Latest news with #NorthPacific
CBC
5 days ago
- Automotive
- CBC
22 crew members rescued from lifeboat in North Pacific after cargo ship carrying 3,000 vehicles catches fire
The crew of a cargo ship carrying 3,000 vehicles to Mexico, including 800 electric vehicles, abandoned ship after they could not control a fire aboard the vessel in waters off Alaska's Aleutian island chain. A large plume of smoke was initially seen at the ship's stern coming from the deck loaded with electric vehicles Tuesday, according to U.S. Coast Guard photos and a Wednesday statement from the ship's management company, London-based Zodiac Maritime. There were no reported injuries among the 22 crew members of the Morning Midas. Crew members abandoned ship, were evacuated onto a lifeboat and rescued by the crew of a nearby merchant vessel called the Cosco Hellas in the North Pacific, roughly 490 kilometres southwest of Adak Island. Adak is about 1,930 kilometres west of Anchorage, the state's largest city. The crew initiated emergency firefighting procedures with the ship's onboard fire suppression system, but they were unable bring the flames under control. "The relevant authorities have been notified, and we are working closely with emergency responders with a tug being deployed to support salvage and firefighting operations," Zodiac Maritime said in a statement. "Our priorities are to ensure the continued safety of the crew and protect the marine environment." The U.S. Coast Guard said it sent aircrews to Adak and a ship to the area. The status of the fire onboard the ship was unknown as of Wednesday afternoon, but smoke was still emanating from it, according to the Coast Guard. Rear Admiral Megan Dean, commander of the Coast Guard's Seventeenth District, said in a statement that as the search and rescue part of the response concluded, the Coast Guard was working with Zodiac Maritime to determine how to recover the ship and what will be done with it. "We are grateful for the selfless actions of the three nearby vessels who assisted in the response and the crew of motor vessel Cosco Hellas, who helped save 22 lives," Dean said. The 183-metre Morning Midas, a car and truck carrier, was built in 2006 and sails under a Liberian flag. The cars left Yantai, China, on May 26, according to the industry ship-tracking site They were being shipped to Lazaro Cardenas, a major Pacific port in Mexico. Earlier this month, a Dutch safety board called for improving emergency response on North Sea shipping routes after a deadly 2023 fire on a freighter that was carrying 3,000 automobiles, including nearly 500 electric vehicles, from Germany to Singapore. That fire killed one person, injured others and burned out of control for a week, and the ship was eventually towed to a port in the northern Netherlands for salvage. The accident increased the focus on safety issues on the open sea and on containers that fall off the massive freighters, which have increased in size dramatically in recent decades. More than 80 per cent of international trade by volume now arrives by sea, and the largest container vessels are longer than three football fields.
CNN
5 days ago
- Automotive
- CNN
22 crew members rescued from lifeboat in North Pacific after ship carrying 3,000 cars catches fire
The crew of a cargo ship carrying 3,000 vehicles to Mexico, including 800 electric vehicles, abandoned ship after they could not control a fire aboard the vessel in waters off Alaska's Aleutian island chain. A large plume of smoke was initially seen at the ship's stern coming from the deck loaded with electric vehicles Tuesday, according to US Coast Guard photos and a Wednesday statement from the ship's management company, London-based Zodiac Maritime. There were no reported injuries among the 22 crew members of the Morning Midas. Crew members abandoned ship, were evacuated onto a lifeboat and rescued by the crew of a nearby merchant vessel called the Cosco Hellas in the North Pacific, roughly 300 miles (490 kilometers) southwest of Adak Island. Adak is about 1,200 miles (1,930 kilometers) west of Anchorage, the state's largest city. The crew initiated emergency firefighting procedures with the ship's onboard fire suppression system. But they were unable bring the flames under control. 'The relevant authorities have been notified, and we are working closely with emergency responders with a tug being deployed to support salvage and firefighting operations,' Zodiac Maritime said in a statement. 'Our priorities are to ensure the continued safety of the crew and protect the marine environment.' The US Coast Guard said it sent aircrews to Adak and a ship to the area. The status of the fire onboard the ship was unknown as of Wednesday afternoon, but smoke was still emanating from it, according to the Coast Guard. Rear Admiral Megan Dean, commander of the Coast Guard's Seventeenth District, said in a statement that as the search and rescue part of the response concluded, the Coast Guard was working with Zodiac Maritime to determine how to recover the ship and what will be done with it. 'We are grateful for the selfless actions of the three nearby vessels who assisted in the response and the crew of motor vessel Cosco Hellas, who helped save 22 lives,' Dean said. The 600-foot (183-meter) Morning Midas, a car and truck carrier, was built in 2006 and sails under a Liberian flag. The cars left Yantai, China, on May 26, according to the industry site They were being shipped to Lazaro Cardenas, a major Pacific port in Mexico. Earlier this month, a Dutch safety board called for improving emergency response on North Sea shipping routes after a deadly 2023 fire on a freighter that was carrying 3,000 automobiles, including nearly 500 electric vehicles, from Germany to Singapore. That fire killed one person, injured others and burned out of control for a week, and the ship was eventually towed to a port in the northern Netherlands for salvage. The accident increased the focus on safety issues on the open sea and on containers that fall off the massive freighters, which have increased in size dramatically in recent decades. More than 80% of international trade by volume now arrives by sea, and the largest container vessels are longer than three football fields.
