The University of Victoria will receive federal funding to study the behaviour and vulnerabilities of Southern Resident Killer Whales and their prey.
Over in Vancouver this morning, the Fisheries and Oceans Minister announced how they'll spend some of the $1.5 billion dollars committed to a recently announced Oceans Protection Plan.
The largest chunk of money announced this morning was a little over $9-million to develop and test technologies able to allow ships to detect the presence of whales.
But nearly $1-million is going to U-Vic for further study of Southern Resident Killer Whales.
"We’re thrilled by this opportunity to undertake important research into human impacts on the southern resident killer whales and their prey,” says UVic fisheries ecologist Francis Juanes, lead investigator for the chinook salmon research and spokesperson for the overall project. “We anticipate contributing significantly to understanding the stressors affecting these magnificent marine mammals and, ultimately, to mitigation measures to help ensure their long-term survival and success."
According to U-Vic, Only 76 whales remain in the southern resident population. They hunt chinook salmon off southern Vancouver Island and the primary cause of their decline and inability to recover is thought to be chronically low chinook numbers.
Here's the full breakdown of today's funding announcement:
•$9.1 million in new science funding to develop and test technologies able to detect the presence of whales. The ability to capture near real-time information could help alert mariners of whales in a particular area, reducing the risk of collisions.
•Over $3.1 million for four research projects to study the impacts of underwater noise and reduced availability of prey on marine mammals including the Southern Resident Killer Whale.
•The University of British Columbia will receive $1.1 million to examine how changes in the food web in areas where Southern Resident Killer Whale affect the abundance and quality of Chinook salmon, the Whale's primary food source.
•Ocean Wise will receive over $942,000 for a comprehensive health and condition assessment of Southern and Northern Resident Killer Whale populations to better understand the impact of environmental stressors, particularly noise and prey limitation.
•The University of Victoria will receive over $935,000 to better understand the behaviour and vulnerabilities of Southern Resident Killer Whales and their prey.
•The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority will receive $200,000 to continue operating the underwater listening station in the Strait of Georgia, measuring and monitoring noise levels from commercial vessels and the presence of Southern Resident Killer Whales in the Salish Sea.