The ECHO Program is focused on developing and implementing actions that result in a quantifiable and meaningful reduction of threats to whales due to shipping activities. Towards this end, the ECHO Program leads and supports a wide range of collaborative projects, educational initiatives and voluntary measures to better understand the cumulative effects of marine shipping on whales, and inform the development of potential threat-reduction solutions. The program’s work does not focus on any individual collaborative partner or organization, nor any specific external project, program or initiative. Instead, the ECHO Program seeks to bring all relevant interests together to combine multiple efforts and leverage shared resources to help support the recovery of at-risk whales in this region.
While the ECHO Program’s focus is on acoustic disturbance – one of the four key threats to southern resident killer whales identified by Fisheries and Oceans Canada – the ECHO Program also supports other threat reduction projects related to physical disturbance and environmental contaminants. Below, you’ll find information on our seasonal underwater noise reduction initiatives, which focus on reducing acoustic disturbance in key areas of southern resident killer whale critical habitat.