Latest news with #Nuu-chah-nulth
Vancouver Sun
5 days ago
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
B.C. Hydro's 2024 call for power on rocky road through B.C. Utilities Commission review
B.C. Hydro opened its second call for new sources of electricity barely two weeks ago, but the projects in its 2024 call for power remain under review by the B.C. Utilities Commission, with questions raised about cost and overlapping claims of First Nations during the process. The province has promised to expedite the addition of new, renewable power sources to B.C. Hydro's inventory, using Bill 14 to exempt projects from environmental review processes. Last December, B.C. Hydro picked 10 such projects to add up to 4,800 gigawatt hours per year of electricity, with some starting to deliver electricity by 2028. However, the Utilities Commission's panel reviewing the energy purchase agreements has extended the timetable for the written review seven times, from an initial closing date for submissions of May 1 to a final closing date of July 8. Stay on top of the latest real estate news and home design trends. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Westcoast Homes will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The BCUC's role is to review B.C. Hydro's energy purchase agreements 'to determine whether they are in the public interest,' said BCUC spokesperson Kelsey Newsham Baerg. Extensions to this review were granted to give B.C. Hydro more time to respond to issues raised in letters sent by affected parties, such as overlapping land claims in relation to several proposed projects. Newsham Baerg said there is no set deadline for a decision, which has reached the 'deliberations phase,' but that could come as early as Oct. 6, based on the commission's aim to issue results within 90 days of the close of proceedings. On Tuesday, Energy Minister Adrian Dix said the 'BCUC is taking an appropriate level of time, but I don't expect any delay in the timeline.' 'In fact, we've moved forward very quickly on all of these projects,' Dix added, pointing to government's Bill 14, which was drafted specifically to streamline approval of renewable energy projects such as the projects selected in the 2024 call for power. Executive director for the Clean Energy Association of B.C., Cole Sayers, who goes by his Nuu-chah-nulth name Kwatuuma, said his group is 'following this proceeding closely and have no concerns at this time.' However, a think-tank that has been critical of the energy policies in government's CleanBC program does see a delay in the proceedings and questions whether B.C. Hydro will be able to hit the ambitious deadlines set in the 2024 call for power. B.C. Hydro needs to acquire 3,700 gigawatt hours per year of electricity before 2033 to meet forecast increases in electricity demand and wants to put the first 700 gigawatt hours per year on the grid before 2029. B.C. Hydro spokesperson Saudamini Raina, in and email response to Postmedia questions, said the private producers have committed to 'a guaranteed commercial operation date' in their agreements. Critic Barry Penner, however, noted the timelines are tight. 'Delay is not your friend when you want projects built on time and on budget,' said Penner, executive director of the Energy Futures Institute, an offshoot of the pro-resources think-tank Resource Works. Penner, a former B.C. cabinet minister and lawyer who has represented independent power producers, said the projects in the 2024 call for power align with the needs that B.C. Hydro spelled out in the last integrated resource plan that the utilities commission has already approved. 'So this process, I would have normally thought would be fairly routine,' Penner said. From previous experience, Penner said independent power producers run into problems securing financing for the next steps of developing proposals, including the detailed permitting that projects still face. Government has promised to streamline permitting for such projects, but Penner noted that detailed permits for things such as road building, stream crossing or siting facilities require time. 'Governments of every colour have made promises to reduce permitting time, but permitting has actually got longer, despite whatever commitments have been made,' Penner said. Penner believes one reason the review process is taking longer is the objections of First Nations to half of the IPP locations. Government made a minimum 25 per cent First Nations ownership of the power projects a requirement of the call for power to help speed them along, and in nine of the 10 projects, the Indigenous share is 51 per cent. However, neighbouring First Nations have raised objections based on overlapping claims to their territories in five of the projects. Dix said 'there are always challenges with projects on the ground, but we're confident in these projects.' B.C. Hydro, in the final argument that it filed with the Utilities Commission, said the permitting process will provide ample opportunity to consult and accommodate Indigenous Nations with overlapping claims. However, former BCUC commissioner Richard Mason, in his blog Just and Reasonable, said the claims of some First Nations likely won't end with a Utilities Commission decision. 'First Nations rights are constitutionally protected and if the Crown's duty to consult is not fulfilled, the Supreme Court of Canada has said that a regulator's decision to approve a project 'should be quashed on judicial review,'' Mason wrote in the post. depenner@
