Killer whales (Orcinus orca) recovery strategy: Appendices

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Appendices

• Appendix A – Glossary
• Appendix B – Description of critical habitat
• Appendix C – Recovery team members
• Appendix D – Record of cooperation and consultation

Appendix A - Glossary

Abiotic:

Non-living factors in the environment (e.g. water, air, rocks).

Allee effect:

The reduced likelihood of finding a mate when population numbers are low.

Anthropogenic:

Caused or produced by humans.

Bioaccumulation:

The process by which (toxic) substances from prey and the environment crease over time in concentration in living organisms.

Biotic:

Living components of the environment (e.g. fish, plankton).

Biotoxin:

Toxin produced by a living organism.

Culture:

A body of information and behavioural traits that are transmitted within and between generations by social learning.

dB (decibel):

A unit for measuring the relative intensity of a sound. In this document the sources of sounds are consistently referenced to 1 µPa at 1 m. The sounds that marine mammals hear (received level) depend on their distance from the source of the sound.

Depensation:

When a decline in population numbers leads to reduced survival (due to increased mortality) or reduced reproduction (due to the Allee effect).

Ecotype:

A population that is genetically different from other populations of the same species.

Lipophilic:

A substance that dissolves more easily in lipids (fats) than water. Chemicals that are lipophilic tend to bioaccumulate.

Matriline:

Comprises all surviving members of a female lineage.  A typical matriline comprises an adult female, her offspring, and the offspring of her daughters.

Mediastinal:

Part of the thoracic cavity between the lungs that contains the heart, aorta, esophagus, trachea and thymus.

Odontocete:

Toothed whales, dolphins and porpoises.

Systemic mycoses:

Fungal infection that affects the whole body.

µPa (micro Pascal):

A unit of acoustic pressure.

Sympatric:

Closely related populations or ecotypes that overlap in their range but do not interbreed.

Contaminant acronyms

APEs

Alkylphenol ethoxylates

DBT

Dibutyltin

DDT

Dichlorodiphenyl trichloroethane

PAHs

Persistent aromatic hydrocarbons

PBDEs

Polybrominated diphenylethers

PBDTs

Polybrominated trienylethers

PCBs

Polychlorinated biphenyls

PCDDs

Dioxins, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins

PCDFs

Polychlorinated dibenzofurans

PCNs

Polychlorinated napthalenes

PCPs

Polychlorinated paraffins

PCTs

Polychlorinated terphenyls

SPFOs

Perfluoro-octane sulfonates

POPs

Persistent organic pollutants

TBT

Tributyltin

Appendix B - Description of critical habitat

Described clockwise from the western boundary-all latitudes are decimal degrees north; all longitudes are decimal degrees west and bounded on the east and south by Point Roberts and the United States border.

Described clockwise from the western boundary-all Latitudes are decimal degrees north; all longitudes are decimal degrees west.

Appendix C - Recovery team members

Resource personnel:

Appendix D - Record of cooperation and consultation

Northern and southern resident killer whales are listed on Schedule 1 of the Species at Risk Act (SARA) and as an aquatic species are under federal jurisdiction and managed by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO): 200 - 401 Burrard Street, Vancouver, British Columbia (BC). Southern resident killer whales are a transboundary population and the United States is concurrently developing a recovery plan as mandated under their Endangered Species Act.

To assist in the development of an initial draft of this recovery strategy, DFO brought together a diverse team of experts from various government, environmental, eco-tourism and non-governmental groups from both Canada and the United States. On the advice of the Species at Risk Coordinator at the BC Aboriginal Fisheries Commission, a letter of invitation followed up by phone calls was sent to all coastal First Nations seeking their interest in participating on the Recovery Team and/or Technical Workshop. No response was received from First Nations for inclusion on either initiative. Subsequent to the consultation process the Namgis First Nation has indicated an interest to be involved in future action planning and local implementation.

A Technical Workshop was hosted in March 2004 to provide a forum for the sharing of knowledge and expertise on killer whales with an invited group of scientific and technical stakeholders which was invaluable in assisting the Resident Killer Whale Recovery Team to formulate an effective recovery strategy.

Public news releases announcing the Recovery Team and development of the recovery strategy and a notice of Public Consultations were sent to a distribution list of whale-related contacts provided to DFO in recent years from environmental groups, the eco-tourism sector, non-governmental organizations, government agencies and private citizens. An announcement was also placed in the Vancouver Aquarium Aquanews newsletter.

Additional input was sought through the internet (March 2005) on the draft recovery strategy and a discussion guide and feedback form were available. Responses were received from eco-tourism and non-government organizations and the Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nations. Input from the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the State of Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife was received through team participation. Feedback on the recovery strategy was also received from other government agencies including: the Department of National Defence, Province of BC, SARA Secretariat, Environment Canada and Natural Resources Canada. An external peer review was conducted by Volker Deecke, Ph.D., University of BC, and Christope Guinet, Centre d'Etudes Bilogiques de Chize, France. All feedback from both government agencies and peer reviewers has been incorporated into the final recovery strategy.

A proposed version of the recovery strategy was posted on the SARA Public Registry for a 60-day public comment period, from June 21^st to August 20^th, 2007. During this time, numerous comments were received from a wide variety of sources including government agencies, commercial and recreational fishing groups, ecotourism operators, non-governmental organizations, and private citizens. All feedback from this comment period was considered and incorporated into the final recovery strategy as appropriate.

Recovery team:

Marilyn Joyce, Chair: Fisheries & Oceans Canada, Lance Barrett-Lennard, Vancouver aquarium John Ford, Fisheries & Oceans Canada, Graeme Ellis, Fisheries & Oceans Canada, Peter Ross, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Peter Olesiuk, Fisheries & Oceans Canada, Brian Reader, Parks Canada Agency, Christine Garrett, Environment Canada, Ken Balcomb, Centre for Whale Research, Brent Norberg, National Marine Fisheries Service, Steve Jeffries, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, John Durban, National Marine Fisheries Service, Linda Jones, National Marine Fisheries Service, Rich Osborne, The Whale Museum, David Bain, Friday Harbor Laboratories, University of Washington, Paul Spong, Orcalab, Andrew Trites, University of British Columbia, Anna Hall, Whale Watch Operators Association NW, Jim Borrowman, North Island Whale Watching Community, Rob Williams, Marine Conservation Caucus, Scott Wallace, Sierra Club of Canada, B.C. Chapter (Alternate), Gary Wiles, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (Alternate), Brian Riddell, Pacific Fisheries Resource Conservation Council, Rob Paynter, Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection, Kathy Heise, University of British Columbia

External review:

Dr. Volker Deecke of the University of British Columbia and Dr. Christope Guinet, Centre d'Etudes Bilogiques de Chize, France.