Canadian military to resume weapons training along section of B.C. coast after 3-year hiatus
The Canadian military says it will resume weapons training along a section of the B.C. coast after a three-year pause to study its effects found "negligible" impacts on marine mammals, including the endangered southern resident killer whale.
The study, conducted by engineering firm Golder Associates, found the military's existing procedures are sufficient to mitigate the harmful effects of sea-surface and aerial gunnery in the Strait of Juan de Fuca near the southwestern tip of Vancouver Island.
In 2019, the military called a pause on all surface weapons training in the "Whiskey Hotel" operating area, a roughly 30-kilometre stretch of coastline west of Victoria that is used for weapons training by both the Canadian and United States militaries, as well as the U.S. Coast Guard.
During the hiatus, the Department of National Defence and Public Services and Procurement Canada hired Golder to study the underwater and surface noise impacts of military small arms fire on aquatic mammals.
The study did not examine the potential impacts of gunfire striking marine mammals, nor the potential contamination of the waterway from spent rounds or debris. Nor did it examine the effects of gun noise on other marine life, such as birds and fish.
"Further studies would be required to evaluate those effects," Golder wrote in its final report to the federal government.
"However, the Royal Canadian Navy and the United States Coast Guard follow firing orders that identify specific areas that must be clear of all land, vessels, aircraft and marine mammals," the firm wrote. "These areas are specific to each weapon and are based on weapon hazard patterns that were developed from a worst-case scenario that includes deflection error, environmental factors, ricochets and round fragmentation."
The study paid particular attention to how the southern resident killer whale (SRKW) population could be affected by the noise of .50-calbre machine guns, as well as various small arms fired from naval vessels and Royal Canadian Air Force helicopters.
The Canadian and U.S. militaries conduct most of their weapons training in the area during the summer months when calmer seas provide a more stable firing platform.
"As the [area] is located within SRKW critical habitat and within key foraging areas used by this population during the summer months, potential effects to this population are of particular importance," Golder wrote. "Modelling results for all scenarios indicate that small arms noise will not exceed the underwater disturbance threshold for any marine mammal species."
WEAPONS TRAINING TO RESUME THIS MONTH
The Canadian military says it will resume surface weapons training in the "Whiskey Hotel" area – roughly between Sooke, B.C., and Port Renfrew, B.C. – later this month.
"The study concluded that with the application of existing mitigation procedures, potential residual effects to marine mammals is anticipated to be negligible" when training resumes, National Defence said in a release Monday. "Specific to southern resident killer whales, neither injury nor disturbance is considered likely to occur."
The declining southern resident killer whale population is a chief concern among West Coast conservationists as the number of whales has fallen from its recent peak of 98 animals in 1995 to 80 whales in 2001, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The most recent population study in September found that 73 southern resident whales remain following the deaths of three whales between July 2021 and July 2022, according to researchers at the Washington state-based Center for Whale Research.
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada did not provide an immediate response to a request for comment Tuesday. This story will be updated if and when a response is received.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Iran President Ebrahim Raisi found dead at helicopter crash site, state media says
Iranian president, the country’s foreign minister and others have been found dead at the site of a helicopter crash Monday after a search through a foggy, mountainous region of the country’s northwest.
The push to Parliament's summer hiatus is about to begin, here's what you need to know
When MPs file back in to the House of Commons on Tuesday, it will be for the final five-week parliamentary push before hitting the barbecue circuit. Looking ahead to what could be a raucous rush to the summer hiatus, CTVNews.ca spoke with top House representatives to get a sense of what's atop their priority list.
ICC prosecutor seeks arrest warrant for Israeli and Hamas leaders, including Netanyahu
The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court said Monday he is seeking arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in connection with their actions during the seven-month war.
What do we know so far about the mysterious crash of the helicopter carrying Iran's president?
The apparent crash of a helicopter carrying Iran's president and foreign minister on Sunday sent shock waves around the region.
Stittsville residents seeking answers as bylaw cracks down on street basketball nets
Stittsville residents on Kearnsley Way are seeking answers after an unusual bylaw crackdown on Friday. Every home with a basketball net received a ticket instructing homeowners to remove their nets from the road.
Court eases internet restrictions for Sask. man who matched with a 15-year-old girl on Tinder
A Saskatchewan man who had a sexual encounter with a 15-year-old girl he met on Tinder successfully appealed to shorten release conditions barring him from online dating.
'A horrible way to start the summer': 3 killed in serious boat crash on lake north of Kingston, Ont.
Three people were killed and five others were injured Saturday night following a boat crash on the Buck Bay area of Bobs Lake, north of Kingston, Ont., the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) said.
Michael Cohen to face more grilling as Trump's hush money trial enters its final stretch
Donald Trump's hush money trial is heading into the final stretch, with prosecutors' last and star witness back on the stand Monday for more grilling before the former president's lawyers get their chance to put on a case.
Walmart, Costco refusing to sign grocery code of conduct 'untenable': industry minister
Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne says it's 'untenable' for 'smaller players' like Walmart and Costco to delay signing on to the government- and industry-led grocery code of conduct, now that industry giant Loblaw has agreed to do so.