Hamilton Spectator
13-06-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
‘The town will fail if this carries on': Tofino's short-term rental flip-flop
Tofino, B.C. - Indigenous business owner Brian Quick points to a For Sale sign across the street from his barbershop on Tofino's Campbell Street. The 12,389 square-foot property with a mix of commercial space below and residential units above is listed at roughly $2.4 million. Quick sighs. 'That's the kind of property only people with generational wealth can afford. It's hard busting into their world,' he says. He wants to see more Nuu-chah-nulth people own businesses in town, but as Ahousaht Tyee Ha'wilth Maquinna (Lewis George) says, 'everybody has missed the boat now on purchasing property in Tofino'. Maquinna is one of the only Nuu-chah-nulth members in Tofino who owns a short-term rental. In 1994 he opened the House of Himwitsa Lodge, Native Art Gallery and Fish Store with his wife Cathy. They live on the same property as their short-term suites. 'We got a good deal on the property,' said Maquinna, who bought the building from the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council. 'We wouldn't have been able to do it without them. They sold it to us at cost,' he said. House of Himwitsa was listed for sale five months ago for a cool $9.9 million, according to Maquinna. Almost 73, he's ready to retire with his wife and travel. He wants to take her to the mountains and go skiing – or practice doing nothing. 'Lock, stock and barrel,' he says of the sale of his mixed-used property overlooking the Tofino Inlet. 'There is a possibility the hereditary could buy the building, but that all depends on the protocol with Cermaq. It would be nice to see a First Nations company take ownership.' Fish farm company Cermaq Canada operates fish farms in Clayoquot Sound and Ahousaht First Nations traditional territory. In the spring of 2022 they signed a five-year, multi-million-dollar protocol agreement with the Ahousaht Ha'wiih (Hereditary Chiefs), as represented by the Maaqtusiis Hahoulthee Stewardship Society (MHSS). Mayor Dan Law bought his Tofino home 24 years ago. He does not operate a short-term rental and has rented his suite to a long-term tenant for the past 22 years. 'The median value home two years ago was listed at $1.6 million. The people or corporations that can afford those homes generally have to have considerable means to do so. There are just not that many people in Tofino with that kind of annual income,' said Mayor Law. 'In order to afford a mortgage on a $1.6 million home, you have to have an annual income of $350,000, plus 20 per cent cash down. It's a very small number of locals who have that ability,' he continued. Back in March 2024, Tofino mayor and council attempted to target people's investment options on second or third homes by voting 5-2 in favour of Bill 35: STR Accommodation Act. This legislation seeks to regulate short-term rentals throughout the province by restricting services like Airbnbs to the host's principal residence, plus one secondary suite or accessory dwelling unit on the property. This original decision was supported by Tla-o-qui-aht's Chief Councillor Elmer Frank. 'It is impossible for 90 per cent of Tofino households to own a home here. It is completely unsustainable. The town will fail if this carries on. The town will not be able to function,' said Law during a Feb. 25 regular council meeting where a motion to bring clarity on the principal residence requirement under Bill 35 was unanimously carried. There are roughly 3,000 residents living in Tofino and the surrounding Tla-o-qui-aht communities of Ty-Histanis, Esowista and Opitsaht, according to Tourism Tofino (TT). A 2024 TT economic impact report shows Tofino had 300 accommodation providers,1,890 rental units and 2,500 beds/sites. Tofino had 711,200 total visitors last year, with 632,400 of those being overnight guests. Despite Law's claim that the resort town has become unsustainable, many of these property owners seem to have an issue with changing the status quo. On March 11, Tofino mayor and council received a petition with 368 signatures asking council to opt-out of the principal residence requirement of Bill 35. None of those signatures appeared to be from a Tla-o-qui-aht member. Council also received over 50 letters from Tofino residents urging council to 'opt out'. At a Special Council Meeting on March 27, council voted 4-3 to carry a motion that would put Tofino back on the province's exempt list. That same day on March 27, district staff sent a formal request to the Minister of Housing Affairs to opt out of the principal residence requirement, which was acknowledged by the province but will not immediately take effect. 