A new report just published, “Strengthening Recovery Actions for Southern Resident Killer Whales” says a population of endangered killer whales off the coast of British Columbia and Washington state is showing no sign of recovery under current conditions and that there is an urgent need for more robust actions to save the southern resident killer whales from extinction. The most recent census found 73 southern resident killer whales. Of those, 22 were observed to be in poor condition.
The report marks the first time scientists have proposed a road map for the recovery of this orca population on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border, it includes 26 science-based recommendations, including limiting fisheries to help the whale access their main prey, chinook salmon, along with eliminating toxic chemicals that build up in their food chains and adopting enforceable underwater noise standards. The main food source for these whales is chinook salmon, and the new report states that limited access to prey remains the primary constraint on their recovery.
The full report can be accessed here
