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
Canada to see warm summer, wildfire risks loom for some regions: forecast
Get ready to feel the heat, Canada. Weather experts are predicting more sunshine and warmer temperatures for the summer.
3 Israeli soldiers killed in Rafah booby trap explosion, media say, as offensive widens
The Gaza health ministry called on Wednesday for ensuring safe pathways for the immediate entry of fuel and medical aid to Rafah and northern Gaza, according to a statement carried by Hamas media quoting spokesperson Ashraf Al-Qudra.
P.E.I. kiteboarder 'lucky to be alive' after shark attack in Turks and Caicos
A professional kiteboarder from P.E.I. says he has been seriously injured in a shark attack that occurred while he was snorkelling in the Turks and Caicos Islands last week.
New COVID-19 subvariants become the dominant strains in Canada
More than four years after COVID-19 effectively shut down the world, two new variants of COVID-19 have become the dominant strains of the novel coronavirus in Canada.
Black bear kebabs make family sick with parasitic worms
It was supposed to be a celebration, but one family’s unique meal of black bear meat sent several members to the hospital instead.
Introducing peanut butter during infancy can help protect against a peanut allergy later on, new study finds
New evidence suggests that feeding children smooth peanut butter during infancy and early childhood can help reduce their risk of developing a peanut allergy even years later.
The double-level airplane seat is back. This time, there's a first-class version
It’s the airplane seat design that launched a thousand memes and kickstarted a media storm. And now the double-level seat is back – only this time, with a twist.
'Unruly passenger' forces WestJet flight to make emergency landing in B.C.
A WestJet flight heading to Calgary had to make an emergency landing in northern B.C. Monday due to an incident involving an 'unruly passenger,' Mounties say.
NEW Oilers superfan hopeful Edmonton wins so he can get his massive Stanley Cup tattoo retouched
It's been a long time coming, but one Oilers superfan is hoping this will be the year he gets to touch up his massive Stanley Cup back tattoo.