BC Ferries partners with Canadian government to better protect whales

A new agreement signed by BC Ferries with Fisheries and Oceans Canada and with Transport Canada outlines new measures to reduce underwater noise and other impacts on at-risk whales in British Columbia’s coastal waters.

“BC Ferries has a responsibility to connect customers and coastal communities while protecting the marine environment we all value,” said Brian Anderson, the Interim President and Chief Executive Officer at BC Ferries. "We have taken meaningful steps to reduce the impact of our operations on marine mammals, and this agreement builds on that work.”

The agreement calls for a plan to reduce overall underwater radiated noise from the fleet of BC Ferries by 50% in the critical habitat of Southern Resident killer whales by 2036, when compared with a 2019 baseline.

Under the new Species at Risk Act Section 11 Conservation Agreement, a framework is set out for BC Ferries and the Canadian governmental agencies seek out how to quantify and feasibly reduce vessel-related threats associated with ferry operations to protect the Southern Resident killer whales, as well as other at-risk cetacean species.

BC Ferries is aiming to cut overall underwater radiated noise by half through fleet renewal and/or retrofits. The company also plans to research, develop and deploy quieting technologies, as well as operational and maintenance practices with the same goal.

Other conservation measures include developing a more adaptive monitoring and mitigation framework to lower the risks of vessel-cetacean strikes. The framework also calls for engaging industry associations to share their expertise and information, while also doing more public outreach and education.

Transport Canada is supporting the plan by providing expertise and advice informed by its research on measurement and monitoring technologies, as well as on the design, operational and maintenance approaches to further reduce underwater noise with newly emerging technologies.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada will provide expertise on the impacts of underwater noise and vessel strikes as well as potential ways to reduce their harm. “This collaborative agreement builds on enhanced federal management measures to protect Southern Resident killer whales, and broader government efforts to manage threats to whales across Canada,” said the Honourable Joanne Thompson, Minister of Fisheries.

The agreement complements the government’s broader conservation efforts, including those undertaken by the Enhancing Cetacean and Habitat Observation (ECHO) Program. These efforts include a separate Species at Risk Act Section 11 Conservation Agreement involving Transport Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority and marine industry partners.