Letter To The Editor: Plight Of The Orcas

By Kurt Miller, executive director, Northwest RiverPartners

Below the postcard beauty of the Puget Sound, a highly toxic environment has emerged.The number of people moving into the area has created new challenges that question whether the growing urban population can live in harmony with the delicate ecosystem that surrounds them.

At the center of this challenge is one of the Pacific Northwest’s most beloved creatures: the orca.The Puget Sound is home to a unique group known as the Southern Residents. They are some of the most well-studied orcas anywhere in the world, and now their future hangs in the balance.

Things have gotten so bad for the Southern Resident orcas that the Governor had to establish an Orca Task Force to address the dire situation. Meanwhile, local residents have been caught in a debate over what to do. According to various studies, Southern Resident orcas are most impacted by five major threats to their health. Fortunately, there are actions that can be taken to solve these issues.

5. Boat traffic and noise pollution

According to one study, over 25% of Washington households own boats. That number is likely much higher in the Puget Sound area, due to median income levels and proximity to water. Additionally, traffic from large vessels, like ferries and freight ships, is also on the rise.

Several studies conducted over the past two decades have shown that orcas have a much harder time tracking their prey in the presence of noise boat traffic. As a result, they spend much less time feeding in the presence of boats.

What Can We Do?

Studies show that the worst noise from vessel traffic is caused by the speed of their travel. By restricting the speed of vessels, underwater noise can be significantly reduced. Speed limits could be implemented in zones identified as critical habitat for the Southern Residents. Additionally, recently passed regulations have increased the distance that boats must give when in the presence of orcas.

4. Competition from predators

Southern Resident orcas aren’t the only creatures who enjoy the taste of Chinook. Seals and sea lions eat vast quantities of salmon. Today, they are consuming nine times more salmon than they historically did, according to a report in the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences.

The increase is a result of their populations sharply increasing under Marine Mammal Act protections. Now, Congress is lifting some of those protections to allow approved agencies to lethally remove individuals who are identified as problematic, such as those who target fish in the rivers.

What Can We Do?

Public comment on a rule change by the National Marine Fisheries Service that would allow an increase in the number of sea lions that can be euthanized is open until October 29th of this year.

3. Culverts

One reason for the decline of salmon in the Puget Sound is the alarming number of impassable barriers like culverts, roads, and some bridges that have cut off salmon from access to important habitat. Washington state identified around 2,000 barriers – nearly half in Western Washington – which the state says need to be addressed at a total cost of around $2B.

What Can We Do?

We can support the state in its efforts to remove impassable barriers, but in the meantime, we need to ensure a consistent orca food supply by continuing support for conservation hatcheries. Hatchery practices continue to improve, and contrary to older data, recent peer-reviewed studies show that they do not undermine wild salmon populations.

2. Increased Toxic Pollutants

Urban growth in the Salish Sea watershed, particularly around the Puget Sound, has taken a toll. Deforestation and waterfront development, alone, have increased the impacts of storm runoff that drains into the Sound. With that runoff comes a lot of toxins. Drugs, hazardous waste, and raw sewage are all part of the dirty mix that finds its way into the waters that orcas call home.

These pollutants are then consumed by marine life. Many of them cannot be broken down when consumed, so the pollutants are passed along the food chain and have the highest impact on top predators. Orcas receive an alarmingly high dose.

Scientists at NOAA have now collected bacteria from the orcas that indicates they are sick with antibiotic resistant diseases that are directly tied to wastewater treatment plants around the Puget Sound.

What Can We Do?

We must be more aware of how we are disposing of dangerous chemicals and medications. It is also critical to improve sewage treatment facilities to stop spills from occurring.

1. Warming ocean temperatures

As noted in many studies – including the recently released Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change special report – the ocean is absorbing a vast amount of carbon and heat from the air. The result is an unnaturally acidic and warm ocean, which kills the planktons that salmon depend on.

The loss of salmon directly impacts the predators that feed on them. Southern Residents are picky eaters who rely almost entirely on salmon for their diet.

Many photographs of orcas with peanut head – a result of starvation that makes the shape of the skull visible – are evidence that the Southern Residents are suffering from the chain reaction set off by ocean warming.

What Can We Do?

The move to decarbonize is critical in the fight against ocean warming. In the Northwest, we have a great start with the adoption of carbon-free energy resources. Renewable hydropower is used as a critical capacity resource which enables the addition of more nascent renewables to the grid, like solar and wind, which are intermittent and require a firm back-up. Currently over 60% of Washington’s electricity and 90% of Seattle’s energy comes from carbon-free hydropower and we must continue to support these renewable resources as part of a concerted climate-change effort.