|
The charismatic killer whale, or orca, is the totem species of northwest Washington and coastal British Columbia, where its images adorn everything from coffee mugs to long-houses. This intelligent, social predator is known to form lasting social bonds — living in highly organized pods where everyone cares for the young, sick, or injured. But like many endangered species, these groups must learn how to navigate the complicated terrain of the 21st century and the dangers it presents.
ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT PROFILE
PROTECTION STATUS: Endangered
YEAR PLACED ON LIST: 2005
CRITICAL HABITAT: 2,500 square miles of Puget Sound, Haro Strait, and Juan de Fuca Strait designated in 2006
RECOVERY PLAN: Draft 2007
RANGE: Puget Sound, Juan de Fuca Strait, Haro Strait, and Georgia Strait
THREATS: Toxic chemicals, declines in salmon, general ecosystem deterioration, growing whale-watching pressure, collisions with ships, oil spills, Navy sonar, and entanglement in fishing nets
POPULATION TREND: Southern resident killer whales have experienced alarming population instability during the past 30 years, indicating that the population is unsteady and oscillating toward extinction. Since 1996, the population has experienced a steep drop, going from 97 to 78 whales.
|
SAVING THE PUGET SOUND KILLER WHALE
The Center has used science and law to save the Puget Sound killer whale. We brought together a population ecologist, a toxicologist, and an endangered species activist to study the whales’ life history, habitat needs, threats, and population trends; we also enlisted a lawyer to review legal mandates for the protection of imperiled species. This diverse group produced an important population analysis, revealing that if current trends continue, the Puget Sound whale population will go extinct within 100 years.
Our science and legal team immediately set to work developing a citizen petition to list the Puget Sound whales under the Endangered Species Act. After this petition was filed with the National Marine Fisheries Service, the agency determined that the whale population was in danger of extinction but at the same time was “not significant.”
We pressed on through the courts, and, following a legal victory, the Service announced that it would protect the southern resident killer whale population in Puget Sound as an endangered species. With critical habitat designated the following year, we’re now developing a recovery plan to ensure the whales’ future survival.
ACTION TIMELINE
+ CAMPAIGN LINKS
NATURAL HISTORY
+ MEDIA
Contact: Brendan Cummings
|
