Experts fear protection for fin whales will be curtailed as risk rises

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Conservation groups have warned that the endangered status of fin whales on Canada’s west coast is about to be downgraded just as the dangers of LNG shipping and climate change are rising.

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Known as the greyhound of the sea and named for its dorsal fin near its tail, the global population of these nimble, fast-moving whales was decimated by industrial whaling that lasted until the 1980s. Canada’s Pacific fin whale population was declared endangered in May 2005 and legally protected under the Endangered Species Act in 2006.

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After Canada’s Commission on the Status of Critically Endangered Wildlife Status concluded that fin whale numbers were increasing, and reclassified fin whales to Species of Special Concern in 2019, their protection may now be weakening. I have.

The Federal Fisheries Service is seeking public opinion on the issue until Dec. 2, said Eric Keane, a whale researcher and scientific director at the North Coast Cetacean Society.

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With the LNG Canada terminal coming online in 2025 and increased traffic, the danger to fin whales in the BC waters will increase, Keene said.

Marine heatwaves caused by climate change pose an additional threat to whales and could change the locations and abundances available in coastal areas. In 2015, an unusually large number of whales died off the Pacific coast of the United States and Canada after a heat wave likely triggered a bloom of toxic algae that poisoned marine mammals.

Keane said climate change, ship noise and ship collisions combine to pose an unprecedented threat to whales.

Pacific fin whales met the criteria for endangered species, according to the Endangered Wildlife Reporting Commission, but surveys in nearby U.S. waters suggest their populations are increasing, prompting whales to migrate to Canada and become fin whales. was reclassified because it may increase the number of

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Keene said the committee’s decision was surprising.

“A lot of the science in the document is sound, but what’s most confusing to me is the[committee’s]conclusions drawn from the evidence,” he said. However, I conclude that a status reduction is appropriate at this time, and that’s where I take issue.”

In particular, Keene isn’t convinced that US population growth will lead to more fin whales in Canadian waters.

Little is known about the population of fin whales in Pacific waters of Canada, he said, with estimates that they were only 30 to 50 percent of their numbers before they were devastated by whaling.

If fin whales weren’t endangered, there would be no federal mandate to identify and protect critical fin whale habitat, Keane said. Fin whales remain an endangered species in U.S. waters, and authorities are prioritizing reducing or eliminating mortalities from vessel collisions and fishing gear entanglements, and protecting habitats critical to fin whale survival and recovery.

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Ship strikes are the most important cause of fin whale deaths, especially in shipping hotspots on both coasts, the report says. Because most whales sink unnoticed into the ocean when dead, it is difficult to judge the severity and rate of fatal ship attacks, it said.

Fin whales, like many other large whales, are particularly vulnerable to vessel strikes, said Jackie Hildering, a researcher at the Marine Education and Research Association.

According to Hilderling, the recent deaths of juvenile humpback and fin whales off the coast of British Columbia highlight the threat of ship attacks and why whales need to be better protected.

Keane said there are significant data gaps cited by the Commission on Threatened Wildlife Reporting, including estimates of Pacific fin whale populations.

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The commission also assumes that BC fin whales belong to the same populations found in U.S. waters, resulting in a “rescue effect” by migrating whales, Keene said.

“The problem with that is that there is no evidence that it happens,” he said. I have no idea.”

Some studies indicate that there may be distinct populations in Canada, with some whales frequenting very specific areas throughout the year.

Identifying critical habitat for species that are endangered or listed as endangered is a requirement of the Endangered Species Act, although 16 years have passed since the creation of the endangered species list. , No critical habitat for fin whales has yet been designated in Canada, Keane said.

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A 2017 Fisheries Scientific Report identified the Greater Kaamano Sound and Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound regions in the waters between the Haida Gwaii and Kitimat Fjord systems as important habitat for whale recovery. rice field.

Keane said the transportation route for the Liquefied Natural Gas Canada project under construction in Kitimat passes through Kaamano Sound and adjacent fjords frequented by unique fin whale populations.

A study led by Keen identified up to 120 whales hanging in hot spots in the Kitimat fjord system.

“They’re usually thought of as offshore marine species that don’t go near land,” Keen said.

“But this exception tells us there’s a lot more to this species than we thought…and perhaps these coastal habitats are vital to their full recovery.”

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Peak activity is from June to October, but whales use the area year-round for foraging, breeding, mating and parenting.

LNG Canada expects cruise ship-length carriers to arrive almost daily once the liquefaction plant is fully operational.

LNG Canada says ships operate at 8 to 14 knots during peak whale season to reduce the threat of collisions. In addition, BC pilots who are required to board the vessel to navigate the coastal leg of the larger vessel journey provide local knowledge of marine mammals based on information from local monitoring groups.

In September, the Department of Fisheries signed a one-year voluntary agreement with guidelines to delay shipments along the proposed LNG route to improve water security and reduce impacts on indigenous fisheries and harvests. started a pilot project. However, the presence of whales has also been cited as a reason for ships to slow down.

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Either way, LNG shipments alone would mean an additional 700 shipments per year through fin whale-preferred routes, Keene said.

Keane said the fin whale’s conservation status must be maintained and its critical habitat must be protected.

He said it’s a mixed blessing to have a concentrated area that provides essential habitat for fin whales.

“These animals[congregate]in one small area for long periods of time, which is great,” says Keen. “But when you introduce major developments like transportation lanes, it’s kind of a killbox and really concentrates the impact on a particular population.”

Rochelle Baker is a National Observer Reporter for Canada.