Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (May 11, 2017)
7A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, MAY 11, 2017 Toxin: Domoic acid has also delayed two crab seasons Continued from Page 1A Ecosystem ‘shaken’ This bloom shut down more than razor clam digs. By mid-August, the Wash- ington Department of Fish and Wildlife had closed 90 miles of the state’s 157-mile- long outer coast to commer- cial and recreational crabbing. Millions of dollars were lost. Domoic acid, a toxin pro- duced by a certain type of phytoplankton, is known to cause severe brain damage and even death in sea lions and bird species that consume contaminated prey — and can do the same to humans. During the big bloom in 2015, scientists recorded the deaths of 30 large whales in the west- ern Gulf of Alaska. It is sus- pected, though not certain, that domoic acid played a role in these deaths. “The whole entire system was shaken,” Lefebvre said. Other blooms have come and gone since, even while the effects of that big bloom continue to ripple through the ecosystem. Besides forcing state fish- ery managers to cancel sev- eral recreational clam dig openers in the past two years, domoic acid has also delayed the start of two commercial Dungeness crab seasons. Earlier this year, research- ers with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra- tion and other groups linked the massive bloom to ocean conditions, specifically the higher temperatures recorded at the time. Warm water cre- ates a climate in which patho- gens and diseases flour- ish, further complicating the picture. Photos by Luke Whittaker/ EO Media Group Culinary students from Ilwaco High School served up fried clam fritter on a newer version of the “world’s largest frying pan.” Lefebvre looks at how toxins such as domoic acid move through the food web, how they accumulate in spe- cies such as razor clams and, then, where this hits marine mammals and human health. As she and other researchers continue to see high levels of toxin persist in the water and in marine animals, they worry what it could mean for human populations. Safety precautions Oregon and Washington’s safety precautions are strin- gent and a 20 parts per million threshold established in both states for domoic acid levels in razor clams is conservative, an abundance of caution, say fishery managers. Oregon recently regained funding to test water and see what phytoplankton is present, testing that helps fishery managers get a vague sense of what might be coming down the road. Washington has had this testing for years but Ore- gon has only had it sporad- ically. Both states’ fish and wildlife departments test tis- sue samples in razor clams and crabs, as do the state departments that deter- mine whether or not to close down razor clam digs: the Department of Agriculture in Oregon, and the Depart- ment of Health in Washington. Instead, Lefebvre wor- ries about people who harvest for themselves, and who may have traditional spots that don’t fall within areas moni- tored regularly by the states. “People need to be aware of more risk, even with tradi- tional harvesting practices, as the food web is contaminated more often,” she said. “Maybe their practices have been safe for many years. Things are changing.” High levels Washington has had a bit more luck than Oregon this year, though not much. Digs early in the season went ahead more or less as scheduled in Washington, but by March and April, fishery managers had canceled sev- eral digs due to high levels of domoic acid. Long Beach, a popular destination for dig- gers, didn’t open at all until April 12. Then, at the end of April, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife gave razor clam diggers a six-day opening at several beaches, and increased the daily limit from 15 to 25 clams at Long Beach. “It really was some very extraordinary circumstances,” said Department of Fish and Wildlife coastal shellfish manager Dan Ayres about the limit increase in Long Beach. Because nobody had been dig- ging clams, there was an older population of very large clams available and Ayres said the department recognized that “the community had been deprived of the benefit of hav- ing razor clam diggers visit.” They couldn’t offer more days, but they could offer more clams. Then, on May 4, the Department of Fish and Wild- life closed two beaches — Long Beach and Twin Harbors — for the rest of the month when domoic acid levels shot back up again. Another beach closed after the state hit its quota there. On Tuesday, the state announced that all of Washington’s beaches were closed to razor clam digging for the rest of the month, with levels of domoic acid high up and down the coast. The reason Washington was able to open at all while Oregon remained closed is thanks in large part to the Columbia River, which can act as a sort of barrier between the states, Hunter said. Phytoplankton drifts. Clumps of it may be in one spot and nowhere to be found a few miles away. It may be present and not producing domoic acid. Even with the barrier created by the Colum- bia River, it all comes down to what’s in the water. And what’s in the water is complicated. LEFT: Chefs shared samples of razor clam fritter with the crowd during the Razor Clam Festival in Long Beach at the end of April. MIDDLE: Ilwaco High School Juniors Adam Ruth- erford and Faith Headdress won the clam fritter cook-off with their mango and pineapple fritter with Caribbean sauce. RIGHT: Sales were brisk April 29 for licenses, boots, nets and clam guns at stores and gas stations along the Long Beach Peninsula. More photos online at DailyAstorian.com Arch Cape: ‘This council is drumming up all kinds of fear to get rid of us’ Continued from Page 1A County commission- ers previously voted twice to dissolve the committee, and an appeal was filed with the state Land Use Board of Appeals. The appeals board sent the decision back to the county, saying it did not pro- vide public notice of a previ- ous hearing in a newspaper of general circulation. Testimony The hourlong hearing Wednesday night included testimony from five people who disagreed with county staff’s and most of the com- missioners’ characteriza- tions of the design review committee. Opponents have raised concerns about Arch Cape residents losing power to review lands in their commu- nity. But neighborhood asso- ciations and amendments to the county development code could provide review in the absence of the commit- tee, Community Develop- ment Director Heather Han- sen said. “The issue before you tonight is not whether citi- zen involvement is import- ant to the Clatsop County Board of Commissioners,” Hansen said. “It’s about the appropriate role for a county-appointed commit- tee that advises on land use decisions.” County counsel Chris Cream said the county has been liable to legal ramifi- cations because the com- mittee