'Hosts in Tofino operating this summer will need to register with the province in compliance with the principal residence requirement. Pending Cabinet approval, after November 1, 2025, this component of the registration process will no longer apply to short-term rental hosts in Tofino, though they will still be required to register with the provincial Short-Term Rental Registry,' states an April 30, 2025 letter from Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs. The District of Tofino re-iterated that the earliest possible effective date for an approved exemption is November 1, 2025. 'Unless and until an exemption is formally approved, local hosts must comply with the provincial Principal Residence Requirement and register with the Short-Term Rental Registry,' states the district an email. In 2025, the District of Tofino issued 300 business licences for short-term rental accommodations. Of those 300 licences issued, 267 short-term rental or bed and breakfast owners are included in the province's short-term rental designation. According to district staff, STR platforms and hosts must remove listings that do not have a valid provincial registration by June 2, 2025 and STRs platforms must cancel all future bookings associated with unregistered listing by June 23, 2025. District staff says these are 'key compliance deadlines' confirmed by the province and 'failure to do so may result in investigation or monetary penalties'. When asked if Tofino's Airbnb owners would comply with the province's principal residence requirement this summer, Maquinna says, 'That's a hard one.' 'When there is big money around, people don't seem to address the regulations. They'll turn a blind eye to it and the council will turn a blind eye to a lot of it,' said the Ahousaht hereditary Chief. Both Maquinna and Mayor Law spoke about the increased water shortage Tofino has faced over the past few years. Tofino's water source is supplied by five creeks on Meares Island, part of unceded Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation territory. After suffering an unprecedented drought in 2023, District of Tofino staff created a Water Master Plan and Conservation Plan , which ultimately led to the creation of a Limits to Growth Policy that tackles the issues outlined in the Water Master Plan. 'We won't be able to build anymore until we get a new water source,' said Mayor Law. Maquinna and Cathy have removed all the hot tubs from their five suites. 'We were worried about it to begin with, but people aren't coming just to sit in a hot tub. They are coming for the beauty… there are so many whales that have been going by,' said Maquinna. -30- Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Hamilton Spectator
10-06-2025
- General
- Hamilton Spectator
Pacific Rim National Park Reserve reminds public to be mindful of wolves on the landscape
By Nora O'Malley Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Long Beach, B.C. – Recent reports of a pack of sea wolves in the Pacific Rim corridor acting habituated towards humans has prompted Parks Canada to issue a public reminder about how to stay safe and respect these animals. Francis Bruhwiler is a specialist in human-wildlife co-existence in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve (PRNPR). He says the pack is likely the same two or three coastal wolves acting 'very indifferent' when they see people. 'If you want to break that down, it's a loss of the natural human fear we would like them to have,' said Bruhwiler. 'That behaviour is concerning because of that loss of that wariness towards humans. It seems like it's faded a little bit.' 'Habituated wolves have been happening for at least 30 years,' he continued. 'We've had way worse. In 2017, they were in parking lots. It's not there, we're not there, but we don't want to get to that place. If everyone can take this seriously, we feel like that wariness of humans that they need can be maintained.' The human-wolf interactions started back in April when a pair of wolves showed up in downtown Tofino, according to Bruhwiler. 