INSIGHT: Saving Endangered Orcas—Strategies From Above and Below the 49th Parallel

In May, the Canadian government announced wide-ranging measures to reduce primary threats to the unique Southern Resident killer whales reliant on the transboundary waters of the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia. Although endangered for years—listed by Canada in 2003 and the U.S. in 2005—little had happened until now to reduce threats to their survival.

Abundance of Chinook (King) salmon, the Southern Residents’ primary prey, is the key driver of killer whale birth rates and mortality, but noisy and congested waters interfere with hunting and feeding on these fish.

Governments on either side of the 49th parallel north—which divides Washington and Canada—have taken different approaches to conserving killer whales. What neither has accomplished is a way to increase Chinook salmon, their primary prey fish.

Now there are fewer large Chinook, and many are contaminated with toxic pollution draining from the watersheds around the Salish Sea, home to 8 million people.

Consequently, the whales aren’t getting enough to eat, and what they are eating might be contributing to excessively high pregnancy failures.

Minimizing threats to these animals requires addressing human activities.

Canada began to take steps in 2018 in response to mounting public pressure over delayed recovery action, lawsuits, the growing profile of whale deaths (more than 50 since federal listing), and declining numbers.

First, it implemented regulations banning seasonal sport fishing in some places where Southern Resident killer whales feed. The goal was to reduce competition, noise, and disturbance from fishing vessels in pursuit of the same fish.

In May of this year, Canada introduced more wide-ranging measures.

The distance vessels had to maintain from a pod was increased to 400 meters. In addition, whale watching was discouraged, sanctuaries were established that were off limits to vessels, a conservation agreement was fashioned with shipping companies to slow down and limit noise, and fishing closures in specific times and places continued.

Canada’s approach is species-specific, linking threats to explicit times and areas. Although ostensibly comprehensive, these efforts fall short.

Broadly, the times, areas, and reductions are limited relative to what is likely necessary to effectively reduce stressors on whales. But it’s an important start.

Ecosystem Approach

In the U.S., Washington state has stepped up recovery efforts for federally protected killer whales. From that state’s perspective, struggling killer whales reflect the health of the Salish Sea.

From forage fish like herring that feed Chinook salmon, to pollutants draining into Puget Sound, the problems stem from the loss of ecosystem function—a concept that links ecosystem components (species) to the quality and quantity of habitat. Ecosystem function is fundamental to the survival of endangered species, and its benefits accrue to far more than one species.

Gov. Jay Inslee (D) created a task force that advocated for an ecosystem approach, and the state subsequently passed stronger laws to protect fish habitat. The state also passed new toxic laws that allow them to regulate whole classes of household toxic chemicals. Environmental advocates have called it the nation’s strongest legislation for consumer products.

The Bigger Picture

Washington and Canada have taken different approaches to reducing the threat to killer whales. Both are necessary. What neither has accomplished is a way to increase Chinook abundance, largely because viewpoints on why Southern Residents aren’t getting enough to eat are divided.

Washington is putting more money into hatchery production at a time when evidence indicates that hatcheries are part of the reason wild Chinook have failed to recover.

Southern Residents evolved to prey on large and old Chinook salmon that spread their spawning migration from spring to winter. Hatcheries have failed to undertake measures that will ensure a healthy population of large, old Chinook salmon that depend on longer migration times throughout the seasons.

While this is worsened by fishing and climate change, new science suggests that the billions of hatchery salmon released annually into the North Pacific are overgrazing the commons. There simply isn’t enough food to go around and Chinook may be bigger losers in this game than say, pink salmon.

Counterproductive Hatcheries

Whatever the mechanism, the evidence shows that the more hatchery fish there are, the less likely wild Chinook can recover.

But what Chinook hatcheries do accomplish is keeping fisheries open, and herein lies a principal controversy in Southern Resident killer whale recovery.

From Alaska to the Pacific Northwest, more than a million Chinook destined for Southern Residents’ feeding grounds are caught legally in marine fisheries. In addition, unknown numbers die from encounters with legal fisheries and as bycatch in non-salmon fisheries.

Fish-eating seals and sea lions are also blamed for eating Chinook. While seals and sea lion numbers have certainly grown since their protection in the 1970s, studies show that salmon generally, and Chinook specifically, are a small proportion of the seals’ and sea lions’ diets.

Further, more seals have attracted their primary predator—the transient, mammal-eating Bigg’s killer whales, an effective presence for moderating seal numbers. Bigg’s whales are a separate type of killer whale that also use the Salish sea but don’t intermingle with the Southern Resident killer whales.

Ensuring ecosystem health in the Salish Sea isn’t about managing the ocean, it’s about managing humans. It requires humans to be just one of many predators that rely on foundation species like herring and salmon which drive the cold-water ecosystems of the North Pacific.

In the last century, commercial and sport fisheries have extracted huge volumes of these fish, and in the case of salmon, using hatcheries for their recovery has created a multitude of problems. If Canada and the U.S. are serious about the recovery of Southern Resident killer whales, especially in an age of climate uncertainty, both countries need to address the impact of the human predator.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. or its owners.

Author Information

Misty MacDuffee is the Wild Salmon Program Director at the Raincoast Conservation Foundation in British Columbia.