Transboundary Coordination to Reduce Vessel Impacts on Southern Resident Killer Whales
Presentation Abstract
NOAA Fisheries leads the federal recovery program for Southern Resident killer whales (Orcinus orca) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in the U.S. Following the endangered listing in 2005, NOAA finalized a Recovery Plan which identifies impacts from vessels and noise as one of three main threats to Southern Residents. In 2011, NOAA implemented federal regulations in the inland waters of Washington State to reduce these impacts. However, transboundary measures are necessary to achieve a meaningful result for the whales, as they are exposed to vessel traffic on both sides of the U.S./Canada border. NOAA Fisheries has engaged in several transboundary partnerships to educate boaters and address vessel impacts in both U.S. waters and in Canada, as well as bilateral collaborations with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Transport Canada. Most notably, we have established broad transboundary partnerships to promote the Be Whale Wise campaign focused on responsible wildlife viewing and have served on the Advisory Working Group and Acoustic Technical Committee for the Port of Vancouver-led Enhancing Cetacean Habitat and Observation (ECHO) program aimed at managing the impact of shipping activities on whales. The emerging U.S. Quiet Sound program is also in close coordination with the Canadian ECHO program. Addressing vessel threats to such a wide-ranging, transboundary species presents a significant challenge to resource managers. The partnerships that NOAA has utilized to reduce vessel threats to Southern Residents across the U.S./Canada border serve as a model for navigating transboundary coordination for species recovery.
Session Title
Transboundary Vessel Impacts Coordination
Conference Track
SSE5: Southern Resident Killer Whales and Vessel Impacts
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2022 : Online)
Document Type
Event
SSEC Identifier
SSE-traditionals-348
Start Date
28-4-2022 8:30 AM
End Date
28-4-2022 10:00 AM
Type of Presentation
Oral
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Killer whale--Effect of human beings on--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Killer whale--Conservation--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)--Planning; Ships--Environmental aspects
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author's written permission.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Transboundary Coordination to Reduce Vessel Impacts on Southern Resident Killer Whales
NOAA Fisheries leads the federal recovery program for Southern Resident killer whales (Orcinus orca) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in the U.S. Following the endangered listing in 2005, NOAA finalized a Recovery Plan which identifies impacts from vessels and noise as one of three main threats to Southern Residents. In 2011, NOAA implemented federal regulations in the inland waters of Washington State to reduce these impacts. However, transboundary measures are necessary to achieve a meaningful result for the whales, as they are exposed to vessel traffic on both sides of the U.S./Canada border. NOAA Fisheries has engaged in several transboundary partnerships to educate boaters and address vessel impacts in both U.S. waters and in Canada, as well as bilateral collaborations with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Transport Canada. Most notably, we have established broad transboundary partnerships to promote the Be Whale Wise campaign focused on responsible wildlife viewing and have served on the Advisory Working Group and Acoustic Technical Committee for the Port of Vancouver-led Enhancing Cetacean Habitat and Observation (ECHO) program aimed at managing the impact of shipping activities on whales. The emerging U.S. Quiet Sound program is also in close coordination with the Canadian ECHO program. Addressing vessel threats to such a wide-ranging, transboundary species presents a significant challenge to resource managers. The partnerships that NOAA has utilized to reduce vessel threats to Southern Residents across the U.S./Canada border serve as a model for navigating transboundary coordination for species recovery.
