‘High Probability of Extinction’: Urgent please for action to save southern residence Orcas | Globalnews.ca

A new report from a group of more than 30 experts say a population of endangered Killer Whales off the Coast of British Columbia and Washington State is showing no sign of recovery under the currents.

There is an “Urgent need for more robust action”

Despite Measures Adopted by Canada and the United States Since 2019, The Report Says The Whales Face a “High Probability of Extinction” If Conditions Don’T Change.

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Lance Barrett-Lennard, Cetacean Scientist with the Raincoast Foundation, Says there is “no convincing reason” Strongeer Measures.

A statement from the BC-Based Conservation Groups Says The Report Marks The First Time Scientists have proposed a road map for the recover of southern resident killer whoth sides of the canda-border.

The report makes a series of 26 Science-based recommendations, Including Limiting Fisheries to Help The Vhale Access their Main Prey, Chinook salmon, along with aliminating toxic chemicals that live chain Adopting Enforceable underwater Noise Standards.

“We specifically wanted to have a conversation that was science-focused, but we we have mendful of keeping this as realistic as possible,” Barrett-Lennard Says.

The scientific report is the result of a Workshop Held in Vancouver in March that BROUGHT TOGETHER 31 Experts from Canada, The United States and Europe to CONSIDER Whill TAKE TAKE TAKE TAKE TAKE TAKE TAKE TAKE TAKE TAKE TAKE TAKE TAKE TAKE TAKE TAKE TAKE TAKE TAKE TAKE TAKE to Save to Save to Save to Save to Save to Save the Animals, Hee Says.

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The Fisheries Department has described the whales as a “critically endangered iconic specials” of which 73 individuals remained at last census.

The federal government has determined the Vhales face “Imminent Threats”

Barrett-Lennard Says ottawa indicated at the time that it would “strengthen” Recovery measures, but he hadn Bollywood any intelligence or a timeline.

The Fisheries, Transport and Environment Departments Did Not Immedited to requests for comment on the report and its recommendations.

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“It may take a long time, even decades, to observe the biological effects of these measures, as (the southern residences) are long-lived animals that repelly, and their recovery is the exovery is excess Time, “The Fisheries Department said in its statement announcing ottawa’s decision in March.

The decision also took into account “Social, Economic, Policy and Other Factors, and the Broader Public Interest,” The Statement said.

Barrett-Lennard Acknowledged It Takes Time to see signs of recovery in a population of long-live animals with a slow reproductive rate.

The existing measures since 2019 may have helped halt the whales’ further decline, but scientists are “noteing an upturn at this point,” he says.

The current population is “Simply not a viable number for any speech to be robust to catastrophic events like disease or an oil spill and to maintain gentic variation,” He Says.

The whales’ main food source is chinook salmon, and the new report says limited access to prey remains the primery constraint on their reaction.

Current Government Initiatives from Both Countries are “Insufficient” to address the problem, the report says.

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Barrett-Lennard Says The Whales are particularly dependent on the largest, fattiest chinook, which speed the first year of their lives in freshwater streams.

“Thos are the fish that the killer whales take preferentily and to meet their nutritional requires,” He says.

“They also tend to be the ones that fishermen love.”

The report recommends ensuring the Orcas has “Priority Access” It also also calls on government to identify seasonal and annual prey thresholds for the whales, and to close fisheries when their needs are not met.

The recommendations also include expanding slowdown zones for ships and expanding the minimum distance vessels must keep as experts Water, sewage and scrubber wastewater into the whales’ habitat.

Barrett-Lennard Says The Southern Residents are an old, distinct population of orcas with great culture Significance for indigenous people in the area.

Losing the whales would be a “Tragedy,” he says.

“Once we identify members of the population as individuals, everything changes,” he says. “We can begin to recognize individual traits and behavior.

The whales have “huge brains,” he adds.

“We know that they keep track of social relationships through their whohole lives.

& Copy 2025 The Canadian Press