DFO LAUNCHES DRAFT RECOVERY STRATEGY TO PROTECT BLUE, FIN AND SEI WHALES IN CANADA'S PACIFIC WATERS

VANCOUVER – Geoff Regan, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, today announced a draft Recovery Strategy designed to promote the recovery of blue, fin and sei whale populations in Canada’s Pacific waters.

“The recovery strategy will outline the goals, objectives, key knowledge gaps and strategies we need to address the current threats to these magnificent marine mammals,” said Minister Regan.  “An important component will be hearing from the public and engaging in a dialogue to assist us in recovery efforts.” 

 The blue whale is the largest known animal to have ever existed on the planet, reaching lengths of up to 29.5 metres. Fin and sei whales are two of the fastest swimming whale species, with sei whales averaging a speed of approximately 17 kilometres an hour, or nine knots. These species exist in all oceans of the world. The decline of blue, fin and sei whales was the result of commercial whaling.  At least 7,605 fin whales, 4,002 sei whales and 650 blue whales were taken by coastal whaling stations in British Columbia between 1900 and 1967. Both the blue and sei whales are listed as endangered under Canada’s Species At Risk Act (SARA) The fin whale is under consideration for SARA listing.

The draft Recovery Strategy document will be posted on the DFO web site for public comment August 19, 2005. The public will have until September 16, 2005, in which to provide comments. For those interested in viewing the draft documents, please visit the following DFO web site: http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/sara/default_e.htm.

Following this consultation period, DFO will incorporate the public’s comments into the Recovery Strategy, and the document will then be sent to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans to post to the SARA Public Registry http://www.sararegistry.gc.ca/ for a 60-day public comment period prior to being finalized.

The blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) was first designated as a species of special concern by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) in 1983, and was split in 2002 into North Pacific and North Atlantic populations, with both populations upgraded to endangered. COSEWIC has identified numerous threats to blue whales that may include acoustic disturbances, ship strikes, intrusive whale-watching activity, entanglement in fishing gear, pollution and long-term changes in climate (which could affect the abundance of their zooplankton prey).

The fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) was first designated by COSEWIC as a species of special concern in 1987, and was split in 2005 into Pacific and Atlantic populations, with the Pacific population designated as threatened.  COSEWIC identified threats to fin whales from ship strikes, reduced prey availability, entanglement in fishing gear, vessel noise and other acoustic disturbances and chemical pollution.

The sei whale (Balaenoptera borealis) was first designated by COSEWIC as endangered in 2003.  COSEWIC identified threats to sei whales as habitat loss and degradation resulting from acute and chronic exposure to noise, ship strikes, entanglement in fishing gear, chemical pollution and competition for prey with some species of fish.

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Backgrounders:

Blue Whale

Fin Whale

Sei Whale

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