Government of Canada continues to strengthen measures to protect Southern Resident killer whales

[IronNoggin]

News release​

April 14, 2021 Ottawa, Ontario

The Southern Resident killer whale is an icon of Canada’s pacific coast and this endangered species has an important cultural significance for Indigenous peoples and coastal communities in British Columbia (B.C.). The Government of Canada has taken strong, consistent action to protect and restore its population and will continue to do so. For the third consecutive year, it will enact measures to further protect these whales in Canadian waters.

Today, the Minister of Transport, the Honourable Omar Alghabra, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Bernadette Jordan, and the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada and Minister Responsible for Parks Canada, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, announced protective measures for this year and beyond.

Measures include:

• For the second year, vessels will be prohibited from approaching any killer whale within a 400-meter distance in southern B.C. coastal waters between Campbell River and Ucluelet, including Barkley and Howe Sound. This is in effect year-round until May 31, 2022.
• Re-introducing three interim sanctuary zones off Pender Island, Saturna Island and at Swiftsure Bank, in effect from June 1 to November 30, 2021. No vessel traffic will be permitted in these areas, subject to certain exceptions for emergency situations and Indigenous vessels.
• Putting fishery closures in place for commercial and recreational salmon in a portion of Swiftsure Bank from July 16 to October 31, 2021, and in the Strait of Juan de Fuca from August 1to October 31, 2021. These actions will help protect the whales’ access to Chinook salmon with minimal disturbance in key foraging areas.
• The introduction of a new pilot closure protocol for commercial and recreational salmon fisheries in the southern Gulf Islands, whereby fishery closures are triggered by the first confirmed presence of Southern Resident killer whales in the area. Monitoring will begin in the area on June 1, 2021, and once a Southern Resident killer whale is confirmed, fishery closures will be triggered and will remain in place until October 31, 2021.
• Continuing to help reduce contaminants in the environment affecting whales and their prey. Long-term actions focus on enhancing regulatory controls, monitoring and research, sharing information and data, and expanding outreach and education.

Effectively ensuring the protection and recovery of Southern Resident killer whales requires a long-term, collective effort by the Government of Canada and other partners. These measures once again reflect advice from First Nations, the Southern Resident killer whale Technical Working Groups, the Indigenous and Multi-stakeholder Advisory Group, and from public consultations.

Government of Canada continues to strengthen measures to protect Southern Resident killer whales

The Southern Resident killer whale is an icon of Canada’s pacific coast and this endangered species has an important cultural significance for Indigenous peoples and coastal communities in British Columbia (B.C.). The Government of Canada has taken strong, consistent action to protect and...

www.canada.ca

 

[littlechucky]

Latest ENGO form letter campaign:

Take action | Raincoast

The Islands Trust was created to protect the unique ecosystems of BC’s Gulf Islands, without being given the authority to do so. Rather than protecting the environment from potentially harmful human…

www.raincoast.org

Note the bullets on Chinook fishing. Getting a bit rediculous.

 

[High Time]

News release​

April 14, 2021 Ottawa, Ontario

The Southern Resident killer whale is an icon of Canada’s pacific coast and this endangered species has an important cultural significance for Indigenous peoples and coastal communities in British Columbia (B.C.). The Government of Canada has taken strong, consistent action to protect and restore its population and will continue to do so. For the third consecutive year, it will enact measures to further protect these whales in Canadian waters.

Today, the Minister of Transport, the Honourable Omar Alghabra, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Bernadette Jordan, and the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada and Minister Responsible for Parks Canada, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, announced protective measures for this year and beyond.

Measures include:

• For the second year, vessels will be prohibited from approaching any killer whale within a 400-meter distance in southern B.C. coastal waters between Campbell River and Ucluelet, including Barkley and Howe Sound. This is in effect year-round until May 31, 2022.
• Re-introducing three interim sanctuary zones off Pender Island, Saturna Island and at Swiftsure Bank, in effect from June 1 to November 30, 2021. No vessel traffic will be permitted in these areas, subject to certain exceptions for emergency situations and Indigenous vessels.
• Putting fishery closures in place for commercial and recreational salmon in a portion of Swiftsure Bank from July 16 to October 31, 2021, and in the Strait of Juan de Fuca from August 1to October 31, 2021. These actions will help protect the whales’ access to Chinook salmon with minimal disturbance in key foraging areas.
• The introduction of a new pilot closure protocol for commercial and recreational salmon fisheries in the southern Gulf Islands, whereby fishery closures are triggered by the first confirmed presence of Southern Resident killer whales in the area. Monitoring will begin in the area on June 1, 2021, and once a Southern Resident killer whale is confirmed, fishery closures will be triggered and will remain in place until October 31, 2021.
• Continuing to help reduce contaminants in the environment affecting whales and their prey. Long-term actions focus on enhancing regulatory controls, monitoring and research, sharing information and data, and expanding outreach and education.

