L121 and calf in the Salish Sea.

NEB recommends Trans Mountain proceed despite “significant adverse effects” to Southern Residents

The National Energy Board (NEB) has recommended that the Trans Mountain expansion project should proceed despite the “significant adverse effects” of oil tankers on the critically endangered population of Southern Resident killer whales. Although we disagree with the NEB’s conclusion, their review of the project effects on killer whales is forthright and portrays the severity of the current situation…

Beam Reach Haro Strait Salish Sea, with a map of the Southern Resident killer whale critical habitat and the tanker route tot he Trans Mountain Expansion Burnaby terminal.

Raincoast’s evidence on Southern Resident killer whales for the National Energy Board’s reconsideration of the Trans Mountain Expansion

The National Energy Board is now preparing its recommendations to cabinet on the Trans Mountain Expansion. When we won our legal case in the federal court of appeal in August 2018, the courts quashed the Trans Mountain permits and required the National Energy Board to reconsider their recommendations…

Two orca whales swimming in the ocean.

Southern Resident killer whales are on the precipice

The federal government recently announced its refusal to issue an emergency order, despite the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans’ recommendation to do so. Although we commend the ministers for recommending an emergency order be used, we are deeply disappointed that Cabinet rejected what we believe to be the best available tool to recover these whales…

A Souther Resident killer whale is watched by a whale watching vessel: five logos on the right including David Suzuki Foundation, World Wildlife Fund, Georgia Strait Alliance, Natural Resources Defense council and Raincoast Conservation Foundation.

We are taking the federal government to court to protect endangered Southern Resident killer whales

Today, we launched a lawsuit to ensure our federal government acts to protect the endangered Southern Resident killer whales. The lawsuit comes less than a month after Southern Resident J35 (Tahlequah) carried her deceased calf for 17 days

Two Southern Resident killer whales in the Salish Sea, with CFAX logo and Misty MacDuffee in the foreground

Interview: Southern Resident killer whales, fisheries, whale watching and the need for enforcement

Last week, Raincoast Conservation Foundation and the David Suzuki Foundation made a joint call for action to save the Southern Resident killer whales. This call for action was made to the new Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Jonathan Wilkinson to immediately close recreational and commercial marine Chinook fisheries, to suspend all commercial and recreational whale…