The final amended version of the Recovery Strategy for the Northern and Southern Resident Killer Whales in Canada has been published on the SAR Public Registry .
The amendment to this Recovery Strategy includes identification of two additional areas as critical habitat and provides additional clarification of the functions, features, and attributes for all critical habitat identified for Northern and Southern Resident Killer Whales (NRKW and SRKW).
Under SARA, critical habitat must be legally protected within 180 days of being identified in a final recovery strategy or action plan and included in the Species at Risk Public Registry. The identified critical habitat in recovery strategy will prohibit the “destruction of any part of the identified critical habitat”. Activities “likely to result in the description of critical habitat” include "fishing for Chinook Salmon, Chum Salmon, and other important prey species, as well as activities that impact the survival and prey supply of these species such that they are not of sufficient abundance, quality, or availability for Resident Killer Whales”.
