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Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca MP calls for federal protection of southern resident orcas

“Time is running out to save the southern resident killer whales,” says Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca MP Randall Garrison, who has tabled a motion in Ottawa to help protect the endangered mammals.
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Randall Garrison, NDP MP for Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke.

“Time is running out to save the southern resident killer whales,” says Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca MP Randall Garrison, who has tabled a motion in Ottawa to help protect the endangered mammals.

In Victoria on Friday, Garrison outlined his action plan focused on the approximately 81 whales living in the waters off southern Vancouver Island. At a news conference at the Robert Bateman Centre, Garrison called for support for research and monitoring programs, including habitat threats, reduction of chemical pollutants in the Salish Sea, regulation of noise pollution and measures to increase Chinook stocks — the whales’ primary source of food.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada says southern-resident killer whales “are at risk” because of contamination with high levels of toxic chemicals and that water pollution affects species on which the whales feed, leading to reduced food supply. The proximity of the whales’ habitat to urban centres such as Seattle, Victoria and Vancouver has led to more frequent collisions with boats and exposure to significantly higher numbers of oil spills. The southern residents have lost several matriarchs in the past two years, reproductive-age males are down nearly 26 per cent and the pods are forced to forage further offshore for food.

“They are sentinels for the health of our ecosystem,” Garrison said of the killer whales. “They are also drivers of our sustainable local tourism economy - which generates so many jobs on this coast.”

In 2003, the southern resident whales were listed as endangered on the species-at-risk public registry. Northern resident whales, off Vancouver Island’s north coast, were listed as threatened at the same time.

In 2009, the federal court ruled the government was legally bound to protect the whales’ habitat.

It wasn’t until 2011 that the government released a recovery strategy, that set March 2013 as the target date for an action plan.

“We are still waiting for an action plan,” Garrison said.

When the motion is entered at the House of Commons Monday, it can be opened for debate and consent at any time.

Garrison hopes a public campaign with the support of whale advocates and a petition will force Ottawa to take action.

Misty MacDuffee from the Raincoast Conservation Foundation said Chinook stocks are so crucial, the Department of Fisheries should consider a temporary ban to replenish them.

“It’s short term pain for long term gain,” she said, adding at least a million Chinook are needed to feed the resident pods each year. “It all comes back to the health of the Salish Sea.”

Recent federal cuts to monitoring and stewardship programs have also put the whales and people at risk, said Megan Baker from Cetus Research and Conservation Society.

After 10 years of monitoring whale interactions with boats, assuring proper distances were kept and educating boaters, the organization’s budget was cut. “This is the first year we were not at sea,” said Baker.

spetrescu@timescolonist.com