CNN
5 days ago
- Automotive
- CNN
22 crew members rescued from lifeboat in North Pacific after ship carrying 3,000 cars catches fire
The crew of a cargo ship carrying 3,000 vehicles to Mexico, including 800 electric vehicles, abandoned ship after they could not control a fire aboard the vessel in waters off Alaska's Aleutian island chain. A large plume of smoke was initially seen at the ship's stern coming from the deck loaded with electric vehicles Tuesday, according to US Coast Guard photos and a Wednesday statement from the ship's management company, London-based Zodiac Maritime. There were no reported injuries among the 22 crew members of the Morning Midas. Crew members abandoned ship, were evacuated onto a lifeboat and rescued by the crew of a nearby merchant vessel called the Cosco Hellas in the North Pacific, roughly 300 miles (490 kilometers) southwest of Adak Island. Adak is about 1,200 miles (1,930 kilometers) west of Anchorage, the state's largest city. The crew initiated emergency firefighting procedures with the ship's onboard fire suppression system. But they were unable bring the flames under control. 'The relevant authorities have been notified, and we are working closely with emergency responders with a tug being deployed to support salvage and firefighting operations,' Zodiac Maritime said in a statement. 'Our priorities are to ensure the continued safety of the crew and protect the marine environment.' The US Coast Guard said it sent aircrews to Adak and a ship to the area. The status of the fire onboard the ship was unknown as of Wednesday afternoon, but smoke was still emanating from it, according to the Coast Guard. Rear Admiral Megan Dean, commander of the Coast Guard's Seventeenth District, said in a statement that as the search and rescue part of the response concluded, the Coast Guard was working with Zodiac Maritime to determine how to recover the ship and what will be done with it. 'We are grateful for the selfless actions of the three nearby vessels who assisted in the response and the crew of motor vessel Cosco Hellas, who helped save 22 lives,' Dean said. The 600-foot (183-meter) Morning Midas, a car and truck carrier, was built in 2006 and sails under a Liberian flag. The cars left Yantai, China, on May 26, according to the industry site They were being shipped to Lazaro Cardenas, a major Pacific port in Mexico. Earlier this month, a Dutch safety board called for improving emergency response on North Sea shipping routes after a deadly 2023 fire on a freighter that was carrying 3,000 automobiles, including nearly 500 electric vehicles, from Germany to Singapore. That fire killed one person, injured others and burned out of control for a week, and the ship was eventually towed to a port in the northern Netherlands for salvage. The accident increased the focus on safety issues on the open sea and on containers that fall off the massive freighters, which have increased in size dramatically in recent decades. More than 80% of international trade by volume now arrives by sea, and the largest container vessels are longer than three football fields.
The Independent
6 days ago
- Automotive
- The Independent
22 crew members safe after fire aboard cargo ship carrying vehicles off Alaska
The crew of a cargo ship carrying 3,000 vehicles to Mexico, including 800 electric vehicles, abandoned ship after they could not control a fire in waters off Alaska's Aleutian island chain. Smoke was initially seen coming from the deck loaded with electric vehicles Tuesday, according to a Wednesday statement from the ship's management company, London-based Zodiac Maritime. There were no reported injuries among the 22 crew members of the Morning Midas. Crew members abandoned ship and were later transferred from lifeboats to a nearby merchant vessel in the North Pacific, roughly 300 miles (490 kilometers) southwest of Adak Island. Adak is about 1,200 miles (1,930 kilometers) west of Anchorage, the state's largest city. The crew initiated emergency firefighting procedures with the ship's onboard fire suppression system but were unable bring the flames under control. 'The relevant authorities have been notified, and we are working closely with emergency responders with a tug being deployed to support salvage and firefighting operations,' Zodiac Maritime said in a statement. 'Our priorities are to ensure the continued safety of the crew and protect the marine environment.' The U.S. Coast Guard said it was sending air crews to Adak and a ship to the area. The 600-foot (183-meter) Morning Midas, a car and truck carrier, was built in 2006 and sails under a Liberian flag. The cars left Yantai, China, on May 26, according to the industry site They were being shipped to Lazaro Cardenas, a major Pacific port in Mexico.
