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Southern Resident Killer Whales inhabiting the coastal and near-coastal waters of southern British Columbia and northern Washington State are listed as endangered under the Canadian Species at Risk Act (SARA). Extensive research of these whales and other marine mammals indicates that a healthy underwater acoustic soundscape is a vitally important aspect of successful conservation. Unfortunately, the Southern Resident Killer Whale's critical habitat, as defined in a protection order pursuant to SARA, entirely overlaps with important shipping routes wherein vessels constantly emit significant underwater noise. The recently approved Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Project predicts a sevenfold increase in oil tanker traffic in the Southern Resident Killer Whale critical habitat, further threatening and eroding the underwater acoustic environment. Canada's federal government consistently encourages the protection and recovery of species at risk, but simultaneously approves projects that jeopardize and undermine conservation efforts and commitments. We review current issues associated with the Trans Mountain Project as they relate to Southern Resident Killer Whales, the underwater acoustic soundscape, and developing conservation efforts. By approving the Project before new vessel noise regulations are created or soundreducing technology is mandated, an Emergency Protection Order pursuant to Section 80 of SARA may be warranted to protect the Southern Resident Killer Whales against the impact of acoustically degraded critical habitat.
Les orques residentes du sud dont l'habitat est situé le long de la cote ou pres des eaux cotieres du sud de la Colombie-Britannique et du nord de l'Etat de Washington sont considerees comme des especes en danger en vertu de la Loi sur les especes en peril au Canada (LEP). Des recherches poussees sur ces types de baleines et d'autres mammiferes marins indiquent qu'un environnement acoustique sous-marin en sante est un aspect d'une importance vitale en vue d'une conservation reussie. Malheureusement, l'habitat essentiel des orques residentes du sud, tel que defini en vertu de la LEP, est entierement traverse par d'importantes routes emprunteespour le transport maritime et les navires servant a ce transport emettent dans cet habitat une pollution sonore sous-marine considerable. Le projet recemment approuve de ¡'expansion de l'oleoduc Trans Mountain prevoit un accroissement en sept volets du trafic des petroliers dans ¡'habitat essentiel des orques residentes du sud, ce qui risque de menacer encore davantage l'environnement acoustique sous-marin et d'en...