaska, United States

Insect on cloud berries
Is the abundance of insects unusual? Updates from around the state with picking and weather impacts.
Trapper Creek, Alaska, United States

With thousands of sockeyes passing Bethel each day, dipnets are catching on
Amid severely restricted fishing on the Kuskokwim River, one bright spot has been abundant sockeye salmon runs at 30,000 fish daily near Bethel.
Bethel, Alaska, United States

Caught 4000 pink salmon in one net throw: "That's an indescribable amount of fish"
Several thousand pink salmon were caught in one net in connection with the extraction of the blacklisted fish. Too many Pink Salmon in the oceans and rivers threaten other species of salmon in Norway.
Vestre Jakobselv, Norway

Danger of lightning and thunder in South Norway Monday
Heavy rain, lightning and thunder are causing trouble in several places in southern Norway on Monday. But for farmer Sveinar Vadla, these are long-awaited drops.
Årdal I Ryfylke, Rogaland, Norway

Crab pots 'absolutely stuffed' as Bering Sea Dungeness fishery breaks records
While many Bering Sea crab populations find themselves in freefall, Dungeness crab is breaking records in regions that used to hardly see them.
Nome, Alaska, United States

High levels of PSP in Blue Mussels
Blue mussels collected on 6/15/2023, were way above the FDA limit for safe consumption of 80 μg/100g.
Sand Point, Alaska, United States

Dangerous PSP toxin levels found in some Southwest Alaska clams, mussels
High levels of PSP toxins have been found in razor clams in Chignik Lagoon and blue mussels in Sand Point, Alaska, making them unsafe to eat and potentially causing paralytic shellfish poisoning, with no known cure.
Chignik, Alaska, United States

State wildlife officials trying to revive Southwest Alaska caribou killed almost 100 brown bears in less than a month
A total of 94 brown bears, five black bears and five wolves were killed in the program that began May 10 and ended June 4, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game said this week. That’s more than four times the number biologists predicted would be taken. State biologists also say disease and changing food supplies might be a bigger factor overall.
Dillingham, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

ADF&G dispatches rabid moose roaming through Teller
A moose that was killed in Teller last week had been infected with rabies, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game confirmed.
Teller, Alaska, United States
The Nome Nugget

'We will have to adapt': Record high temperatures in Nunavik pose threat to Inuit way of life
Kuujjuaq, Quebec experienced record-breaking temperatures this week. Locals say hunting practices and the ability to travel on the land are being significantly reduced by the thaw.
Nunavut, Canada

Cold Bay still on bottled drinking water, 10 months after the wells tested high for 'forever chemicals'
About a year ago, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation tested Cold Bay’s water wells for PFAS, and the results came back well above the levels recommended for human consumption. Cold Bay closed the wells for drinking when the test results came back, and the Eastern Aleutian community has relied on state-provided bottled water ever since.
Cold Bay, Alaska, United States
KDLG

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

Swollen limb in caribou
An image of a swollen leg on this caribou raises questions that it may be a case of brucellosis.
Koliganek, Alaska, United States
Constantine Johnson, Melany Eakin, Kimberlee Beckmen

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

Minke whale pod sighted
A rare sighting is possible indicator of prey abundance.
Kasaan, Alaska, United States

No sea ice in Grantley Harbor
December should have sea ice development in Norton Sound. But no sign of ice yet this year. Several storms have moved northward across the western Bering Sea and brought strong winds and bouts of above freezing weather to the Teller area and all of the Bering Strait region.
Teller, Alaska, United States
Richard L Thoman Jr, Kendra Lee, Anahma Shannon, Austin Ahmasuk, Kitrea P Takata-Glushkoff, Hajo Eicken

‘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

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.

Lots of dead krill washed up on Sarichef Island
Die-offs of krill are in some cases associated with hypoxia (low oxygen) excess sediment suspended in the water column and changes in water temperature. There were recent reports of high levels of Alexandrium in water samples in the areas, and Norton Sound Health Corporation is performing some testing of krill samples (see below). There was also an unprecedented storm event only a week ago, unusual for the storm surge and early season.
Shishmaref, Alaska, United States
Gay Sheffield, Brandon Ahmasuk, Dean Stockwell, Racheal Lee, Jacqualine Schaeffer, Anahma Shannon, Sadie McGill, Emma Pate

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

‘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

Storm bounty in clams
Storms can bring a bounty to the beach - driftwood sometimes or in this case, clams! But be careful out there. There are new concerns about emerging levels of harmful algae in Western Alaska waters, which could impact shellfish and human health.
Mertarvik, Alaska, United States
Louisa Castrodale, Chris Dankmeyer, Jacqualine Schaeffer, Gay Sheffield, Racheal Lee, Bob Gerlach, Brian Lefferts, Emma Pate, Joanna Barton, Julie Matweyou, Thomas Farrugia, Karen Pletnikoff

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.
The Nome Nugget

Salmon run disrupted by trench dug across Coquihala River
There were alternatives for Trans Mountain Corporation to digging a trench in the river to lay pipe during the time the salmon were running.
Hope, British Columbia, Canada

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.
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

Infestation of caterpillars
A resident of Seldovia reported an infestation of worms infesting an area of salmonberry brush and nettle.
Seldovia Village, Alaska, United States

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

Spittle bug widespread in Clare, Ireland
I saw an extreme amount of spittle bugs not only on grasses and plants but on flowers.
Liscannor, Munster, Ireland

Stickleback fish die-off
There were a plenty of what appeared to be juvenile dead stickle back fish on the top of the embankment of a few ponds.
Elim, Alaska, United States
Gay Sheffield, Jayde Ferguson, Brandon Ahmasuk, Leigh Takak, Scott Kent

Unusual bird behavior and illness observed across species on Yukon Delta
"Since about May 25, crews have been seeing multiple species showing what we believe are signs of highly pathogenic avian influenza. The signs we are seeing widespread is a headshaking that we equate to "getting the cobwebs out", like a person may do when they first wake up. This behavior occurs regularly every couple minutes. This behavior has been observed in: black brant, cackling geese, bar-tailed godwits, dunlin, lapland longspurs, spectacled eiders, emperor geese, greater white-fronted geese, sabines gulls, glaucous gulls, and red-necked phalaropes."
Newtok, Alaska, United States
Kimberlee Beckmen, Angela Matz, Louisa Castrodale, Gay Sheffield, Bob Gerlach, Michael Bruce, Andrew Ramey, Eric Taylor, Eric Taylor, Bryan Daniels, Rose Kalistook, Brian Lefferts, Brian Berube, Raphaela Stimmelmayr

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

Growing cases of bird illness in Norton Sound
Over the past five days there have been increasing reports of unusual behavior in a variety of bird species including brant goose, snow goose, white-fronted goose, and Canada goose.
Golovin, Alaska, United States
Maija Lukin, Raphaela Stimmelmayr, Erin Nelson, Andrew Ramey, Carmen Daggett, Carol Oliver, Mike Brook, Louisa Castrodale, Bill Carter, Susan Georgette, Eric Taylor, Kayla Nay, Angela Matz, Brandon Ahmasuk, Gay Sheffield, Brian Lefferts, Kimberlee Beckmen, Bob Gerlach, Racheal Lee

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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