Government of Canada announces 2025 measures to protect Southern Resident killer whales

VANCOUVER, BC, June 4, 2025 /CNW/ - The government is acting to protect Canada's nature, biodiversity and water. Southern Resident killer whales are iconic to Canada's Pacific coast and hold deep cultural significance for Indigenous Peoples and coastal communities in British Columbia.

That's why today, the Minister of Transport and Internal Trade, the Honourable Chrystia Freeland, the Minister of Fisheries, the Honourable Joanne Thompson, and the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada, the Honourable Julie Dabrusin, announced measures to protect Southern Resident killer whales on the west coast.

These measures will primarily address acoustic and physical disturbance to Southern Resident killer whales from recreational, fishing, and whale watching vessels.

The 2025 vessel and fishery measures include: 

• Two mandatory speed restricted zones near Swiftsure Bank, effective June 1 to November 30, 2025.
• Two vessel restricted zones off Pender and Saturna Islands, effective June 1 to November 30, 2025.
• The continued requirement for vessels to stay at least 400 metres away from all killer whales, and a prohibition from impeding the path of all killer whales in Southern British Columbia coastal waters between Campbell River and Ucluelet, including Barkley and Howe Sound. This is now in effect until May 31, 2026.
• A voluntary speed reduction zone in Tumbo Channel, off the North side of Saturna Island, effective June 1 to November 30, 2025.
• An agreement with authorized local whale watching and ecotourism industry partners to abstain from offering or promoting tours viewing Southern Resident killer whales.
• Fishery closures for commercial and recreational salmon fisheries in key Southern Resident killer whale foraging areas.
• Continued actions to reduce contaminants in the environment affecting whales and their prey, including developing tools to track pollutants and their sources and monitoring contaminants in air, freshwater, sediments, and wastewater.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada proposes to increase the approach distance to 1,000 metres for Southern Resident killer whales through amendments to the Marine Mammal Regulations under the Fisheries Act.

The federal government will continue its ongoing efforts and long-term actions alongside all partners, including First Nations, stakeholders, and the marine and tourism industries to support the protection and recovery of the Southern Resident killer whale population.

Quotes

"Southern Resident killer whales need our help. That's why for the seventh straight year, the Government of Canada is taking concrete action with our partners to create a quieter, safer environment for this iconic, vulnerable species." 

The Honourable Chrystia Freeland
Minister of Transport and Internal Trade

"Canada remains committed to protecting Southern Resident killer whales, working alongside partners to aid in their recovery while supporting sustainable economic growth in the waters they inhabit. These efforts respect their cultural significance to Pacific coastal communities and Indigenous Peoples and their vital role in the marine ecosystem."

The Honourable Joanne Thompson
Minister of Fisheries

"Nature is part of our very identity as Canadians. This new government is committed to conserving more nature and biodiversity than ever before. The survival of Southern Resident killer whales is at risk if we don't act. These new measures will help identify and assess sources of contaminants that affect the whales and their food supply, so we can better protect this iconic mammal that is part of Canada's natural heritage."

The Honourable Julie Dabrusin
Minister of Environment and Climate Change

Quick facts

• Canada's Oceans Protection Plan, Whales Initiative, and an additional federal investment of $61.5 million are supporting the recovery of Southern Resident killer whales, North Atlantic right whales, and St. Lawrence Estuary belugas by implementing protection measures, increasing research, continuing monitoring activities, and taking action to address key threats.
• In May 2024, the Government of Canada renewed A Species at Risk Act Section 11 Conservation Agreement to Support the Recovery of the Southern Resident Killer Whale with the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority and industry partners for five years. This formalizes the role of the ECHO Program and partners in developing and implementing voluntary threat reduction measures to support the endangered Southern Resident killer whales.
• Transport Canada works in partnership with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the Canadian Coast Guard, and Parks Canada to enforce the Interim Order for Southern Resident killer whales in the waters off Southern British Columbia.
• 2024 represented the strongest year of enforcement to date.
• In fact, Transport Canada's enforcement efforts nearly doubled in 2024 as compared to 2023 and financial penalties issued in 2024 will total more than all previous years combined.
• Since 2019, the TC Whale Enforcement Unit has issued 899 Whale Protection Advisories, 693 Warning Letters, and 147 Administrative Monetary Policies totaling over $200,000 in penalties.
• For the ninth year in a row, the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority-led Enhancing Cetacean and Habitat Observation (ECHO) Program will coordinate large-scale threat reduction measures off B.C.'s coast to support the recovery of endangered Southern Resident killer whales.
• New this year, the program has expanded its voluntary ship slowdown at Swiftsure Bank area to more effectively overlap with a "hot spot" of Southern Resident killer whale activity identified by Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
• This expansion is in addition to the program's annual ship slowdown at Haro Strait and Boundary Pass and its route alteration in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
• Altogether, the measures will cover a record-high distance of ~86 nautical miles of the Pacific Ocean, and more than 50 per cent of the Southern Resident killer whale critical habitat that overlaps with commercial shipping lanes.

