The Fish Site

US - The Nature Conservancy and Rayonier has announced the sale of 3,088 acres along the Clearwater River in Jefferson County near the Washington coast. The Conservancy is purchasing a corridor along the river about 11 miles long and about a mile wide, with the goal of bringing salmon back to historical levels of abundance.
In this part of the world, salmon and forests and people are interdependent, said Karen Anderson, the Conservancys Washington director. We can help secure a healthy future for people and wildlife by managing this stretch of forest for salmon habitat.
Rayonier has been part of the Washington community since 1926 when we first began operations near Mount Rainier, said Lee M. Thomas, chairman and CEO of Rayonier. Weve responsibly managed this forest since the 1940s, so were especially pleased to be part of this partnership to conserve lands in this very special part of the world.
For generations, the forest has been managed for timber, supporting the local economy. While timber still remains an important part of the Washington coasts economy, bringing salmon back to historical levels of abundance will help local cultures and the economy to thrive.
These forests have sustained people for generations. Over the next century we will manage this forest so that it more resembles its former magnificence and provides the habitats needed by wildlife, Anderson said. This is active conservation management that will provide jobs for generations and ensure that these lands remain accessible to local communities and visitors.
We support and applaud The Nature Conservancys visionary efforts toward ecological restoration of this area, which will partner with our own efforts to restore the declining salmon populations for our future generations, said Fawn Sharp, president of the Quinault Indian Nation. We know the Conservancy as a thoughtful land steward, one that will be respectful of our treaty rights, and welcome them as a neighbor.
The Clearwater is nationally recognized as a salmon stronghold by the North American Salmon Stronghold Partnership and Quinault Indian Nation, said Devona Ensmenger, Washington program manager for the Wild Salmon Center. However, its spring/summer Chinook salmon population is in serious decline and reestablishing the rainforest ecosystem is critical to bringing back healthy populations.
TheFishSite News Desk

The oysters were reported as weak, losing fluid and not closing. Of the 30 oysters sampled Bonamia like parasites were observed through histology in three of the animals.
nfection with species of Bonamia rarely results in clinical signs of disease in oysters. More often, the only visual cue is increased mortality.
Bonamia exitiosa infects blood cells, destroying the immune system and interfering with other critical physiological processes.
PCR and gene sequencing confirmed the histology findings as: 1) One case of Bonamia ostreae (already present and controlled in this area) 2) One case of Bonamia exitiosa 3) One case inconclusive.
It is unclear whether Bonamia exitiosa can be attributed as a causative agent for the poor health of the oysters. On 21 February 2011 IFREMER (EU-RL) confirmed B. exitiosa in one animal.
B. ostreae was already present in the area. After initial suspicion of the presence of B. exitiosa, movement controls have been applied to all mollusc species and the initial controls extend across the entire River Fal estuary.
The current designation prohibits all movements of molluscan shellfish into, out of or within the control area and stipulate that disposal of dead molluscs must be using an approved method for disposal of Category 2 animal-by-product waste.
This particular population of O. edulis may have been subject to stress due to dredging of the area in summer 2010 to manage a red algae problem. Epidemiological investigations are underway.
TheFishSite News Desk

According to Andrei Krainy, Head of the Federal Agency for Fishery, there is an enormous potential for both domestic and export market, through the expansion of the farmed fish sector.
He used Vladivostok as an example, where there are unique Hydrobiological conditions for growing sea cucumber, for which there is a huge global demand.
Growth in farmed fish in Russia, has led to the adoption of federal laws on aquaculture, which Mr Krainy says willbe first heard in March.
The development of these laws will be based on a public-private partnership.