Tuesday, June 4, 2024 Southern Resident killer whales are iconic symbols of Canada’s Pacific coast and hold cultural significance for Indigenous Peoples and coastal communities in British Columbia. For the sixth consecutive year, the Government of Canada is taking action to protect these whales and aid in their population recovery. Today, Jonathan Wilkinson, the Minister of Natural Resources Canada, on behalf of Pablo Rodriguez, the Minister of Transport, Diane Lebouthillier, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, and Steven Guilbeault, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada, announced several measures effective from June 1.
They also declared an investment of $3.5 million to support the protection of Southern Resident killer whales and renewed a five-year Conservation Agreement between the Government of Canada and the marine transportation industry. The measures for 2024 and 2025 include: Additionally, Transport Canada will provide $3.
2 million over two years to the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority to continue the Enhancing Cetacean Habitat and Observation (ECHO) Program. This program conducts groundbreaking research and coordinates voluntary initiatives to reduce threats, encouraging ship operators to slow down or keep their distance in key Southern Resident killer whale habitats, including Haro Strait, Boundary Pass, Swiftsure Bank, and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Transport Canada will also provide $300,000 to Ocean Wise to support .