Globe and Mail
21-05-2025
- Science
- Globe and Mail
Fraser River to see record-breaking run of pink salmon
British Columbia's Fraser River is on track to see a massive run of pink salmon this year, possibly the greatest since recordkeeping began. Around August and September, some 27 million pinks will be swimming upstream, almost doubling the last run's numbers, according to Fisheries and Oceans scientist Kaitlyn Dionne. Flying over the Barrière River, a tributary of the Fraser, Ms. Dionne said last year's run looked 'like a carpet of pink salmon from one end of the river to the other.' While this surge of fish will be largely welcomed by a coast that has long seen crashing salmon stocks, it is not a straightforward gain. By competing with other, more commercially important species of salmon, the rising pink tide could have profound consequences for the ocean and the people who rely on it, according to Fisheries and Oceans scientist Brendan Connors. Despite continuing declines in other salmon stocks across B.C., pink salmon populations have been growing rapidly, a trend seen across the North Pacific. In fact, there are more salmon in the Pacific Ocean now than at any time in the past century. One driver of the increase is climate change, which is creating better conditions for salmon farther north while harming the B.C. populations in the south, Mr. Connors explained. But 'having more [pink] salmon in the North Pacific is not a net positive for British Columbia,' he said. 'It means that those salmon from B.C. that do migrate far north have to compete with more mouths that are all looking for the same amount of food.' Known for their rosy hue and pronounced humpback, pink salmon hatch in the streams of B.C. and Yukon before migrating out to sea, like all Pacific salmon. In the open ocean, salmon from all along the coast spend their adult lives mingling in the North Pacific, where they take advantage of the abundant food the Arctic waters provide. When they get to the ocean, pinks grow fast, eating anything and everything. This speedy growth helps them dominate the ecosystem. By one estimate, pinks currently comprise almost 70 per cent of all the salmon in the Pacific. This leaves little food for the rest of the salmon, compromising their growth, survival and populations. For sockeye in the Fraser, this competition for food has been even more impactful than climate change and is thought to be a factor in that species' crashing stocks, Mr. Connors said. And the competition doesn't just affect other salmon species; it hits every level of the food chain, from plankton to humpback whales. It hasn't always been this way. Around the 1970s, pink salmon populations started to tick upward. This coincided with Russian and Alaskan efforts to ramp up pink salmon hatcheries, which today produce an estimated 16 per cent of the species. (A negligible amount comes from Canadian hatcheries.) Taking advantage of a warming Arctic and aided by those Russian hatcheries, pinks have expanded across Northern Russia and into Scandinavia, establishing themselves in waters far beyond their native range and threatening to replace the native Atlantic salmon. Already, there have been reports of pinks reaching the Canadian Arctic. 'Climate change is generally creating more favourable marine conditions at northern latitudes,' Mr. Connors said. 'And that's allowed pink salmon to really explode. But that doesn't explain what's happening in the Fraser.' The Fraser runs past Vancouver and into lower B.C., near the southern extent of pink salmon's range. Here, there is no climate-change-induced habitat expansion and little hatchery support, yet this summer's run is expected to beat any on record, according to Ms. Dionne. This comes after a string of lucky breaks for Fraser River salmon that have led to improving returns of other species too, according to a report by the Pacific Salmon Foundation. Coho and chinook salmon runs are also on the rise, yet their expected returns of 109,000 and 425,000, respectively, pale next to the pinks' forecast run. The past few years have seen less fishing pressure on the stock, not that it is high anyway. Pinks are not especially sought-after. Most of the commercial catch goes to canned salmon, a market dominated by Russia's and Alaska's hatchery-raised pinks, which often flood the market early in the season. Two years ago, this brought Canadian pinks' value 'so low that it wasn't worth the gas to catch them for the commercial fisheries,' Ms. Dionne said. Other factors, including good weather and improved spawning habitat, have also helped Fraser River stocks. 'Fraser River pink salmon are an example of how resilient salmon are,' Mr. Connors said. When given a chance, 'you can have a lot of salmon coming back.' Even with their major comeback, the Fraser pinks may still be below historic levels. Before 1915, when a landslide cut off much of the upper Fraser, pinks were thought to come back in the order of 48 million per year, according to one paper – almost twice this year's expected run. Pinks have long been a part of life for the First Nations up the coast. According to Nathan Lustig, a fisheries biologist with the Scw'exmx Tribal Council, these large runs are 'incredibly important to the bears and the eagles and everything that makes use of the salmon as they come home to spawn,' including people. ' It gives us an opportunity for people to go fishing,' he added, an integral part of the community's traditions. For those who depend on the river for a living, enormous runs of pinks can be a boon. Dean Werk, an Indigenous sport fishing guide in Chilliwack, says that while pinks have long been undervalued for fishing, their rise and simultaneous fall of other species mean they are becoming increasingly important. He hopes that if pinks continue to come back like this, it will draw in anglers from abroad, the way sockeye runs used to do. 'If we take care of this, we're gonna have a great run for generations to come,' Mr. Werk said. 'It could be our salmon of the future.'