Related Products

• Backgrounder: 2025 Measures
• Map: Government of Canada management measures to protect Southern Resident killer whales
• Marine Mammal Regulations Amendments

Associated Links

• Suite of SRKW management measures
• Government of Canada's approach to addressing the imminent threats to Killer Whale, Northeast Pacific southern resident population – Canada.ca
• Protecting our Coasts - Oceans Protection Plan
• $167.4 million Whales Initiative: Protecting the Southern Resident killer whale
• Pollutants Affecting Whales and their Prey Inventory Tool
• Regulations Amending the Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances Regulations, 2012
• Reducing the threat of contaminants to Southern Resident killer whales
• List of Marine Administrative Monetary Penalties

Backgrounder

The Government of Canada outlines 2025 measures to protect Southern Resident killer whales

The Government of Canada recognizes that Southern Resident killer whales continue to face imminent threats to their survival and recovery, and that protecting these iconic marine mammals requires comprehensive and immediate action. The 2025 management measures focus on addressing the three primary threats to Southern Resident killer whales: acoustic and physical disturbance; prey availability and accessibility; and contaminants.

1. Acoustic and physical disturbances from vessels

Approach distance

Vessels must stay at least 400 metres away and must not impede the path of all killer whales year-round in Southern British Columbia coastal waters between Campbell River to just north of Ucluelet. Commercial whale-watching and ecotourism companies who receive an authorization from the Minister of Transport and Internal Trade will be able to view non-Southern Resident killer whales (such as transient (Biggs) killer whales) from 200 metres, given their expertise in identifying different types of killer whales.

If a vessel finds itself within 400 metres of a killer whale, they are asked to turn off fish finders and echo sounders and put the engine in neutral when safe to do so to allow animals to pass.

If a vessel is within 1,000 metres of a killer whale, they are asked to reduce speed to less than seven knots when safe to do so to lessen engine noise and vessel wake.

To address imminent threats to Southern Resident killer whale survival and the Government of Canada's commitment to develop longer-term actions for the recovery of Southern Resident killer whales, Fisheries and Oceans Canada proposes to increase the approach distance to 1,000 metres for Southern Resident killer whales through amendments to the Marine Mammal Regulations under the Fisheries Act. The process for amending the Marine Mammal Regulations remains ongoing. The exact scope and implementation of any regulatory measures will be informed by future consultations with directly affected First Nations, Wildlife Management Boards, stakeholders, and other affected parties upon publication of the draft regulation in the Canada Gazette, Part 1. The consultations are intended to seek feedback on the scope of these measures and identify and mitigate, to the extent possible, potential impacts.

Speed restricted zones

The 2025 measures continue the mandatory speed restricted zones near Swiftsure Bank, co-developed with the Pacheedaht First Nation.

• From June 1 until November 30, 2025, all vessels must slow down to a maximum of 10 knots over ground in two speed restricted zones near Swiftsure Bank. The first area is in the Protected Fisheries Management Area 121-1 and the second speed restricted zone is located near the mouth of the Nitinat River from Carmanah Point to Longitude 125 degrees west.
  
  
• Exemptions are in place for the following:
  • vessels in distress or providing assistance to a vessel or person in distress
  • vessels avoiding immediate or unforeseen danger
  • government or law enforcement on official business
  • permitted research if the research requires higher speed; and
  • a sailing vessel proceeding under sail and not being propelled by machinery
    
    
• While the mandatory speed restricted zones and the voluntary slowdowns coordinated by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority's Enhancing Cetacean and Habitat Observation (ECHO) Program both cover known foraging areas at or near Swiftsure Bank, they are separate measures from each other and take place in different locations. The ECHO Program slowdown at Swiftsure Bank is a voluntary ship slowdown which takes effect across 23 nautical miles in both the outbound and inbound lanes at Swiftsure Bank.

Vessel restricted zones (Formerly Interim sanctuary zones)

Formerly known as Interim Sanctuary Zones, Vessel Restricted Zones create spaces of refuge for the whales. The location of these zones is based on scientific and Indigenous knowledge of historically important foraging areas for Southern Resident killer whales.

• From June 1 until November 30, 2025, no vessel traffic or fishing activity is allowed in vessel restricted zones off the southwest coast of South Pender Island and the southeast end of Saturna Island. Exceptions will be allowed for emergency situations and vessels engaged in Indigenous food, social, and ceremonial fisheries.
• To ensure the safety of those operating human-powered vessels, a 20-metre corridor next to shore will allow kayakers and other paddlers to transit through these zones. If a killer whale is in the sanctuary at the time, paddlers must remain 400 metres away from the whales.

Voluntary speed reduction zone

In 2025, Transport Canada is continuing with a voluntary speed reduction zone in Tumbo Channel, in effect once again from June 1 to November 30, 2025. When travelling through this area, it is recommended that vessels reduce their speed to 10 knots, when safe to do so.

2. Prey availability

Chinook, chum and coho salmon are an essential part of the Southern Resident killer whale diet. Last year's process developed and consulted on salmon fisheries management measures for both 2024 and 2025, which were announced on June 3, 2024.

