Good times on one visit can lead a family to annual California trips. But there's something very worrisome about the new travel habit of the local orcas' L pod.
Scientist Ken Balcomb suggests the most likely explanation is that shortages of salmon in Washington have led to the sixth straight year of California travel. Since the federal government has just proposed a recovery plan for the imperiled orcas, that is a sign of the challenges ahead for a species emblematic of the Northwest.
As a recent story noted, Canadian research has shown a strong correlation between orca death rates and drops in chinook runs. It turns out chinook salmon runs in California are plunging dramatically. While the orcas may settle for other food sources there, the development is one more reason to concentrate aggressively on doing everything possible to restore their food sources here, along with improving the overall health of Puget Sound.
The federal plan envisions a 20-year effort at a cost of about $50 million. We fear that environmental groups will be proved right in suggesting the plan lacks ambition in goals and strategies. But we certainly see good points, including the federal call for the permanent stationing of a rescue tug to prevent oil spills near the coast and for reductions in pollution from stormwater systems.
Fortunately, the state has embarked on the aggressive Puget Sound Partnership effort to reverse the deteriorating quality of inland waters. The orcas' wide-ranging travels for food underline the challenges for them and for people.
Source: Seattle Post Intelligencer
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