Northern resident orcas thrive with strong wild salmon returns
A long-term whale researcher from Alert Bay has observed a significant rise in the presence of Northern Resident orcas, as well as migrating wild Pacific salmon, this summer compared to previous years.
“We saw a few salmon go by the camera each summer,” says Helena Symonds, co-director, OrcaLab. “This year we are seeing school after school of pink salmon, Coho and Chinook.”
In 2018, the ‘Namgis, Kwikwasut’inuxw Haxwa’mis, and Mamalilikulla First Nations—known as the Broughton Archipelago Transition Initiative (BATI)—shut down 17 salmon farms in their territories to protect wild Pacific salmon. “We did extensive pathogen research in these salmon farms during their last years of operation here,” says former Chief Don Svanvik, ‘Namgis First Nation. “We know what happens in these farms.”
Since the removal of ocean-polluting salmon farms in the Broughton Archipelago, wild Pacific salmon have begun to return in remarkable numbers, allowing whales to return to this critical habitat as well.