To address the limited availability of prey, Fisheries and Oceans Canada is continuing a combination of fishing restrictions in key foraging areas within their critical habitat, along with voluntary measures coastwide. These measures will reduce disturbance and competition for salmon between fish harvesters and killer whales. Opportunities will be available for non-salmon related recreational and commercial fisheries, for Indigenous food, social and ceremonial harvest as well as Treaty-defined fishing access.

For 2025, the following measures will help protect the whales' access to salmon and minimize disturbance in key foraging areas:

• Area-based closures in Southern Resident killer whale key foraging areas for recreational and commercial salmon fisheries:
  • around the Strait of Juan de Fuca (portions of Subareas 20-4 and 20-5) in effect from August 1 until October 31
  • Swiftsure Bank (portions of Subareas 20-1, 21-0, 121-1 and 121-2) in effect from July 15 until October 31
  • around the mouth of the Fraser River (a portion of Subarea 29-3) from August 1 to September 30
• The Southern Gulf Islands area-based closures (Subarea 18-9 and portions of 18-2, 18-4 and 18-5) will be in effect as early as May 1, based on confirmed presence of Southern Resident killer whales. These closures will be in place until November 30, 2025.
• All fishers are encouraged to temporarily cease fishing activities (e.g., do not haul in gear where appropriate) when killer whales are within 1,000 metres. This voluntary measure is in place year-round throughout Canadian Pacific waters.

To address the ongoing imminent threats to Southern Resident killer whale survival and recovery, proposed adjustments to the Southern Resident killer whale commercial and recreational salmon fishing closures are being considered and consulted on for 2025 and or 2026 under the Fisheries Act to address the threat of reduced prey availability. The exact scope and implementation of any regulatory measures will be informed by consultations with directly affected First Nations, Wildlife Management Boards, industry stakeholders, and other affected parties. The consultations are intended to seek feedback on the scope of these measures and identify and mitigate, to the extent possible, potential impacts.

Enhancing Cetacean Habitat and Observation Program (ECHO)

For the ninth year in a row, the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority-led Enhancing Cetacean and Habitat Observation (ECHO) Program will coordinate large-scale threat reduction measures to support the recovery of endangered southern resident killer whales. These measures will include a ship slowdown in Haro Strait, Boundary Pass and Swiftsure Bank, and a route alteration in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Full details of the ECHO Program's voluntary measures, including dates, target slowdown speeds and location coordinates, are available on the ECHO Program's website (www.portvancouver.com/echo).

3. Contaminants

Considering the persistence of many contaminants in the environment, the Government of Canada and its partners continue to progress on long-term actions to support Southern Resident killer whale recovery in the following areas:

• develop and implement additional controls, such as regulations or guidelines, to reduce the threat of contaminants. For example, publishing the proposed Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances Regulations, 2022 and publishing the Framework to derive Environmental Quality Guidelines protective of apex marine mammals from persistent organic pollutants;
• conduct research and monitoring to further our understanding of contaminants in the environment and their impacts;
• share data, information, and knowledge among partners to inform decision-making; and
• undertake outreach, education and engagement to inform the public and involve them in solutions.

The Government of Canada has also developed and updated the online Pollutants Affecting Whales and their Prey Inventory Tool, which maps estimates of pollutant releases within the habitats of Southern Resident killer whales and their primary prey, Chinook salmon. This tool will help model the impacts of additional mitigation measures and controls.

To better understand the threat of contaminants and to provide input into government action, the Government of Canada leads a technical working group focused on contaminants in the environment. This group is comprised of key partners from all orders of government, academia and non-governmental organizations and:

• has identified priority contaminants of concern;
• has provided recommendations for the long-term actions to support Southern Resident killer whale recovery; and
• conducts important monitoring and research, to identify contaminant exposures to Southern Resident killer whales, their habitat and their prey.

In addition, the group continues to recommend and develop environmental quality guidelines for the protection of Southern Resident killer whales and their prey and compares them with monitoring data to identify areas of potential risk for further action.

Compliance with management measures depends on public awareness. The Government of Canada continues to collaborate with educational organizations, environmental groups, Indigenous partners, and government bodies to raise awareness of the Southern Resident killer whale protection measures through public education and outreach efforts. For further information, please see Whales and contaminants - Canada.ca and how Canada is reducing the threat of contaminants to Southern Resident Killer Whales - Canada.ca.

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SOURCE Transport Canada - Ottawa

Contacts: Laura Scaffidi, Director of Communications, Office of the Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Transport and Internal Trade, Ottawa, [email protected]; Media Relations: Transport Canada, Ottawa, 613-993-0055, [email protected]; Hermine Landry, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, 873-455-3714, [email protected]; Media Relations: Environment and Climate Change Canada, 819-938-3338 or 1-844-836-7799 (toll-free), [email protected]; Andrew Richardson, Acting Director of Communications, Office of the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, [email protected]; Media Relations: Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 613-990-7537, [email protected]