has not followed pro- cedural or public meetings rules. Commissioner Lianne Thompson added she is one of multiple Arch Cape res- idents that has been con- fronted by members of the committee either in person or over the phone regarding various issues. ‘Insulting’ Michael Manzulli, an attorney from Cannon Beach, said during public testimony that the committee is advi- sory in nature and makes no decisions. He called the charge that the committee did not follow legally man- dated procedures “insulting.” “This council is drum- ming up all kinds of fear to get rid of us,” he said. “This is a staff-driven mission to dismiss us, and it’s really upsetting.” Tevis Dooley, a contractor from Arch Cape, presented commissioners with a peti- tion in favor of the commit- tee — formed in the 1970s — with 216 signatures and 94 comments. County Commissioner Kathleen Sullivan, who rep- resented the sole vote against the ordinance, said she hopes the county will find a way to keep the committee functioning. “This organization has been existing a long time, and people seem like they want to work it out,” Sullivan said. “I wish we could find a way to work it out.” Because commission- ers did not reach unanimous agreement Wednesday, the committee has staved off elimination for another few weeks. “The county is at fiscal risk,” Commission Chairman Scott Lee said. Moratorium: To be discussed at first June meeting Continued from Page 1A The council’s discussion was wide-ranging, includ- ing how legal homestay lodg- ing rentals and illegal rentals affect housing options for peo- ple who live and work here; what it means for neighbor- hoods, especially since hosts using the popular rental web- site Airbnb sometimes rent out entire houses, bought just for that purpose; how these rent- als provide money to residents living on fixed incomes or who are using the revenue from renting to tourists to fund work on their homes; whether or not the city could even enforce the rules it might impose; and ask- ing what a moratorium actually could achieve since people run- ning illegal rentals would likely continue to do so anyway. In this, Astoria joins hun- dreds of cities around the coun- try that are worried about the effects of Airbnb and similar companies and tourist rental practices on their communities. A complication For some city council- ors, the fact that Community Development Director Kevin Cronin and his family oper- ate a homestay rental out of their house complicates the discussion, and any possible solutions. City Councilor Zetty Nem- lowill said she didn’t want to embarrass anyone, but asked against allowing homestay to be reminded why “our com- rentals in Astoria. Councilor munity development director Cindy Price says she likely isn’t here and why our planner falls “somewhere between yes and no,” but echoed Nem- (Nancy Ferber) is here.” Cronin, on the advice of lowill’s concerns about the City Attorney Blair Hennings- city’s, specifically the Com- gaard and the Oregon Gov- munity Development Depart- ernment Ethics Commis- ment’s, ability to enforce its sion, cannot participate in any own rules. The other council- part of the homestay lodging ors leaned more toward allow- project, including any code ing homestay rentals, but advo- enforcement, review of per- cated restricting what those mits or preparing new code rentals look like, enforcing city code and, as suggested language requested by by Councilor Bruce the council since he Jones, imposing steep could potentially ben- fines on those who efit from the outcome. break the rules. City Planner Nancy Ferber, with City Manager Brett Estes, Owner present led the work session The city’s homestay instead. lodging provision only Kevin “There’s no secret allows people to tem- Cronin there,” Estes said of porarily rent up to Cronin’s absence. two bedrooms of their house Nemlowill said she would to tourists, a house they must like to see illegal rentals also own and live in. While a brought into compliance and guest is staying in one of these would be willing to allow rooms, the owner must also homestays as currently out- be present. The city requires lined in city code, but that an owner to obtain a business she worried about the Com- license and pay lodging taxes munity Development Depart- to the city. But in 2015, with an ment’s ability to do this work estimated 40 active hosts each and enforce its code “with one earning around $6,500 a year of its major players out of the through their rental activities, process.” the city only received $1,417 “This is only a very small in taxes. By some estimates, it portion of her job,” she said, should have collected approxi- indicating Ferber. “A very mately $22,000. Of the approx- small portion of her job.” imately 44 rentals that the city Currently, Nemlowill is knows about now — those staff and Price could find listed through websites like Airbnb and VRBO or those who have applied through the city — staff estimates more than a dozen are out of compliance. “Really the question is to prohibit or not to prohibit,” Fer- ber had told the council at the start of the meeting. Either answer will require changes to city code and then a way to consistently enforce these changes. Currently, and across departments, code enforcement is based on com- plaints, and in the case of homestay lodging, complaints are sometimes not enough. It can be hard for staff to obtain and verify the information they need to determine if someone is breaking the rules. Estes confirmed that the Finance Department, like the Community Development Department, “does not have the capacity to go and hunt down each individual.” Going forward with what- ever the council decides, the city might have to look at addi- tional resources such as con- tracting work out, said Estes, adding this is common across departments. Each department maintains a professional ser- vices budget. The council expects to dis- cuss the possibility of a mora- torium with City Attorney Hen- ningsgaard at its first meeting in June. Whale: 26,000 gray whales migrate off the West Coast Continued from Page 1A Cascadia Research. Authorities are on the lookout for another gray whale first spotted off Cal- ifornia that has its head stuck in a metal framework. These incidents have prompted increased efforts to identify solutions as well as help disentangle whales when encountered still alive, the scientists said. Another threat to whales was highlighted by a boat strike on a well-known adult gray whale in Puget Sound, caught on video in April. For- tunately, that whale survived, though the full extent of its injuries are not yet known, researchers said. There are an estimated 26,000 gray whales that migrate off the West Coast, according to the World Wildlife Fund, which calls their recovery “a great conservation success story.” Gray whales were removed from the Endangered Species List in 1994.
