Orca and salmon

Pacific salmon connect ecosystems, bringing energy and nutrients from the ocean up streams to spawning grounds. They feed humans, whales, bears and eagles and fertilize magnificent coastal and inland forests.

Pacific salmon are in trouble and face multiple threats, including habitat destruction and unsustainable fishing practices, all compounded by climate change. Salmon are sensitive to higher temperatures, so even small increases in ocean and river temperatures can harm or kill them.

The fate of the Salish Sea orcas hangs in the balance. These 75 orcas, also known as the southern resident killer whales, are Canada’s most endangered marine mammal. To give these majestic creatures a chance to recover, immediate actions are needed to protect Chinook salmon — the whales’ primary prey — reduce pollution, set up refuges and reduce acoustic noise. Climate change, the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 proposal and a projected seven-fold increase in tanker traffic from the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion make action more urgent than ever.

The interdependence between orcas and salmon illustrates the importance of healthy ocean ecosystems. If we don’t recover declining Chinook salmon, our most iconic whale population likely won’t survive.

Where we are now

We protect wild Pacific salmon by advocating for government to follow its Wild Salmon Policy and recommendations from the Cohen Commission of Inquiry into the Decline of Sockeye Salmon in the Fraser River. We partner with academics, government decision-makers and other non-profits to make our policy recommendations stronger. Our scientists sit on committees that advise government on how best to reform fisheries and protected-areas policies.

To improve health monitoring, disease reporting and data transparency for open net-pen fish farms to limit their impacts on wild salmon, we work with advisory committees and the aquaculture industry. We alert our supporters about opportunities to contribute to public consultations and to write letters to officials to create pressure for change.

The Species at Risk Act could protect southern resident killer whales and save them from extinction, but only if the federal government implements its 2017 action plan for recovery. Our scientists brief government agencies on science-based solutions to recover this whale population. We amplify our voice by encouraging our supporters to share their ideas during public consultations and to inform elected officials about their concerns.