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

Press Release

June 4, 2025

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.