'There's a lot of food in those communities. And I'm not talking human food, I'm talking about dogs, cats, racoons, deer… There's a lot of prey right where we live and I think that's what people have to remember,' he said. Sea wolves primarily eat a marine-based diet; they are known to feed on otters, salmon, harbour seals, herring eggs, clams, mussels and whale or sea lion carcasses. They also go for racoons, small deer and injured black bears or cubs. Another April dispatch to Parks Canada involved a wolf walking by a visitor in the PRNPR without any fear. Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation also posted a bulletin on their community board on May 2 asking residents of Esowista and Ty-Histanis to walk in groups or pairs while being careful and diligent, particularly at sunset and night. A pair of wolves were regularly sighted in the communities, which are located just north of Long Beach. How to reduce human-wolf conflicts 'Put your dog on-leash. That's a big one. A dog on-leash is way safer,' says Bruhwiler. 'I've seen big dogs killed here by wolf. I've seen dead dogs. We don't want to go back there. This is what we are trying to avoid.' Managing all attractants like putting food away before going out for a surf and not going up to the animal to take photos will also help keep the 'wild in wildlife', notes Bruhwiler. 'Let's say a wolf is on the beach and around, the best thing we can do is make it obvious that we don't want it nearby. Make noise, group together. Exactly like seeing a black bear. If the wolf is there and doesn't want to leave then we leave,' he said. Parks Canada works in collaboration with Tla-o-qui-aht and Ucluelet First Nation to monitor the wolf activity in the region. 'We have a lot of strong teachings from wolves in Nuu-chah-nulth cultures across many nations and families,' said Tla-o-qui-aht Tribal Parks Guardian Gisele Martin. 'A lot of teachings have to do with respecting natural law, with upholding traditional ecological roles or about doing the things that need to be done to make things right in this world, is associated with wolves.' She explained that it is against Nuu-chah-nulth traditional law to harm or disturb wolves. 'It's also part of our culture to give wolves right of way because they are so integral in maintaining the balance of life in nature. They have the same role in ocean as orca whales,' said Martin. 'If you encounter a wolf, back up. Give them the right of way. Don't be wolf paparazzi.' Martin shared that the 'qʷa' in the Nuu-chah-nulth word qʷayac̓iik (wolf) is seen in other words or phrases that translate to 'be good like that', 'things that we need to do to make things right in the world' and 'bow of the canoe'. 'The bow of the canoe, that's what gives us direction and is shaped like the head of a wolf,' said Martin. In June 2024, the ʔapsčiik t̓ašii Trail (pronounced ups-cheek ta-shee) multi-use pathway that connects Ucluelet to Tofino was officially opened, creating an influx of cyclists through the Pacific Rim corridor. The paved pathway is roughly 40-kilometres long and weaves through the traditional territories of the Tla-o-qui-aht and Yuułuʔiłʔat as well as the shoreline in the Long Beach Unit of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. 'The trail definitely has an impact on the land and the place,' said Martin. 'The Banana slugs who cross it, they have important duties to do in the forest. It's just not the wolves; it's everybody that lives there. It's something to be mindful of.' On May 7, a deceased juvenile gray whale washed up on Long Beach and is still on the landscape, but the carcass is not 'readily available to wolves', according to Bruhwiler. 'With the whale that washed in, we did not have any wolf interactions at that time. They are their own little minds and maybe they had other things on the go,' he said, adding that sea wolves are incredible swimmers and could travel from Long Beach to the Broken Group Islands in days. Martin encouraged people to familiarize themselves with the ʔiisaak (ii-saak) Pledge , which outlines respectful behaviours and practices that can be used as guidance on how to relate to wolves and wolf habitat. 'Every plant and animal, living being, every insect, has something important that they contribute to the community of life. Wolves are really integral to that whole process,' Martin said. If you see or encounter a wolf in the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, report it Parks Canada dispatch at: 1-877-852-3100. -30- Captions A remote Parks Canada wildlife camera captured this image of a wolf or qʷayac̓iik (pronounced qwa-ya-tseek) near Long Beach, B.C. on Vancouver Island in 2020. (Parks Canada photo) Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Hamilton Spectator
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
Decolonizing surfing by learning Nuu-chah-nulth place names for surf breaks
