Conservation groups take feds to court in effort to protect orcas

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Conservation groups are launching a lawsuit in an attempt to force the federal government to bring in emergency measures to protect orcas off our coast.

The David Suzuki Foundation, Georgia Strait Alliance, Natural Resources Defense Council, Raincoast Conservation Foundation, Ecojustice and World Wildlife Fund Canada believe not enough is being done.

 

Megan Leslie with World Wildlife Fund Canada says taking this legal step is necessary.

“The whales are starving to death. They don’t have enough food. There’s not enough Chinook salmon for them. They hunt using echo location and the waters are too noisy. There’s too many ships. There’s too many vessels. They’re eating this fish that is full of contaminants and they have contaminants in their bodies. That’s three strikes against them.”

The population of the endangered southern resident killer whales numbers just 75.

“Not one calf has survived since 2016. In that same time period, seven of the adults have died. We’re going in the wrong direction with these whales. They are on the brink of being able to survive and we’ve not seen adequate action from government,” she argues.

LISTEN: NEWS 1130’s Dean Recksiedler speaks with Megan Leslie with World Wildlife Fund Canada

 

“Can you imagine if the coast of B.C. didn’t have orcas? They’re an iconic species,” says Leslie, who notes they mean a lot to us, culturally, in addition to being an important part of the ecosystem.”

Less than a month ago, a killer whale mother carried her deceased calf for 17 days. The incident drew attention to the threats facing the species.

“In her unprecedented 17-days of mourning, J-35, the killer whale also known as Tahlequah, showed us the devastating consequences of inaction on this issue. Her calf survived only half an hour, following three years of unsuccessful births in the population,” says Ecojustice lawyer Dyna Tuytel.

Leslie wants to see the closure of the Chinook fishery. “There are barely enough Chinook in there in the Salish Sea for these whales to survive, let alone for us to be taking our share, as well.”

The groups are also calling for mandatory vessel slowdowns around the whales.

“We need to make sure that they’re not being harassed — that they can actually hunt and eat in peace,” says Leslie.

Leslie says the orcas have been listed as species at risk for the past 15 years. “If the minister finds that there is an imminent threat to a species like this, the minister must act… We don’t think the government is doing its job and we’re hoping the courts agree with that.”

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