Threats to Canada's killer whales

Resident Killer Whales face many serious threats to their survival, including declining salmon stocks, physical and acoustic disturbance, and toxic contamination.
Wild salmon are an important part of the killer whale diet. Resident killer whales tend to be found in concentrated areas during the period when salmon are returning to rivers to spawn. Unfortunately, BC salmon stocks have been declining since the early 1990s.
Killer whales are vulnerable to accumulating high levels of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) because they are long-lived animals that feed high in the food web. British Columbia’s resident and transient orcas are among the most contaminated marine mammals in the world.
All cetaceans, including Resident Killer Whales, face increasing amounts of disturbance from vessels, aircraft, and anthropogenic noise. Both private and commercial boat traffic have increased dramatically in recent years, and killer whales must navigate and communicate in increasingly busy and noisy waters.
Industrial activities such as dredging, drilling, construction, seismic surveys, and low and mid-frequency military sonar also impact the acoustic environment. The Canadian and American navies conduct military active sonar testing near Nanoose Bay in Georgia Strait, and off the west coast of Vancouver Island. There is growing evidence that underwater noise can disrupt behaviours, cause physical injury and render habitat unsuitable for marine mammals.

For more information on the legal battle to protect Canada's endangered killer whales, follow the links below.