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Reducing the threat of contaminants to Southern Resident Killer Whales

The Southern Resident Killer Whale is an iconic species of Canada’s Pacific coast and holds deep cultural significance for coastal First Nations.

However, these whales are at risk. The population is declining and they are exposed to serious threats.

The three key threats to these whales are:

The Government of Canada listed the Southern Resident Killer Whale population as endangered under Canada’s Species At Risk Act (SARA) in 2003. In 2008, a recovery strategy was published, followed by amendments in 2011 and 2019. An action plan in 2017 outlined concrete measures to carry out the recovery strategy, and in 2018, the Southern Resident Killer Whale was identified as experiencing imminent threats to their survival. This prompted the implementation of the Government of Canada’s Whales Initiative to support the population’s protection and recovery.

As the federal lead on environmental pollution under the Whales Initiative, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) advanced research, monitoring, and enforcement actions to reduce exposure to contaminants and support the health and recovery of this species.

Contaminants and Southern Resident Killer Whales

Human activities expose Southern Resident Killer Whales and their primary prey, Chinook salmon, to a wide range of contaminants. These substances enter the aquatic environment in many ways, such as:

Some contaminants can also be transported over long distances from distant sources.

As long-lived predators that feed high in the food web, Southern Resident Killer Whales are especially at risk from pollutants because these substances build up in their environment and in the fish they eat. This buildup is called bioaccumulation. As these pollutants move from one species to another higher up the food web, they become more concentrated. This is called biomagnification.

Some environmental contaminants can impair growth, weaken the immune system, affect brain and nervous system functioning, and reduce reproductive success. The combined impact of these exposures places additional strain on a population already facing significant challenges to recovery.

Contaminants that are Persistent, Bioaccumulative and Toxic (PBT) are a major concern because they break down very slowly, travel far, and build up in animals over time. They contribute to increasing overall contaminant levels in the environment.

The Northern and Southern Resident Killer Whales (Orcinus orca): recovery strategy (2018) provides an overview of the principal groups of chemical compounds that may pose a risk to Southern Resident Killer Whales:

Working with partners, ECCC further refined the above list of contaminants into an updated set of priority contaminants of concern for the species.

There is significant overlap between the contaminants identified in Southern Resident Killer Whales and those affecting the St. Lawrence Estuary Beluga, another endangered whale population in Canadian waters. These shared pressures highlight the persistent nature of these chemicals across marine ecosystems.

Environment and Climate Change Canada’s actions to protect Southern Resident Killer Whales from contaminants

Through participation in the Whales Initiative, ECCC focused on targeted monitoring, research, and collaborative efforts with the aims of:

Environmental monitoring

ECCC’s research and monitoring activities helped reveal more about the contaminants that enter aquatic environments, as well as how and from where. Between 2018 and 2026, ECCC sampled freshwater and sediment to test for the presence and levels of contaminants in rivers and streams that flow into the Fraser River and the Salish Sea in British Columbia. Samples of wastewater, air, marine sediment, and landfill leachate in areas near Southern Resident Killer Whale habitat were also taken and analyzed in the laboratory for the presence of contaminants.

Collaborative research and strengthened protection efforts for Southern Resident Killer Whales

In 2018, ECCC created the Southern Resident Killer Whale Contaminants Technical Working Group (TWG). The aim of the TWG was to convene policy, technical and scientific experts from the federal and provincial governments, First Nations, environmental groups, industry and academia to propose and advise on specific actions to address imminent threats from contaminants to the Southern Resident Killer Whales and facilitate their recovery.

Highlights of the technical working group’s accomplishments include:

More information on the three phases of work completed by the Southern Resident Killer Whale Contaminants Technical Working Group is available on the following pages:

More information

For further information, contact: enviroinfo@ec.gc.ca.

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2026-05-06