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Port of Vancouver : ECHO Program update on seasonal initiatives

More than six weeks into the ECHO Program’s 2022 season, see continued strong participation rates in the program’s voluntary underwater noise reduction measures. Port of Vancouver released

Over the last week, more than 50 southern resident killer whales from the J, K, and L pods have been seen throughout the Haro Strait and Boundary Pass slowdown area by our trusted marine mammal observers – highlighting the ongoing importance of our participants’ efforts to voluntarily slow down or stay distanced from the whales, particularly as both J and K Pod calves travel among them.

Each table lists the percentage of participating ship transits, as well as the number of participating ship transits out of all ship transits, in brackets.

Swiftsure Bank inbound and outbound slowdown trial

The combined participation rate in the new ​inbound and outbound ship slowdown trial at Swiftsure Bank is 78%. We thank the ship operators who have made the effort to slow down while transiting through this key foraging area for southern resident killer whales, and we encourage all commercial and government vessels to slow down to the target speeds for their vessel class.

Haro Strait and Boundary Pass slowdown

Participation in the Haro Strait and Boundary Pass slowdown has remained strong at 92%.

Lateral displacement in the Strait of Juan de Fuca

Participation in the Strait of Juan de Fuca lateral displacement has remained at 100%! We extend our sincere thanks to all tug operators for maintaining this perfect participation rate for the last six weeks. By moving away, tug operators have been shown to reduce underwater sound intensity by up to 70% per tug transit. 

Whale sighting highlight

Recognition of the ECHO Program in the BBC’s Wildlife Magazine

The ECHO Program has been highlighted in a front-page story on orcas by BBC Wildlife Magazine. The ECHO Program is featured alongside the Quiet Sound Program as collaborative solutions to the threats facing orcas, and the article includes excerpts from an interview with Carrie Brown, director of ecosystem management and environmental programs at the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority.

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