Transboundary Coordination to Reduce Vessel Impacts on Southern Resident Killer Whales

NOAA Fisheries leads the federal recovery program for Southern Resident killer whales (Orcinus orca) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in the U.S. Following the endangered listing in 2005, NOAA finalized a Recovery Plan which identifies impacts from vessels and noise as one of three main threats to Southern Residents. In 2011, NOAA implemented federal regulations in the inland waters of Washington State to reduce these impacts. However, transboundary measures are necessary to achieve a meaningful result for the whales, as they are exposed to vessel traffic on both sides of the U.S./Canada border. NOAA Fisheries has engaged in several transboundary partnerships to educate boaters and address vessel impacts in both U.S. waters and in Canada, as well as bilateral collaborations with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Transport Canada. Most notably, we have established broad transboundary partnerships to promote the Be Whale Wise campaign focused on responsible wildlife viewing and have served on the Advisory Working Group and Acoustic Technical Committee for the Port of Vancouver-led Enhancing Cetacean Habitat and Observation (ECHO) program aimed at managing the impact of shipping activities on whales. The emerging U.S. Quiet Sound program is also in close coordination with the Canadian ECHO program. Addressing vessel threats to such a wide-ranging, transboundary species presents a significant challenge to resource managers. The partnerships that NOAA has utilized to reduce vessel threats to Southern Residents across the U.S./Canada border serve as a model for navigating transboundary coordination for species recovery.