Government must protect orca habitat: court
Victoria Times Colonist
By Judith Lavoie
The federal government is legally bound to protect killer whale critical habitat, the federal Court of Appeal ruled Thursday.
The precedent-setting ruling, which follows a federal court decision last April, could affect fishing and vessel traffic in the Strait of Georgia and Juan de Fuca Strait — critical habitat for endangered southern resident killer whales — and the Queen Charlotte Strait and Johnstone Strait — critical habitat for threatened northern resident killer whales.
“I think it has to affect it,” said Margot Venton, staff lawyer for Ecojustice, which acted for a coalition of conservation groups, including the David Suzuki Foundation, Greenpeace, Wilderness Committee, Georgia Strait Alliance, Raincoast Conservation Foundation, Sierra Club and Dogwood Initiative.
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For background information and the history of the case click here
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