New Rules Would Shield Puget Sound Killer Whales From Boats

Tuesday, July 28, 2009
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - New federal restrictions on vessel traffic aimed at protecting Southern Resident killer whales in Washington's Puget Sound were announced today by the Pacific Northwest regional office of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Service.

The proposed rules would prohibit vessels from approaching any killer whale closer than 200 yards and forbid vessels from intercepting or parking in the path of a whale.

These large marine mammals, also called orcas, are the subject of intense curiosity from kayakers to commercial whale-watching tours, were added to the Endangered Species list in November 2005.

In the final rule announcing the listing, federal marine scientists identified vessel effects, including direct interference and sound, as a potential contributing factor in the recent decline of this population. NOAA Fisheries Service is concerned that some whale watching activities may cause harassment, harm killer whales or cause detrimental individual and population level impacts.

"The idea here is to give these remarkable animals even more real, meaningful protection," said Barry Thom, acting head of the NOAA Fisheries Service Northwest regional office.

"Without it, we would undercut the hard work we are all doing to recover the species by improving the sound's water quality and recovering salmon, the killer whale's primary food," said Thom.

In addition, the proposed regulations would set up a half-mile-wide "no-go zone" along the west side of San Juan Island from May 1 through the end of September where no vessels would be allowed, said Thom.

The federal fisheries agency said there would be exemptions to the rules for some vessels, including those actively fishing commercially, cargo vessels travelling in established shipping lanes, and government and research vessels. The no-go zone would also have limited exceptions for land owners accessing private property adjacent to it.

While Southern Resident whales are also threatened by degraded water quality in Puget Sound and lack of prey, primarily salmon, biologists have known for years that vessel traffic may be tied to their low numbers.

The whales depend on their highly sophisticated sonar to navigate and find food. They can be affected by underwater noise from boats and disturbed by vessels that approach too close or block their paths.

The population peaked at 97 animals in the 1990s and then declined to 79 in 2001. It currently stands at 85 whales. The agency's recovery plan for this killer whale population, released in early 2008, calls for actions to reduce disturbance from vessels.

If adopted, the earliest the rule would take effect would be May 2010. The agency said it will hold public meetings September 30 in Seattle and October 5 in Friday Harbor for people to learn more about the proposed rules. The public comment period on them closes October 27.

Killer whales, Orcinus orca, in the eastern North Pacific have been classified into three forms, or ecotypes, 15 termed residents, transients, and offshore whales. Resident killer whales live in family groups, eat salmon, and include the Southern Resident and Northern Resident communities of killer whales.

Transient killer whales have a different social structure, are found in smaller groups and eat marine mammals. Offshore killer whales are found in large groups and their diet is largely unknown.

The Southern Resident killer whale population contains three pods – J pod, K pod, and L pod – and frequently visits inland waters of the Pacific Northwest.

During the spring, summer, and fall, the Southern Residents' range includes the inland waterways of Puget Sound, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and Southern Strait of Georgia. Little is known about the winter movements and range of Southern Residents. Their occurrence in coastal waters extends from the coast of central California to the Queen Charlotte Islands in British Columbia.

There is a growing body of evidence documenting effects from vessels on small cetaceans and other marine mammals, according to the Draft Environmental Assessment prepared by NOAA for the new vessel regulations.

The assessment cites scientific studies showing a variety of whale responses that include stopping feeding, resting, or social interaction; abandoning feeding, resting, and nursing areas; altering travel patterns to avoid vessels; relocating to other areas; effects on acoustic behavior; or not reacting to vessels.

One 2004 study found that marine mammals exposed to human-generated noise released increased stress hormones with the potential to negatively affect their nervous and immune systems.

In rare instances, killer whales are injured or killed by collisions with passing ships and powerboats, primarily from being struck by the hull or turning propeller blades. Some injuries are minor while others are severe and may result in death, according to the assessment.

NOAA Fisheries Service says as human populations in coastal areas of Washington grow, increases in vessel traffic also are expected in the future.

Source: Environment News Service