Effectively ensuring the protection and recovery of Southern Resident killer whales requires a long-term, collective effort by the Government of Canada and other partners. These measures once again reflect advice from First Nations, the Southern Resident killer whale Technical Working Groups, the Indigenous and Multi-stakeholder Advisory Group, and from public consultations.

Government of Canada continues to strengthen measures to protect Southern Resident killer whales

The Southern Resident killer whale is an icon of Canada’s pacific coast and this endangered species has an important cultural significance for Indigenous peoples and coastal communities in British Columbia (B.C.). The Government of Canada has taken strong, consistent action to protect and...

www.canada.ca

OK Folks, Let me get this straight. For the third year in a row,according to bullet 2, we are going to have the three "interm"what ever that means,sanctuary zones off Pender Island,Saturna Island, and at Swiftsure Bank from June 1 to Nov.30, regardless of whether a SRKW ever enters the inside waters in 2021. Now, according to bullet 4, if one SRKW is confirmed near the Southern Gulf Islands, some sort of fishery closure will come into effect, somewhere, and continue until Oct. 31. No details, nothing. The last two years have confirmed that the "sanctuary zones" have accomplished nothing meaningful regarding the SRKW. Once more it appears that DFO has spewed out some sort of gobbledygook that nobody can understand and on the face of it has once more targeted the Southern Gulf Islands as the "whipping boy" to try and look like they are actually doing something re the SRKW in order to appease the ENGOs. If anyone can enlighten me with anything that makes this announcement make any real commonsense, please do so.

 

[searun]

OK Folks, Let me get this straight. For the third year in a row,according to bullet 2, we are going to have the three "interm"what ever that means,sanctuary zones off Pender Island,Saturna Island, and at Swiftsure Bank from June 1 to Nov.30, regardless of whether a SRKW ever enters the inside waters in 2021. Now, according to bullet 4, if one SRKW is confirmed near the Southern Gulf Islands, some sort of fishery closure will come into effect, somewhere, and continue until Oct. 31. No details, nothing. The last two years have confirmed that the "sanctuary zones" have accomplished nothing meaningful regarding the SRKW. Once more it appears that DFO has spewed out some sort of gobbledygook that nobody can understand and on the face of it has once more targeted the Southern Gulf Islands as the "whipping boy" to try and look like they are actually doing something re the SRKW in order to appease the ENGOs. If anyone can enlighten me with anything that makes this announcement make any real commonsense, please do so.

Don't get your knickers in a knot, there have been new amendments to the 2021 plan that differ from last year. They are using interim to describe a fluid plan that is being developed or iterated as new information comes in. Perhaps they could have used Iterative as opposed to interim.

As for the "triggering" of measures after June 1, the reason was to respond to feedback that in prior years SRKW were not in these areas until very late in the summer....so in response there was agreement to try a trigger mechanism that would fire once SRKW actually enter the area. After they are spotted, that triggers a closure...so open until closed as opposed to closed. Big difference. So to be clear...after June 1, if SRKW are observed in the inside waters, that will trigger these fishery closures which will stay in effect until Oct 31. But, if you don't like it we can ask DFO to remove this measure. It would be even simpler - closed.

 

[SpringVelocity]

Maybe it's the fact that one of leaders that campaigned this lives on Pender island? Is that a coincidence? Riddle me that?

I agree with what searun said they really are just continuing what happened last year, but of course DFO wants to inflate it like it's big news. Too be clear though. It has always been about limiting tanker traffic. We are just an easy group to target.

The best solution would have been the bubble we proposed, but it doesn't work to push back increased tanker traffic. Something the environmentalists want.

Wait till they push Transient Orca habitat if you think this is bad.

 

[searun]

Ya, I think the transient recovery plan is just a way to use science as a mechanism to stop efforts towards predator control (pinnipeds). Manipulate the scientific criteria to establish a listing to meet a simple threatened status (on a population that is healthy and increasing annually), and then write a recovery stategy that has a foundation built on prey availability and stopping any measures to control predators that are responsible for salmon declines. Trade off's?? Salmon don't matter apparently, and nor do SRKW if you think the limiting factor is prey (salmon) availability. Endless stupid circles.

