Vancouver Island has received its first wave of a new climate migration - the mighty Humboldt squid, aka the Giant squid, Jumbo Flying squid and Red Devils. Hundreds of them have washed ashore on Long Beach outside of Tofino. Somewhere between 300 to 500 of them in the first wave.
Here's the thing. Humboldts don't belong here. Those who study them go to the Sea of Cortez along the Baja Peninsula. They made a big stir just a month ago when they started washing ashore in San Diego. It certainly got local divers', even surfers' attention (when they approach a diver the first thing they do is try to find out if the swimmer is edible). But San Diego is a hell of a lot closer to Baja than Vancouver Island is. We don't get Humboldt squid - but we're getting them now.
The Humboldts aren't the first southern species to begin migrating to our waters. The giant sunfish is increasingly being spotted in our waters. Anchovies seem to be moving northward into the traditional territory of the herring.
The point I'm trying to make is that climate change is happening. We're seeing the reality of it. Why won't Stephen Harper, Michael Ignatieff and Jack Layton start treating Canadians decently and get us the information we need about what is already happening, what is coming and what we need to do to plan and prepare for the future in order to live with climate change?
Do we have to wait until there's some sort of environmental calamity for the Boys' Club in Ottawa to come clean with us on climate change? By the way, if you're into calamari I think there's some really good stuff available from Parks Canada.
Here's the thing. Humboldts don't belong here. Those who study them go to the Sea of Cortez along the Baja Peninsula. They made a big stir just a month ago when they started washing ashore in San Diego. It certainly got local divers', even surfers' attention (when they approach a diver the first thing they do is try to find out if the swimmer is edible). But San Diego is a hell of a lot closer to Baja than Vancouver Island is. We don't get Humboldt squid - but we're getting them now.
The Humboldts aren't the first southern species to begin migrating to our waters. The giant sunfish is increasingly being spotted in our waters. Anchovies seem to be moving northward into the traditional territory of the herring.
The point I'm trying to make is that climate change is happening. We're seeing the reality of it. Why won't Stephen Harper, Michael Ignatieff and Jack Layton start treating Canadians decently and get us the information we need about what is already happening, what is coming and what we need to do to plan and prepare for the future in order to live with climate change?
Do we have to wait until there's some sort of environmental calamity for the Boys' Club in Ottawa to come clean with us on climate change? By the way, if you're into calamari I think there's some really good stuff available from Parks Canada.
3 comments:
Humboldt squid? Loud Dobbs is going to be angry that they arrive in North America without Visa. Steve will impose a visa, and Michael and Jack will support it.
Seriously it is getting pretty rough. Fish, other animals and birds have a better sense to migrate to North but humans simply won’t be allowed.
You're right about that LD. When it comes down to it, we will resist climate migration. It's a horrible thing to contemplate but it will be done. Fortunately for Canada it'll be the Americans doing it along their border with Mexico.
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