Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is currently looking into the recent death of a grey whale in British Columbia. The deceased grey whale was discovered on a beach in a remote area of Haida Gwaii on May 24. The DFO marine mammal response team is en route to the location to gather samples and determine the cause of death.
This incident marks the eighth grey whale fatality in British Columbia this year, contributing to a concerning surge in deaths within the population, likely due to starvation. During a webinar held by the Marine Education and Research Society to discuss the challenges faced by grey whales, DFO marine mammal co-ordinator Paul Cottrell informed about the latest discovery.
Cottrell expressed alarm over the increasing number of deaths and suggested that there could be more unaccounted for due to the vast coastline and isolated nature of the region. The current year’s death toll could surpass the previous record set in 2019 when 11 dead grey whales were recorded in B.C. So far this year, DFO has responded to four dead whales off the west coast of Vancouver Island, conducting full necropsies on four of them.
The results from the necropsies are expected in the coming month. Researchers have highlighted that the grey whales are perishing due to a lack of food as they migrate back to their feeding grounds, attributing the decline in available prey in the Arctic as a significant factor leading to these deaths.
The grey whale population, estimated at just under 13,000, has been dwindling, with a total of 40 grey whales found dead in British Columbia since 2019. The year 2019 saw a sharp increase with 216 grey whale deaths globally, leading to the declaration of an unusual mortality event.
Jackie Hildering from the Marine Education and Research Society is advocating for the entire grey whale population to be listed as endangered in Canada to ensure their protection. This designation would enable necessary legislative actions, including research funding and educational initiatives.
