U.S. upholds protection for resident orcas

An effort by two California farmers and a U.S. property rights group to have southern resident killer whales taken off the U.S. endangered species list has been rejected by the National Marine Fisheries Service.

A petition for delisting the whales came from farmers in California’s Central Valley, working with the Center for Environmental Science Accuracy and Reliability and Pacific Legal Foundation, a conservative law firm.

The fisheries service, part of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, agreed earlier this year to investigate the claim that the classifi- cation of southern residents as a separate population of orcas was inaccurate.

But the investigation turned up evidence that refuted that claim, said a document signed by sustainable fisheries director Alan Risenhoover.

“We have no new information that would change the recommendation in our five-year review that the southern resident killer whale(s) … remain classified as endangered,” the ruling said.

All the evidence supports previous findings that the population is in danger of extinction, it said.

The number of killer whales in the three resident pods that spend much of their time around the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound has dropped to 82 animals, the lowest in more than a decade — well below recovery targets set by the Canadian and U.S. governments.

Lack of chinook salmon, the preferred diet of the whales, pollution and underwater noise are major threats faced by the whales.

The whales’ preference for salmon was the link used by the California farmers who wanted them delisted.

Water used for irrigation in the Sacramento-San Joaquin river deltas is rationed in an effort to help salmon survive.

Meanwhile, the whales will have extra protection on the water.

A federal grant from NOAA to the Washington Fish and Wildlife Department will be spent on hiring an enforcement officer to police rules keeping boats at least 100 metres away from the whales.

The killer whale cop is expected to spend 500 hours each summer doing marine patrols, investigating violations and working with U.S. and Canadian agencies.

The officer will also do public education and work with community groups.

The U.S. Soundwatch program continues to have eyes on the water but, on the Canadian side of Juan de Fuca Strait, the federal government has not renewed its funding of the Straitwatch program.