Puget Sound’s Killer Whales Continue to Remain Under the Endangered Species Act Protection

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration declared that the Puget Sound's killer whales will continue to stay under the Endangered Species Act protection.

 NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Services declined to strip the Endangered Species Act protection from the Puget Sound Orcas. This was announced in response to a petition filed by the Sacramento-based Pacific Legal Foundation, a property rights group.  The petition was lodged on behalf of the California farmers who faced water restrictions to defend the salmons that are the primary food of orcas. 

Their argument was that the Puget Sound Killer whales were a part of the larger north Pacific population and not a distinct group. Hence, these orcas were suited for the 2005 endangered species listing.  

After a year long review of the status and eligibility of the orcas for the Endangered Species Act protection, the federal government concluded that the endangered listing for the whale's remains warranted.

 "It's a huge relief that orcas will stay protected. Only about 85 southern resident killer whales are left, and their Endangered Species Act listing is critical to the population's recovery in Puget Sound," said Miyoko Sakashita, oceans director at the Center for Biological Diversity said in a press statement.

The Fisheries Service confirmed that the killer whale population is unique as new science confirms that the Puget Sound's orcas are indeed a distinct group and require special protection. They also stated that the killer whale continue to face threat from pollution, habitat destruction, vessel traffic and noise that hampers their survival, hence, the endangered status needs to be retained.

"Killer whales are a symbol of the wild and beautiful Pacific Northwest. Protecting these orcas is protecting our natural heritage, and it's hard to understand why anyone would want to take away their safety net and make them vulnerable to extinction," said Sakashita.

Currently, there are 82 orcas in three pods that spend most of the year in the pacific off the West Coast, reports Associated Press.