 

[SpringVelocity]

Ya, I think the transient recovery plan is just a way to use science as a mechanism to stop efforts towards predator control (pinnipeds). Manipulate the scientific criteria to establish a listing to meet a simple threatened status (on a population that is healthy and increasing annually), and then write a recovery stategy that has a foundation built on prey availability and stopping any measures to control predators that are responsible for salmon declines. Trade off's?? Salmon don't matter apparently, and nor do SRKW if you think the limiting factor is prey (salmon) availability. Endless stupid circles.

Agree

 

[wavetamer]

Problem is these are well funded organized groups with a strategy and a really good plan to get us off the water and there crushing us with really good success

 

[agentaqua]

Good points searun, SV and WT. I see 2 important factors in play:
1/ the conflicts of interest and hypocrisy of the marine mammal lobby in trying to preserve all MMs (SRKW, Biggs/transients, and all seals) to sometimes earn money - while talking out of both sides of their mouths @ the same time. Either we don't know what we are doing and shouldn't do anything (the excuse that pops-up when the seal cull/hunt/market is raised) which should INCLUDE the same reasoning for NOT doing anything about the SRKWs - or alternatively - we should do what we can about BOTH the SRKWs AND seals. They need to pick an argument and stay consistent and honest with their reasoning, and
2/ The US Marine Mammal Act, NOAA and the seafood market. Canada mirrors what NOAA does to keep the seafood market open to the states - including the SRKW mitigation measures. That kinda ties our hands with how adaptable we can be in relaxing the SRKW measures. But this factor is rarely - if ever - admitted.

 

[ericl]

2/ The US Marine Mammal Act, NOAA and the seafood market. Canada mirrors what NOAA does to keep the seafood market open to the states - including the SRKW mitigation measures. That kinda ties our hands with how adaptable we can be in relaxing the SRKW measures. But this factor is rarely - if ever - admitted.

I'd say we are headed towards wider legal pinniped control down here - the Treaty Tribes published data showing pinnipeds tale 6x the fish that all fishing groups combined take - not sure if the Treaty & it's interpretation would allow for pinniped control on the basis of the Tribes not getting the fish they are legally entitled to but I could see it happening.

 

[UkeeDreamin]

I'd say we are headed towards wider legal pinniped control down here - the Treaty Tribes published data showing pinnipeds tale 6x the fish that all fishing groups combined take - not sure if the Treaty & it's interpretation would allow for pinniped control on the basis of the Tribes not getting the fish they are legally entitled to but I could see it happening.

Ericl, do you know if that 6x factor is in “adult equivalents” or is it comparing fry and smolt predation directly to mature, adult mortality?

Cheers!

Ukee

 

[ericl]

Ericl, do you know if that 6x factor is in “adult equivalents” or is it comparing fry and smolt predation directly to mature, adult mortality?

Other than what I stated there are no details, except for the supposed numbers of Harbor Seals, California Sea Lions & Stellar Sea Lions. I am fairly surety numbers include immature fish.

 

[searun]

I'd say we are headed towards wider legal pinniped control down here - the Treaty Tribes published data showing pinnipeds tale 6x the fish that all fishing groups combined take - not sure if the Treaty & it's interpretation would allow for pinniped control on the basis of the Tribes not getting the fish they are legally entitled to but I could see it happening.

Interesting data point, would you happen to have a link to the research paper? Pretty sure IronNoggin would be interested to know also.

 

[ericl]

The figures came from a news bulletin. Here is a detailed research paper that is related:

https://wdfw.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2021-01/7_pinnipedconservationmanagementupdate_jan29_2021_0.pdf

This was found via a google search of "tribes pinniped predation"

I have not yet found the article I referenced above; will keep trying.

 

[ericl]

Can't find the original reference - if you go to:

Northwest Treaty Tribes

Northwest Treaty Tribes is a service of Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission (NWIFC) providing information about the treaty tribes of Western Washington and their natural resource management efforts.

nwtreatytribes.org

search on "harbor seal" - there are 20 or so references

Tribes Team Up with State on Harbor Seal Survey - Northwest Treaty Tribes

Being Frank is a column written by the chair of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission. As a statement from the…

nwtreatytribes.org

Freshwater Slaughter | Northwest Power and Conservation Council

www.nwcouncil.org

Looks like THE problem has been known to science for a long time; this is definitely all political.

It may not be the smoking gun, but at this point appears to be the common issue along with warmer water temps affecting Chinook coastwise.