Cetacean studies
Georgia Strait Alliance
On the heels of Orca Awareness month in the Pacific Northwest, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) has opened a platform for feedback on its scientific review of the effectiveness of recovery measures for southern resident killer whales (SRKW).
DFO is seeking public input until July 31 to identify how recovery can be better achieved by accelerating implementation of recovery measures not yet underway; by identifying new measures, if needed; and by providing guidance on the priority of recovery measures to promote recovery.
Georgia Strait Alliance is advocating for a number of actions to be implemented immediately to ensure southern residents have the best chance at true recovery. These are divided into the three main threats to orcas: salmon abundance, noise pollution and toxins.
Click here for our Tips for input to DFO’s Scientific Review on orcas. Please select a few actions that you think will help orcas recover, and email your input directly to DFO.
The Northern Strait Cetacean Census, Aug. 5-7 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION REQUESTED!
Report your sightings of whales, dolphins and porpoises from French Creek/Madeira Park to northern Quadra Island, and you’ll help researchers at BC Cetacean Sightings Network to determine abundance, distribution and habitat use in the Northern Strait of Georgia.
The BC Cetacean Sightings Network is asking all coastal residents for their help in gathering whale, dolphin, and porpoise (cetacean) and sea turtle sightings observed in the Northern Strait of Georgia (French Creek/Madeira Park to northern Quadra Island) over the August long weekend. A localized blitz-style census effort from citizen scientists will help provide valuable information on how cetaceans use this area. Read more about the history of cetacean census data collection in BC here.
Anyone can participate in the Northern Strait Cetacean Census! While the Sightings Network collects opportunistic sightings from observers across the BC coast year round, this year we are additionally conducting a localized concentrated census-style blitz over one weekend to gather specific meaningful information about the use of this area by BC's cetacean species.
Help contribute to this project by collecting and reporting some key information from any sighting between August 5th - 7th in the Northern Strait of Georgia.
Click here for complete details.