Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[chris gadsden]

B.C. orcas not adequately protected: court
Government not meeting its obligation to protect habitat of endangered whales
The Canadian Press
A judge says the federal government is not doing enough to protect the habitat of killer whales off B.C.'s coast. (CBC)
A Federal Court judge in Vancouver says the government is not doing enough to protect the habitat of killer whales off the B.C. coast.

Justice James Russell made the declaration in his ruling on a lawsuit brought by a coalition of nine environmental groups, including the David Suzuki Foundation, Ecojustice, Greenpeace, the Sierra Club and the International Fund for Animal Welfare.

The organizations allege the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans hasn't taken adequate steps to safeguard the habitat of endangered killer whales, including their food sources and the overall marine environment.

In his ruling, Russell said the federal government has failed to prevent the most significant threats to critical whale habitat — such as toxic contamination and noise pollution — and has failed to protect the prey that whales depend upon.

The judge has confirmed the government must provide legal protection for all aspects of the endangered species' habitat under its Species At Risk Act, said Margot Venton, a lawyer for Ecojustice.

Susan Howatt, of the Sierra Club of B.C., said the decision sends a strong message to the Fisheries Department that it must do a better job in the future.

The federal government has not yet responded to the court decision.

© The Canadian Press, 2010


Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2010/12/07/bc-killer-whale-court-ruling.html#ixzz17TstOhja

[DragonSpeed]

Victoria, not Ottawa, should be in charge of BC fisheries.

Have you SEEN the morons in power in Victoria? 

[Dave]

Hmmm, this could be interesting.  A large part of the diet of non transient orcas is chinook salmon.  Its possible and probable there will be fishing restrictions on this species if the food source is to be protected.

[mykisscrazy]

As long as they don't further reduce the In river Chinook Sportsfishery

[Dave]

I wonder if orcas could be taught to eat flossers??  Whaddya think Chris?

[IronNoggin]

This potentially has wide sweeping consequences for ALL fisheries. While I do on one hand applaud those taking DFO to task and forcing them to address their mandate (for once!) I am more than a little nervous what this may spell for our fisheries!

Worried! 
Nog

[Burbot]

Well if the whales aren't being protected and the DFO are the managers of the fishery then there is no other answer.

Good for the Judge.

Victoria, not Ottawa, should be in charge of BC fisheries.

I have wondered about Victoria too but I have been around enough to see whether Victoria, Ottawa, Libs, NDP, Cons it is the same old thing, lots of talk and little action.

btw- Orca's are not whales but actually the largest members of the Dolphin family.