Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is currently looking into the demise of yet another grey whale in British Columbia (B.C.). The discovery of a deceased grey whale on a remote Haida Gwaii beach on May 24 prompted the DFO marine mammal response team to travel to the site for sample collection and cause of death determination. This incident marks the eighth grey whale fatality in B.C. this year, contributing to a concerning increase in deaths among the population, believed to be due to starvation. During a webinar hosted by the Marine Education and Research Society addressing the challenges faced by grey whales, DFO marine mammal coordinator Paul Cottrell disclosed the recent death.
Cottrell expressed alarm over the situation, highlighting that the actual number of fatalities could be higher than what is currently reported, attributing this to the vast coastline and remote areas. Comparing the current year to the worst recorded in 2019 when 11 dead grey whales were discovered in B.C., Cottrell mentioned that DFO has already responded to four dead whales off the west coast of Vancouver Island within a ten-day span.
The necropsy results from these incidents are expected to be available in approximately a month. Researchers have indicated that the grey whales are perishing due to starvation as they return north to their feeding grounds, citing a significant decline in available prey in the Arctic as the likely cause of these deaths. The grey whale population, estimated at just under 13,000, has been dwindling, with a total of 40 grey whale deaths recorded in B.C. since 2019. In 2019, there was a notable surge as 216 grey whales were found deceased globally, leading to the declaration of an unusual mortality event.
John Calambokidis, a research biologist at Cascadia Research Collective, reported the discovery of 23 dead grey whales off Washington state this year, emphasizing that the washed-up carcasses represent only a fraction of the actual deaths, with many others going undocumented or sinking offshore. The grey whale, part of the eastern north Pacific population, was deemed of special concern by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) and listed as such under the federal Species at Risk Act in 2005.
Jackie Hildering from the Marine Education and Research Society is advocating for the classification of all grey whales as endangered species in Canada to ensure their protection, urging for legislative measures, research funding, and educational initiatives to address the plight of grey whales effectively.