Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is investigating the death of another grey whale in B.C.
A grey whale was found dead on a beach in an isolated area of Haida Gwaii on May 24, and the DFO marine mammal response team is heading to the location to take samples and determine the cause of death.
Eight grey whales have been found dead this year in British Columbia, adding to what researchers are calling an alarming spike in deaths for the population as they appear to be starving to death.
DFO marine mammal co-ordinator Paul Cottrell shared the news of the most recent death during a webinar hosted by the Marine Education and Research Society discussing the plight of grey whales.
Cottrell said the deaths are alarming, and the number of fatalities is likely larger than what is being found.
“We probably miss more animals because of our isolation and huge coastline,” said Cottrell. “We don’t catch all of our dead whales.”
This year could surpass the worst year in B.C. when 11 dead grey whales were discovered in 2019, according to Cottrell. DFO responded to four dead whales off the west coast of Vancouver Island in 10 days, this year.
“Out of the seven, we have sampled six of them, and [have done] full necropsies on four of them,” Cottrell said.
The results from the necropsies will likely take another month.
Researchers said the whales are starving to death as they migrate back north to their feeding grounds, and they believe the dramatic decline in available prey in the Arctic is to blame for the deaths.
The grey whale population has been dwindling, estimated at just under 13,000. A total of 40 grey whales have been found dead in B.C. since 2019.
Back in 2019, there was a significant spike with 216 grey whales found dead worldwide and an unusual mortality event was declared.
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John Calambokidis, a research biologist at Cascadia Research Collective, said 23 dead grey whales have been found this year off Washington state.
“Most of the animals that die do not wash up and show up,” Calambokidis said. “These just represent something like 10 or 20 per cent of the animals dying, the rest either don’t get documented off shore or sink.”
The grey whale, eastern north Pacific population, was assessed as being of special concern by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) and was listed as such under the federal Species at Risk Act in 2005.
Jackie Hildering with the Marine Education and Research Society is calling on the province to list all grey whales as an endangered species in Canada so they can be protected.
“The call to action is that all grey whales have to be recognized as endangered,” Hildering said.
This would allow for legislative action, including research funding and education, she explains.
