'Environmental emergency': Fear for B.C.'s endangered orcas after U.S. boat sinks in critical feeding spot
A fishing boat that sank with nearly 10,000 litres of fuel on board near the Canada-U.S. marine border went down in one of the worst possible places for endangered orcas, an ocean pollutants expert says.
Peter Ross, a senior scientist with Raincoast Conservation Foundation, said the vessel sank in an important feeding area for endangered southern resident killer whales. It will be a race against time to clean up the spill, he said.
“The very worrying part of this entire incident is that it happened probably in the worst place of all for southern resident killer whales, right in the middle of critical habitat,” Ross said.
The area is protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, he said, because it's a popular fishing spot for the orcas. Chinook salmon, the whales' main prey and a species facing its own survival challenges, swim along bluffs on San Juan Island, creating a feeding channel for the orcas, he said.
The U.S. Coast Guard and other American agencies are responding to a sunken vessel leaking fuel in Haro Strait, between Vancouver Island and San Juan Island. (Twitter/@USCGPacificNW)
There are only 74 southern resident killer whales remaining and the federal government says the main threats to the species are contaminants, declining chinook populations and acoustic disturbances.
The U.S. Coast Guard said Monday the whales were last spotted west of Port Angeles, at least 50 kilometres from the spill site, but Ross said that's not more than a day's journey for the orcas.
The Aleutian Isle sank Saturday off San Juan Island, roughly 25 kilometres east of Victoria, and its five crew members were rescued by a Good Samaritan, the U.S. Coast Guard has said.
The vessel is under about 30 metres of water and the fuel on board included diesel, motor oil and other assorted oils. Officials have not determined what caused the sinking.
On Monday, the coast guard's Pacific Northwest division said a dive team was looking for the best way to secure vents on the vessel so that the tanks can be defueled.
Petty Officer Michael Clark told The Associated Press that a sheen had entered Canadian waters and there was concern for the southern resident killer whales last seen near the southern tip of San Juan Island but moving away toward Port Angeles.
By Monday afternoon, they were spotted west of Port Angeles, “well away from the spill,” the coast guard said.
A safety zone has been put in place around the response area and all vessels must remain at least 914 metres from any diving vessels, it said.
No whales have been identified in the affected area and personnel are on scene to prevent marine mammals from approaching.
There have been no reports of oiled wildlife and air quality levels remain below harmful thresholds, it said.
However, Ross warned that the threat is not over. If the whales return to the area, diesel fumes can be “extremely toxic” to them if inhaled. The risk depends on volume and wind levels at the time of exposure.
“That can present significant harm, if at the right concentration, and if there's no wind to disperse it,” he said.
Diesel can also enter the food chain, beginning on the biofilm on the ocean water's surface, if it's ingested by bacteria, phytoplankton and zooplankton.
Of urgent concern, too, is identifying exactly which types of oil and other fuels were on board the boat, he said. Given the threats facing the endangered whales, it's critical that divers identify the fuels, stop the leaks and even possibly work on recovering the vessel, he said.
“This is an environmental emergency,” he said.
Conservationists are also watching for effects on salmon, but they may depend on how officials handle the leak.
Misty MacDuffee, director of Raincoast's wild salmon program, said the leak is occurring as sockeye salmon and other migrating species are returning to the Fraser River.
The fish should be safe from fuel on the water's surface since they spend most time deeper down.
However, she warned against the use of dispersants to manage the oil because it involves breaking slicks into smaller droplets that can distribute toxins through the water column.
“Then it becomes deadly,” MacDuffee said.
Oil can also accumulate on shorelines with damaging effects, she said.
The Canadian Coast Guard said in an email it is ready to assist as required while several other U.S. agencies are also helping contain any oil, track the trajectory of the spill and monitor for affected wildlife.
Lt.-Cmdr. Brian Dykens said in a statement that government and industry partners are working to develop “an efficient and effective containment and recovery response.”
“The local public, the environment and protected marine species are our top priority,” he said.
- With files from The Associated Press
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 15, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Leafs star Auston Matthews finishes season with 69 goals
Auston Matthews won't be joining the NHL's 70-goal club this season.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.