The Recovery Plan for Southern Resident Killer Whales (Oscinus Orca) had its beginnings in 2003 and was officially presented January 17, 2008. The plan was prepared by the National Marine Fisheries Service: Northwest Regional Office. The point of the recovery plan is to try to overcome the repercussions of history, but might that not create repercussions of its own?

Current action includes Federal laws, State laws, County laws, and agreements with Native communities. There are laws in place to protect the current whales, but not much being done to grow the current population or fight the threats to their re-population.

That is the point of the recovery plan. People want to be able to see the SRKWs thrive and grow. This initiative would allow for much more action to be taken.

The following is an outline of their plan to overcome the results of history in regards to the Orca. I have inserted personal notes in analysis to parts of the plan:

A. Recovery Action Outline (Highly Simplified, Taken From The Recovery Plan for SRKW)

MANAGEMENT MEASURES

1. Protect the Southern Resident killer whale population from factors that may be contributing to its decline or reducing its ability to recover.

     1.1 Rebuild depleted populations of salmon and other prey to ensure an adequate food base for recovery of the Southern Residents. (Note: Currently, Salmon farming is one of the main ways they are trying to replenish his base. These salmon are not the same as the Chinook the PNW has known and is this “pseudo-population” what we want to be filling the oceans with? Simultaneously rebuilding both the Orca population and the salmon population will be difficult, as the salmon make up 80% of the whale’s diets. Each whale that is added to the SRKW population will consume about 355 lbs. of Chinook Salmon in order to fulfill calorie intake. That means for each whale, much of the salmon population must be sacrificed. Is the sustainability of both possible? This plan gives an “only time will tell” response.)

        1.1.1 Support salmon restoration efforts in the region

        1.1.2 Support regional restoration efforts for other prey species

        1.1.3 Use NMFS authorities under the ESA and the MSFCMA to protect prey habitat, regulate harvest,     and operate hatcheries. (Note: This takes employment and budget that does not currently exist).

     1.2 Minimize pollution and chemical contamination in Southern Resident habitats.

     1.3 Minimize disturbance of Southern Resident killer whales from vessels. (Note: Seattle is a “port town,” with much of its commerce happening by sea. The history of Seattle is built on the fact that it opened up to these large vessels and to the shipping industry that comes with it. To minimize disturbance to whales would mean shutting down industry. The reality of that happening is slim to none in an age of industry.)

2. Protect Southern Resident killer whales from additional threats that may cause disturbance, injury, or mortality, or impact habitat.

     2.1  Minimize the risk of oil spills. (Note: Again, to minimize the risk of oil spills means shutting down oil industry. This is something that puts oceans worldwide at risk and with a 28-year allotment for this plan, shutting them down is not completely realistic.)

     2.2  Monitor and minimize the risk of infectious diseases in Southern Resident whales.

      2.3  Continue to use agency coordination and established MMPA mechanisms, such as incidental harassment authorizations, to minimize any potential impacts from human

     2.4 Reduce potential for impacts of invasive species in Southern Resident habitats.

3. Develop public information and education programs.

 3.1  Enhance public awareness of Southern Resident status and threat. (Note: Thankfully, as noted in the earlier history, media is doing a helpful job of this. The public is on the side of the Orca, but not at the sacrifice of industry that effects their own lives.)

   3.2  Expand information and education programs to reduce direct vessel interactions with Southern Resident killer whales.

 3.3  Educate the public on positive actions that they can take to improve environmental conditions for Southern Resident killer whales.

 3.4  Solicit the public’s assistance in finding killer whales.

4. Respond to killer whales that are stranded, sick, injured, isolated, pose a threat to the public, or exhibit nuisance behaviors.

4.1 Manage atypical individual Southern Residents.

 4.2 Respond to strandings of killer whales. (Note: Again, we run into issues of employment and budget. History shows that humanitarian efforts to the extent that would be necessary here often must happen outside of government money and regulation.)

4.3 Respond to future resource conflicts between the Southern Residents and humans.

5. Transboundary and interagency coordination and cooperation.

5.1  Cooperative research and monitoring.

5.2  Complementary recovery planning.

  5.3  Inter-jurisdictional enforcement cooperation and coordination.

 

orca3

 

This is the proposed action to combat the populations risks of the Northwest Orca. Still, with a time span of 28 years and millions of dollars in cost, the plan is not an easy one to execute. Although well thought out, the plan would need many people willing to vote it in. The plan also has many holes as far as carrying out the ideas presented. When looking at the relationship people have had with Orcas in the past, would they really be able to make all of the sacrifices for them that would be necessary here? We also must consider the repercussions of a once again burgeoning Orca population. What would the Northwest look like if these beloved predators were ruling the Pacific?