Jan 20 - DFO report: trawlers leaving lots of dead salmon in their wake

Good morning !

I’ve been fortunate to have been around the Stanley Cup a few times in my former life as an NHL reporter. There’s something about that trophy.

And it’s in town. Go see it.

— Mark

Today’s approx read time: 4 minutes

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NEWS

DFO’s new monitoring program proves there’s no free lunch for our resident orcas

Tons of salmon that could have been gobbled up by Vancouver Island’s beleaguered Southern Resident Killer Whales are being needlessly discarded on the high seas, according to the conservation group Pacific Wild.

“It’s appalling that we’re wasting this much salmon,” Sydney Dixon, a marine specialist at Pacific Wild, tells Capital Daily.

The BC-based group points to a pre-publication finding from the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) on its new enhanced monitoring program of salmon bycatch in this region.

The five-month observation concluded the number of salmon caught and chucked at more than 18K. The vast majority (93%) were Chinook, the main meal for Southern Residents, whose 75 remaining members continue to struggle to find reliable food sources. 

“We've got thousands of sport fishermen and recreational fishermen that are being told that they can't catch these salmon as a conservation measure,” Dixon says. “And yet offshore, these salmon are being slaughtered and thrown overboard as waste in the tens of thousands.”

Dixon says trawling by its very nature is indiscriminate so it’s impossible to not catch some prohibited fish but some of the fish could be saved to die another day—ideally as an orca’s lunch—if DFO were to close certain areas where it anticipates trawlers intercepting them, a strategy it has used in the past.

What else could be done to help? Read Mark Brennae’s full story to learn more.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Missing man with dementia last seen in Esquimalt. [VicPD]

Live webcams: See the status of Vancouver Island’s highways before you travel.

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

NEWS

Another black day in journalism:
BC’s Black Press enters creditor protection

Earlier this week, the BC-based news empire Black Press Ltd. announced that it had filed for creditor protection, will be sold, and its owner, Victoria’s David Black, is stepping down. Black Press, which owns approximately 150 publications—including the Victoria News and 22 other information platforms on the Island—with court approval, will enter an ownership agreement with Canadian institutional investors Canso Investment Counsel and Deans Knight Capital Management, along with Carpenter Media Group out of the US.

The company owns several American publications and will seek creditor protection in the US, but said it will continue publishing and will remain Canadian-owned. The announcement came the same day Black, who founded the company in 1975, announced his retirement. 

BC chain’s expansion into Ohio was a tipping point

It’s a significant descent for Black Press, which began with one newspaper in Williams Lake, ballooned to a publication house employing thousands, and now sits within sight of, if not bankruptcy, definitely uncertainty.

Tyler Olsen, managing editor of the Fraser Valley Current, a sister publication to Capital Daily in the Overstory network, previously worked for Black Press and has kept track of its changes.

His recent dive into the company’s struggles suggests that a decision to buy a newspaper in Akron, Ohio is what may have written the operation’s obituary.

Read Tyler’s story here.

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⭐️ Capital Picks

🏒 Hockey Day in Vic: Pancake breaky; Stanley Cup on display; HNIC live at 10am; clinics; wheelchair hockey; Royals-Blazers at SoFMC. [Events]

🍽️ Nominate your favourite local restaurants in the Tasting Victoria Restaurant Awards. Enter your nominations in any of the 18 categories here!

🤣 So you think you’re funny? [Prove It]

🤝 Now hiring: Student Marketeer - UVic at Red Bull

🗞️ In Other News

Nanoose Bay crash victims found with iPhone crash alert
After a 4x4 rolled over, Arrowsmith SAR was alerted by the phone and given the location of the crash, which happened on a logging road near Nanoose Bay. The location had no cellphone coverage, preventing the crash victims from making emergency calls. RCMP sent heat-sensing drones over the area given by Apple to find their exact location and both victims were treated for injuries. [CHEK]

Red Fish Blue Fish gets go-ahead to get bigger
The popular fish restaurant on Broughton Pier was approved for minor expansions, with the Harbour Authority allowing the number of buildings on the site to increase from one to three. The expansion comes with planned updates to extend the life of the pier. [Times Colonist]

BC Transit boss earns Greater Vic. Chamber of Commerce’s 2024 Award of Distinction
Erinn Pinkerton is credited with leading the Crown corp.’s modernization with initiatives such as transitioning buses to zero-emission vehicles by 2040 and introducing electronic fare payments in 30 transit systems across the province by year’s end. Pinkerton is the first woman to serve as BC Transit’s president and CEO. [GVCC]

SPONSORED BY TOURISM VICTORIA

Scoop up your tickets to the Dine Around Gala

Last-minute movers: this one's for you. There are still tickets left for the Dine Around Gala, happening Jan. 25 from 5 to 8pm at the Victoria Conference Centre. The night will dazzle foodies with unlimited bites and sips from over 50 eateries and beverage purveyors, live entertainment, and lots of socializing!

🗓️ Things to do

☕ Hot chocolate festival kicks off today. Full details at Tasting Victoria.

👠 Served Up! A Drag Lunch Experience: Leo and Aries Moon will host an all-ages drag show at Moon Under Water Brewpub and Distillery. Today 11:30am-2:30pm. 

😂 Snowed In Comedy Tour: Dan Quinn, Pete Zedlacher, Paul Myrehaug, and Erica Sigurdson will perform their comedy tour at Royal Theatre. Today. 7:30pm.

🧶 Artists and Makers Swap Meet: Sell and exchange art materials, equipment, and supplies at the Metchosin Arts and Cultural Association building. Today. 9am-4pm.

 🎸 Barracuda: The Vancouver-based band will perform the music of Heart and Led Zeppelin at Mary Winspear Centre. Today. 7:30pm.

🎤 The Bridge: Watch rap battles at Victoria Event Centre. Today. 6pm-9pm.

🎸 Black Pontiac: The Vancouver-based rock band will perform at Vinyl Envy. Tonight. 7:30pm-10:30pm.

💃 Garden City Soul Club: Dance along to soul and funk music at Victoria Event Centre. Tonight. 10pm-2am.

👀 In Case You Missed It

The city buys lots to build downtown park. [Capital Daily]

CRD slates meeting on biosolids info. [Capital Daily]

Fri’s Headlines: Homicide in Nanaimo; Sidney Island deer cull panned; VicPD seeks spitting victim. [Newsletter]

Hockey Day in Canada in Vic is pretty much sold out. [Times Colonist]

Digging deep to help each other. [CHEK]

Early morning snow at Sidney Pier. [Facebook photo]

That’s it!

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