Canada's Transport Minister has drawn a new legal boundary around the endangered Southern Resident killer whale: 1,000 metres, 10 knots, and parts of False Creek closed entirely.
The False Creek closure is related to the world cup as I saw reported on the news I saw tonight. Vancouver is pretty locked down as the event gets closer.
The Southern Resident killer whales are an anomaly in that that pod ceased to breed with other killer whale pods. As a result, they are suffering a significant health issues due to inbreeding; reduced size, lowered fertility & early mortality. So much so that have genetically diverged enough to be considered separate species.
The inbreeding story is real. The federal government's 2024 imminent threat assessment, published by DFO and Environment Canada, confirms that inbreeding depression "can restrict SRKW population growth and predicts further decline if the population remains genetically isolated." Only 73 individuals remain, close to the historic low of 71 recorded in 1974. Where I'd add nuance: the federal record calls it "breeding segregation from other killer whale ecotypes," not a separate species designation. The distinction matters because it shapes what recovery even looks like under SARA.
I probably shouldn't be so cynical but where's the fun in that?
This strikes me as a "tail wags the dog" situation (or worse) but perfectly inline with gubbermint priorities. Restrict or outright ban human activities to try to "fix" a naturally occurring inconsequential issue. Human behaviour didn't cause the issue; it's been happening for decades. The genetic anomaly is a result of orca behaviour.
The False Creek closure is related to the world cup as I saw reported on the news I saw tonight. Vancouver is pretty locked down as the event gets closer.
And now... the rest of the story...
The Southern Resident killer whales are an anomaly in that that pod ceased to breed with other killer whale pods. As a result, they are suffering a significant health issues due to inbreeding; reduced size, lowered fertility & early mortality. So much so that have genetically diverged enough to be considered separate species.
The inbreeding story is real. The federal government's 2024 imminent threat assessment, published by DFO and Environment Canada, confirms that inbreeding depression "can restrict SRKW population growth and predicts further decline if the population remains genetically isolated." Only 73 individuals remain, close to the historic low of 71 recorded in 1974. Where I'd add nuance: the federal record calls it "breeding segregation from other killer whale ecotypes," not a separate species designation. The distinction matters because it shapes what recovery even looks like under SARA.
I probably shouldn't be so cynical but where's the fun in that?
This strikes me as a "tail wags the dog" situation (or worse) but perfectly inline with gubbermint priorities. Restrict or outright ban human activities to try to "fix" a naturally occurring inconsequential issue. Human behaviour didn't cause the issue; it's been happening for decades. The genetic anomaly is a result of orca behaviour.
We're trying to play God and doing so badly.