Esowista, BC - For mułaa (pronounced mu-thla) Rising Tide Surf Team, the love of surfing runs in tandem with learning how to say surfing – and all the surf words – in Nuu-chah-nulth language. Anyone can come along for the ride too; mułaa worked with Gisele Martin at the Tla-o-qui-aht Language Department and Samantha Touchie from Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ Government to create a surf map that showcases the traditional names of surf breaks from načiks (Tofino) to Ucluelet. Graphic designer Riley Milroy of Crimson Studio Illustration did the artwork for the map, and it was printed on t-shirts, toques, posters, postcards and tote bags, which can be purchased at the Tourism Tofino Visitor Centre or Tsawaak RV Resort and Campground. The non-profit's co-founder Rachel Dickens-Greening says mułaa's surf map and surf language card has empowered the Indigenous youth to take ownership back over the local surf breaks. 'Indigenous languages carry our traditions, values, and worldviews. Language is deeply tied to traditional knowledges on land, medicine, spirituality, and governance. When a language disappears, an entire way of understanding the world is lost,' said Dickens-Greening. 'When the youth ask for more language throughout the program, they are keeping this knowledge alive. Speaking the language, and seeing the non-Indigenous community engage with it, such as through the t-shirt and map sales, also fosters pride and self-confidence,' she continued. Most recently, mułaa collaborated with Slowtide Towels to create a 100 per cent recycled quick dry towel featuring their surf map. Slowtide donated 50 towels to the Indigenous surf team and 20 more will be sold on the companies' website, with all the profits going to mułaa. Cass Hale, mułaa's program co-ordinator since April 2024, says the towel project took flight about a year ago. 'To see it is awesome. The kids in summer camp last year picked out the colour. I think they are fantastic. I love it,' said Hale during a mid-spring session at their local surf break on Long Beach or yaaqsis (pronounced yaaq-sis) in front of the Tla-o-qui-aht village of Esowista. Ucluelet resident, surf dad and co-founder of Slowtide Dario Phillips delivered the towels in-person and caught waves with the crew. 'It means a lot for me to be here,' he told the youth. 'For us as a company and for me living here, we just want to support our local area and do whatever we can to give back. I use these beaches all the time and that's why we support Rising Tide,' said Phillips. He said his two kids, ages six and nine, are learning to speak Nuu-chah-nulth in school. 'It's awesome. I love it. Even in my group thread with most of my surf dads, we are calling it by the original reclaimed names. It's really cool to see my kids look at an eagle and call it the Nuu-chah-nulth name,' said Phillips. 'Things like that I didn't learn throughout my childhood.' Emelia Hale, 11, has been part of mułaa for two years. Her surf goal is to do a headstand on a wave, and she's getting better at pronouncing Nuu-chah-nulth words. 'It's really hard to learn Nuu-chah-nulth, but it can be done. Surfing is really fun because we get to do party waves. That's the most fun,' said Emelia, who is Hale's daughter and of Nuu-chah-nulth and Metis heritage. The Nuu-chah-nulth alphabet has 45 letters. It is a phonetic alphabet, meaning each letter represents a different sound, and every sound is represented by only one letter, notes a page on Tla-o-qui-aht's website . 'I'm getting better at learning (place names). I know what it breaks down to really just spending time with the alphabet,' said Hale. There are 16 youth registered in the program this year, three support workers, six surf instructors that rotate throughout the season and Tla-o-qui-aht language revitalization support worker Tsimka Martin has also joined the team. 'That circle is really starting to feel complete in our program,' Hale beamed. Mułaa was awarded grant funding from the federal Sport for Social Development in Indigenous Communities (SSDIC) initiative, which covers basic operations for the year. Dickens-Greening says they also rely on donations from community members and visitors to the region. In the past, they have worked with a Hawaiian group to make traditional surfboards and since launching in 2019 , they have added a winter ski trip to their programming. 'They would love to travel the world surfing to dip their feet in different oceans. Now that we have this steady group, they've been there a long time, they're getting older together, we get to adventure a whole lot more with them,' said Hale, adding that they're door is open to building new relationships with nations around Vancouver Island and the world. 'We are thinking of working with other nations to expand the surf map and there is talk of going to Haida Gwaii for a cultural exchange,' she shared. At the beginning of each weekly surf session, the group has started to include a spontaneous Nuu-chah-nulth phrase for everyone to learn before going over the usual safety talk. Who's ready to ride the wave? Surfing or siiksaanapšiił ( pronounced seek-saw-nup-sheelth ) refers to going in with the waves (siiksaana), and šiił refers to doing something over and over again. -30- Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Hamilton Spectator
