It’s time to stop perpetuating the myth that the population of southern resident killer whales has been “dramatically reduced.”
Whale census data compiled by the Centre for Whale Research shows numbers have been stable for the last 60 years, fluctuating between a low of 66 in 1973 and high of 98 in 1995. The last count, on Jan. 11, 2019, showed 75 members.
The organization has published annual numbers with modelled data from 1960 to 1972 and census data afterward.
That data shows no sign of statistically significant change in the southern resident killer whale population, and doesn’t show any dramatic reduction.
While I agree we should try to support our resident whales, let’s stop creating a fake crisis. There is no crisis.
Richard Lewanski
Sidney
