Puget Sound killer whales

Southern Resident killer whales are listed as endangered under both the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) and Canada's Species at Risk Act (SARA). New scientific information and preliminary analyses about the Southern Resident population and the extent of their reliance on salmon - particularly large Chinook salmon - strongly suggest that Chinook abundance is very important to survival and recovery of Southern Residents.

NOAA Fisheries have announced that it will work with the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans to convene a multi-session science workshop on killer whale recovery. Information in the analysis shows that killer whales depend to a large degree on adult Chinook salmon as a high-calorie food source and that killer whale productivity is affected by Chinook abundance. At the conclusion of the workshops, both agencies will be better able to determine whether and to what extent additional constraints on salmon fishing may be necessary. Because of the extensive range of Southern Resident killer whales, fisheries from California to Southeast Alaska may be affected.

See the Fisheries Northwest Region Website for further details