Transport Canada has issued Ship Safety Bulletin 15/2022
to replace its previous SSB 12/2021. The latest SSB updates requirements under
the Interim Order for Protection of the Killer Whale (Orcinus orca) which came
into force on June 1st 2022 for vessels navigating in, on or through specific
waters in Southern British Columbia. Some of these waters are key foraging
sites for the Southern Resident Killer Whale (SRKW), which is listed as an endangered
species.
The Government of Canada has put in place measures to
reduce the acoustic and physical disturbance of marine vessels on the SRKW. The
protection measures include a 400-metre approach distance restriction, the
establishment of interim sanctuary zones, and the establishment of seasonal
slowdown areas.
