AQUACULTURE
Kelp farms have no business on Vashon shores
The article on proposed kelp farms on Vashon written expertly by Leslie Brown (Aug. 17 Beachcomber), pointed out many complex and confusing details.
No one wants to risk any harm to whales in any way shape or form. And do we really want to be kayaking through buoys? Lights flashing in serene settings? Boats chugging in the waters to facilitate kelp harvesting?
But the biggest concern I have is that these are proposed profitable businesses on property they do not own. The Salish Sea belongs to our Indigenous ancestors and all of us who share this beautiful island. Would we allow a specialized marijuana farm to be placed in Island Center Forest? A specialized Christmas tree farm in the woods of Ober Park?
Not very likely no matter how much the businesses purported to add to the public good, or share their research about the future they claim to improve. The best reason to not allow these farms is that we don’t sell our Sound for profit.
Stephen Bogan
Article lacked expert voices
I was surprised that Leslie Brown’s article on kelp farming lacked the basics that would have made it more enlightening and authoritative. She allowed the kelp farmers, some waterfront property owners, and Sound Action to frame the issue according to their agendas. Where was any background information on marine mammal entanglement? Where was any corroboration or refutation by experts, of whom there are many in our region? I am left with little more than a “he said/she said” story controlled by vested interests on both sides of the issue.
Brown could have reached out to NOAA Marine Fisheries staff in Seattle that oversees the protection of orcas. It’s unclear whether she reached out to David Bain, an independent researcher associated with Sound Action, but his opinions are out of step with other whale researchers on this matter. So why did she not interview the premier local organization, the Center for Whale Research in Friday Harbor? Why not also interview tribal fisheries experts?
At the very least, she could have cited the appendices of the permit that are required in order to document environmental impact. I can attest that running the gauntlet of state and federal agency and tribal review for this kind of permit is daunting.
Perhaps I am slightly jaded after decades working for Puget Sound non-profits and environmental government agencies, but Brown missed an opportunity to ask certain hard questions about Nimbyism or using the plight of orcas to raise funds for Sound Action as primary motivators in objecting to the kelp farms. After all, are all the other environmental organizations asleep? The Puget Sound Keeper Alliance, just to name one. On the other hand, rather than let Amy Carey raise all the objections, put some of her own hard questions to Mr. Kollins and Mr. Spranger regarding their proposed farms.
Ken Pritchard
No kelp, no salmon, no orca
We all want our orca, salmon, and the waters of the Salish Sea to be healthy— no argument, right? For starters, we have to also agree that these are in precipitous decline and nearing a tipping point.
If you don’t own one of Tag Gornall’s colorful t-shirts advocating for plankton—a passionate campaign that he has waged for years, you are missing out big time.
His resume as an internationally renowned marine mammal vet, saver of stranded whales, a catcher of whale killers, who established a central healing center for marine life threatened by the notorious Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska — all woefully disregarded in the article.
Tag’s message: plankton are the very bottom of the food chain on which all marine life depends. Kelp are plankton. If we want to protect orca, we have to focus on the real source of their decline.
Any view from Vashon shores might look peaceful, but the truth is that we’re looking at a dying body of water. A primary reason is the loss of most of our island’s original kelp forests.
It’s been reported in this paper numerous times: orcas are starving to death. Chinook salmon populations are 80% of an orca’s diet and they are now listed as endangered, having dropped to as little as 10% of their historic numbers. Habitat degradation is a key factor: after migrating from their birth rivers, juvenile fish congregate in kelp beds for protection from predators until they are grown enough to head to the open ocean.
Therefore, let’s keep it simple: no kelp, no salmon, no orca. Both Mike Spranger and Mike Kollins don’t need the money. They are not some evil corporation coming to Vashon to destroy — these are two fathers with children who are dedicating themselves to the health of future generations —including us. Let’s support their good work with all possible haste.
Rondi Lightmark
PLASTICS
Don’t forget “reuse”
Further to Celia Congdon’s commentary about plastics use, consider the second “R” of the waste reduction motto, “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.”
While, like me, you may not be able to reduce your plastic use to absolute zero, you can greatly reduce your plastics consumption, disposal and recycling by reusing such items as plastic produce bags, Ziploc bags, cling wrap, etc. simply by just washing and saving them for reuse.
Once washed and dried they can be reused dozens of times for dozens of purposes before they eventually wear out and need to be recycled or thrown away. For instance, you can clean produce and bulk food bags and put them in your shopping bag for reuse when shopping at the market. You can also reuse these materials to wrap food for refrigeration or freezing.
This same philosophy can be extended to aluminum foil, waxed paper, paper bags and most other “throw-away” materials, too. It’s easy once you start keeping “reuse” in the front of your mind before reaching for new materials.
Fred Sayer
Perspective from local dairy
We are Venison Valley Farm & Creamery. We produce bottled milk, yogurt and cheese from our small herd of cows. One of the most common questions we get asked is about our use of plastic packaging. We would like to raise awareness about some of the challenges our small business faces in reducing our reliance on plastic.
The main issues are cost, facilities and labor. Single-use plastic is sanitary and cheap. We are able to buy it in small lots from nearby vendors. Other forms of packaging are only available as massive bulk orders that require large upfront expenditure, expensive freight shipment, and a clean facility to store. Paper cartons require expensive equipment that must be housed and maintained.
Glass packaging, in addition to the enormous upfront cost, must be collected and sanitized which would require substantial additional labor and expanded facilities as dirty bottles can’t be handled within our Grade A Dairy.
We fully support efforts to reduce plastic consumption; however, our livelihood relies on plastic packaging to remain viable. If Vashon consumers were only buying milk and yogurt in non-plastic packaging, this island dairy would cease operation. We hope that plastic-free is just one of the factors you consider in “voting” with your wallet.
Perhaps there are ways that groups, like Choose Plastic Free, could step up to help businesses like ours address some of the challenges we face in building a more sustainable and food-sovereign island. Thank you for your consideration and continued support.
Ben Scott-Killian
DOGS
Kudos to VIPP
Thank you, Phil Clapham, for your commentary in the Aug. 17 Beachcomber, about dog fostering and your commitment to the lucky dogs you and your wife have fostered.
It’s an important reminder for new and old friends of this community to think about fostering and caring for a dog who needs a pal or two to be in its life. Fortunately, since 1984, we’ve had the most dedicated group of people leading and volunteering for our Island nonprofit, VIPP (Vashon Island Pet Protectors).
VIPP’s vision is clear – “No More Homeless Pets.” The rescued dogs would, if they could, tell you that their lives are better because of their foster pals. Over all those years, numerous adoptions have taken place and I was one of the lucky ones to adopt Gracie, an English pointer mix, the sweetest dog I have ever owned.
If you love dogs and would like to help by providing a temporary home, please go to VIPP.org and click on the “Foster” tab for more information. Thank you!
Barb Thal
