The Northern Climate Observer

The Northern
Climate Observer

Changing range, changing times - Growing up in Southcentral Alaska, fishing for pink salmon was one of my favorite activities. My friends had one of the first inflatable boats in the area (a 1970s Zodiac) with an old 18 horse Johnson outboard. Packed with kids we would buzz all over Seldovia Bay checking crab pots, skate lines for halibut, and fishing rod and reel for pinks. In those days, the schools were so thick that we would have competitions to see how many we could hook in a row. My record was 12, but I know others who caught many more. The schools are not that thick anymore or at least not that abundant. This year we saw few jumping pinks and did not catch any. This mirrors the situation with chums, reds, and kings. Fisheries practices and climate change are among the factors commonly cited that are effecting salmon, and currently there are unprecedented harvest restrictions being implemented as a response in Southcentral. Although pink salmon are on the decline here their populations are surging in other areas of the North. In Norway, pink salmon are an invasive species that have migrated west from areas of Russia. The growing pink (humpback) salmon numbers are a threat to native Atlantic salmon and the Norwegian government is implementing control measures. See article about the huge returns of pink salmon in Vestre Jokobselv River. Large quantities of humpback salmon are also now being reported among sea salmon fishermen along the entire coast of Finnmark. LEO Network has been tracking range changes with pink salmon in Scandinavia and Northern Canada and you can see the map and related articles here. Read also about the wide spread impacts in Northern Canada related to high temperatures and wildfire. Mike Brubaker, Editor

	Caught 4000 pink salmon in one net throw: "That's an indescribable amount of fish" Vestre Jakobselv, Norway André Bendixen / NRK / July 5, 2023 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. Read article on NRK
	Heat wave forecast for many N.W.T. communities Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada CBC / July 8, 2023 Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) has issued heat warnings for Yellowknife and many communities in the South Slave, Sahtu and Beaufort Delta regions — where day time temperatures near 30 C and overnight lows near 20 C are expected in the coming days. People are urged to seek out air conditioned spaces to seek relief. Read article on CBC
	Residents prepare to flee wildfire burning off Alaska Highway in the Yukon's Ibex Valley Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada CBC / July 10, 2023 Takhini River resident Georgina Widney said she is packed and ready to go if the evacuation alert for her area in the Ibex Valley changes to an evacuation order. Read article on CBC
	Cabins lost in wildfire near Tulita, N.W.T., as smoke forces some residents to leave Tulita NWT CBC / July 10, 2023 At last measurement, the fire had burned about 14,000 hectares and remains within 10 kilometres of Tulita, but is on the far side of the Mackenzie River. Read article on CBC
	N.W.T. bison anthrax outbreak grows to 27 dead animals Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, Canada CBC / July 7, 2023 This is the ninth outbreak in the territory since 1965. About 60 bison died in an outbreak in Wood Buffalo National Park last year. More than 300 died in the territory's largest outbreak in 2012. Bison can become infected with anthrax while grazing or taking dust baths. Read article on CBC
	Montpelier sees worst flood in nearly 100 years Montpelier, Vermont, United States Eric Blaisdell / Rutland Herald / July 10, 2023 Montpelier, Vermont experiences its worst flood in nearly 100 years, with the Winooski River reaching its highest level since 1927, causing extensive damage to the city and forcing residents to evacuate. Read article on Rutland Herald
	Québec funds research to adapt Nunavik public housing to thawing permafrost Inukjuak, Quebec, Canada CBC / July 10, 2023 The Quebec government has allocated over $2 million to research and develop a plan to adapt public housing in Nunavik to the effects of thawing permafrost, which can cause damage to units built on jacks. Read article on CBC

The Northern Climate Observer is published by the Center for Climate and Health. We track news coverage from across the circumpolar north and provide readers with a curated roundup of climate change related events. Thank you for reading our newsletter and for paying attention to our changing world.

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Northern Climate Observer

The Northern Climate Observer is published weekly by the Center for Climate and Health. We track news from across the circumpolar north and provide readers with a curated roundup of climate change related events.

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Northern Climate Observer

The Northern
Climate Observer