Just one spill could kill the rest of these whales

 

The Southern Resident Killer Whales are among the most iconic and beloved animal families in North America. But they are in grave danger -- and just a single oil spill could wipe out the entire population. Protect critically endangered orcas: Rush a $15 donation to Friends of the Earth Action.

The majestic Southern Resident Killer Whales were once a common sight in the waters of Washington and British Columbia. Now, they are struggling to survive. A study released this year by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) sheds new light on the plight of these iconic whales. It shows that shipping vessels coming within 1200 feet of whales leads to dramatically changed feeding habits. Some stop feeding entirely.

This confirms what we already knew: The whales are in critical danger -- especially from the Roberts Bank T2 shipping terminal and the Trans Mountain Pipeline. The only way to save these whales from extinction is to stop the disastrous megaprojects in their tracks.

Stop the shipping and fossil fuel industries from wiping out Southern Resident Killer Whales: Donate $15 to Friends of the Earth Action.

The proposed Roberts Bank T2 project is a massive container shipping facility that developers want to build at the mouth of British Columbia’s Fraser River. Scientists agree that Roberts Bank will disrupt the migration patterns of Chinook Salmon, the main food source for these endangered orcas. It will force young salmon into open ocean waters before they are strong enough -- creating a chronic lack of food for the 75 Southern Resident orcas that remain, including the three vulnerable new calves.

The Trans Mountain Pipeline would do more of the same, pumping 590,000 barrels per day of toxic tar sands oil -- the dirtiest kind -- and exponentially increasing shipping in Southern Resident critical habitat from 60 to 400 oil tankers per year. This would be a ticking time-bomb of toxic pollution, just waiting to spill.

Both of these projects would significantly increase oil tanker traffic, which disrupts both the orcas’ sonar that they rely on to forage for food, and their food source itself -- at a time when many orcas are already starving.

Take action to protect endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales, and the Chinook Salmon they rely on.

Southern Resident Killer Whales have long been struggling to survive. Made up of only three pods -- tightly-knit family groups -- their mortality rate is increasing and their birth rate is decreasing, as the whales become skinnier and more malnourished. Experts say that a lack of salmon -- and resulting hunger and stress -- has kept them from reproducing successfully. They are also threatened by pollution, which affects their health, and underwater noise from shipping, which disrupts the echolocation they use to hunt. 

Every species is important, but orcas play a special and irreplaceable role in our ecological systems: Whales and other large sea animals are key to combating climate change and protecting our own future.

Whales serve as ecosystem engineers and provide crucial nutrients to phytoplankton -- tiny ocean plants that produce over 50% of our oxygen, sequester hundreds of thousands of tons of carbon per year, and make up the foundation of the marine food system upon which all ocean life depends. We are interdependent: We rely on these whales for our own future -- just as they are counting on us now.

The odds were already against the endangered orcas, but these megaprojects would magnify every threat the orcas face. Just one oil spill could wipe out this entire population of whales. That’s why we need your help. 

Powered by members like you, Friends of the Earth Action has been fighting for the whales in the Pacific Northwest. We’ve stopped big threats to these whales before. And, we are already working with the Biden administration to expand protections at every level. But it’s an uphill battle -- and we need to stop these proposed projects for the whales to have a chance.

Stop Big Oil and the shipping industry from wiping out Chinook Salmon and Southern Resident Killer Whales. Support Friends of the Earth Action with a $15 donation.

Standing with you,
Marcie Keever,
Oceans and vessels program director,
Friends of the Earth Action

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