Is British Columbia’s iconic wildlife part of our future – or our past?

A flock of birds take flight above the water with a port visible in the background. — Photo by Jason Puddifoot.

Today, Raincoast Conservation Foundation responded to the joint announcement from the Government of Canada and the Province of Alberta to bring a second pipeline to BC’s south coast, with a terminal for VLCC’s¹ at Roberts Bank. This port facility lies in the Fraser River Estuary, a critical ecological corridor that sustains salmon, migratory birds, and killer whales.

Quotes from Raincoast Conservation Foundation science staff

Ecological heritage

“For generations, the rivers, salmon and killer whales along the coast of British Columbia have shaped who we are. Today’s announcement asks us to trade this legacy without accounting for what we might have to give up in return.”
Misty MacDuffee, Director, Wild Salmon Program

Noise

“Shipping noise doesn’t happen in isolation. Southern Resident killer whales are already hungry. More underwater noise makes it harder to find the Chinook salmon they depend on. Every new ship is one more obstacle between a whale and its next meal.”
Dr. Valeria Vergara, Director, Cetacean Research Conservation Program

Oil spills

“Southern Residents cannot absorb a disaster. With only 74 of these killer whales remaining, even a small spill could push them into extinction. Every additional tanker carrying fossil fuels through these waters increases that risk.”
Dr. Peter Ross, Director, Healthy Waters Program

Ship strikes

“Every new ship brings more than noise – it brings the risk of collision with whales. Many whales plying our coastal waters bear the scars of past vessel strikes; others didn’t survive them. With only 74 Southern Residents remaining, even a single vessel strike has consequences for this endangered population.”
Dr. Lance Barrett-Lennard, Killer Whale Scientist

Taken together

Any one of the above threats pushes Southern Resident killer whales closer to extinction. Together, their cumulative impact creates a burden this population cannot withstand. Another pipeline brings more underwater noise and more risk to irreplaceable whales.

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Notes and references

Very Large Crude Carriers. VLCCs carry about 2 million barrels of oil (or in this case, diluted bitumen) and are 2-3 times the size of the oil tankers going into Westridge Terminal in Burrard Inlet.