In May 2019, the Government of Canada entered into a first-of-its-kind Species at Risk Act, Section 11 conservation agreement with Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, Pacific Pilotage Authority and five marine transportation industry partners to support the recovery of the southern resident killer whales.
The Species at Risk Act Section 11 Conservation Agreement to Support the Recovery of the Southern Resident Killer Whale formalizes the role of the ECHO Program and the participation of the marine industry and government to continue working collaboratively over a five-year term, with a focus on reducing acoustic and physical disturbance of large commercial ships operating in southern resident killer whale critical habitat. This agreement complements the other commitments of the ECHO Program, and the program team continues to work collaboratively with our partners and advisors.
Annual reports:
Period 1 – Conservation Agreement Annual Report: May 2019 – May 2020 [PDF]
Period 2 – Conservation Agreement Annual Report: May 2020 – May 2021 [PDF]
Period 3 – Conservation Agreement Annual Report: May 2021 – May 2022 [PDF]
Period 4 – Conservation Agreement Annual Report: May 2022 – May 2023 [PDF]
Conservation Agreement management committee
The Conservation Agreement management committee oversees the implementation and effectiveness of the agreement and provides a collaborative forum to discuss and resolve issues regarding the interpretation and implementation of the agreement as needed.
The committee includes representatives from each of the nine parties to the conservation agreement: