Renewed commitment to Southern resident killer whale recovery efforts

Canadian governmental agencies and maritime enterprises recently attended a signing ceremony in Vancouver, B.C., to renew a conservation agreement supporting the recovery of the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whale (SRKW) under the Species at Risk Act. 

The Chamber of Shipping, the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, and the Pacific Pilotage Authority joined Transport Canada and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans in renewing their collaboration for another five years.

Some of these collaborative efforts have included mitigating acoustic and physical disturbances caused by large commercial ships in the whale’s habitat. Successes to date have included greater participation by vessel operators in voluntary speed reduction measures, and a noteworthy reduction in underwater radiated noise of more than 50% in key areas.