08-05-2025
- General
- Hamilton Spectator
Pacific gray whale washes up on Long Beach, DFO to conduct full necropsy
Long Beach, B.C. - Tla-o-qui-aht Tribal Parks Guardian Gisele Maria Martin spotted the whale floating out in rough seas in front of the Esowista Peninsula on Monday and by Wednesday the magnificent creature had found its final resting place just south of Lovekin Rock on Long Beach in the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. 'The first thing we did was ceremony. We did a chant for the whale,' said Martin. Then the Guardians secured a rope around the tail of the deceased juvenile gray whale to save him from the rising tide and with the help of Parks Canada, they drew lines in the sand to create a perimeter around the body. 'When I first arrived, people were quite close and poking the whale. We just don't want to see the whale getting walked on for selfies,' she said. In Nuu-chah-nulth culture, whales are represented in a lot of stories and have brought wealth to nations, says Martin. They also carry a strong connection to the supernatural. 'Seeing it up close made me think of the amazing strength and endurance that the whale hunters had,' she said. For many curious onlookers, the sight of the dead whale brought on a flood of emotions. 'There was one woman visiting from Alberta…She was in tears about it,' said Martin. DFO to conduct full necropsy Ph.D. biologist and Tofino resident Jim Darling has been researching whales since the 1970s. He told the Ha-Shilth-Sa that Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) will perform a full necropsy of the gray whale to determine the cause of death. 'To have a whale wash in dead at this time of year is not really unusual at all. It happens most years,' said Darling. Gray whales spend their summers feeding in the northern latitudes, right up into the Arctic and even into the Beaufort Sea, explained Darling. They feed all summer and then they migrate south to Mexico, where they feed 'little to none.' 'This is when they are most vulnerable. They have been living off fat reserves from last summers' feeding,' he said. 'However, to complicate that though, the last couple of years and continuing this year for sure, there is something else going on for sure,' Darling continues. It has been widely reported that over 70 whales have died this year along Mexico's Baja California coast, where wintering females give birth and nurse their calves. 'That's shocking. Those numbers are really high. Everyone is concerned,' said Darling. 'I think the consensus is amongst most researchers is that the problem is in the Arctic where the ecosystem has changed quite dramatically. The feeling is that these gray whales just aren't getting the food reserves that they need to make it through the migration and the winter-feeding season.' There are roughly 200 local gray whales that live off the coast of Vancouver Island and around 15,000 grays that do the migration route, according to Darling. He said the migrating herd is overall 'really stressed' while the local herd seems 'stable'. He said the results of the necropsy will determine whether the whale died from an empty stomach, which would indicate malnourishment. 'They store their fat reserves in their blubber. They can measure the thickness of that, and it gives and indication of the health of the whale,' Darling said, noting that the necropsy will also examine the whales' organs, blood and skin. maaʔak means 'take a big bite' In Tla-o-qui-aht language, the word for gray whale is maaʔak, which translates to 'take a big bite'. Martin says Tribal Parks Guardians is looking at taking some of the whale blubber, whale bones to carve traditional tools and some of the baleen for traditional regalia. Tom Campbell, of Ahousaht First Nation, brought his grandkids to see the deceased whale on May 7. 'We had one wash up in Ahousaht some years back. I got to taste it because they started cutting it up. It was chewy. A little bit hard to chew. Years ago they used to put the blubber on a big fire to make oil and they had some pretty sharp tools to cut it up,' Campbell shared. While commercial whaling decimated the species, putting an end to traditional whale hunting for Nuu-chah-nulth, the Makah Tribe located in Washington State at Neah Bay recently submitted an application for a permit to hunt a limited number of North Pacific gray whales for ceremonial and subsistence purposes in the summer of 2025 and 2027. Public comments on the Makah Tribe's application closed on May 5 and a decision is pending. A necropsy is now underway, according to DFO. -30-
