Giving whales the right-of-way in the Salish Sea
“The Strait of Georgia in the Salish Sea is one of the most important marine areas in Canada in need of protection,” says Susie Washington-Smyth, co-ordinator of the Southern Gulf Islands Whale Sighting Network. “I’m worried that if we don’t act now there will be nothing left to protect.”
Coastal waters, flanked by B.C.’s Gulf Islands and the San Juan Islands in the U.S., are heavily frequented by both marine transport and whales travelling from the Strait of Georgia to the Haro Strait in the Salish Sea. “There are about 3,000 species in the Salish Sea, with orcas at the top of the food chain,” she says. “Southern resident [orcas] are the poster child of endangered species on the West Coast, and protection measures in the southern Strait of Georgia could tip the balance between southern residents surviving or not.”
There are only 73 southern resident orcas left, the lowest number ever recorded, says Washington-Smyth. “Shipping and marine traffic has increased and continues to increase dramatically, but current protection measures for whales are woefully inadequate.”
Management measures, in effect June 1 to November 30, encompass a “voluntary ship slowdown,” she says, “but that’s not enough. While there are interim sanctuary zones for the whales, they are too small, are not connected and have practically no enforcement. What’s more, the sanctuary zones are only in place half the year when the whales are present year-round.”
Current measures fall under the jurisdiction of Transport Canada, and outcomes can be significantly enhanced by forming a marine conservation area co-managed by First Nations, Parks Canada, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada, as both federal agencies have strong conservation and environmental protection mandates, argues Washington-Smyth. “We hope First Nations and federal and provincial governments will work together and help address the cumulative threats, including habitat loss, overfishing, pollution and climate change. Our communities depend on a healthy coastal environment.
“Since these waters are so heavily used, it’s one of the most critical ecosystems to protect,” she adds. “If we can’t protect the home of the orcas, an important indicator species for the Salish Sea, what hope do we have for the future?”
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