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ECHO Program takes heed of underwater noise and marine life

Vancouver Sun, February 21, 2017

The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority and its partners are actively addressing growing marine noise issues. As the largest shipping hub in Canada, much of the commercial vessel activity destined for the Port of Vancouver crosses areas designated as critical habitat for endangered southern resident killer whales, cetaceans and marine species.

In September 2015, the port authority-led ECHO Program, partnering with JASCO Applied Sciences, Ocean Networks Canada and Transport Canada, commissioned the installation of an underwater listening station in the Strait of Georgia, located on the northbound shipping lane leading into the Port of Vancouver. The station has operated continuously since then, monitoring the passage of as many vessels as possible.

“In the immediate aftermath of World Whale Day, British Columbians have reason to be proud, for we are leading the way from the ocean floor up,” writes David Hannay, chief science officer at JASCO Applied Sciences, a Canadian company and world leader in underwater acoustics. Read more.

Related:

• New Mariner’s Guide aims to reduce threats to species at risk
• New incentive for cargo and cruise vessels intended to quiet waters around the Port of Vancouver for at-risk whales

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