2/3/11 Vancouver Sun
Canada, U.S. may restrict chinook salmon harvest to benefit killer whales
By LARRY PYNN, Vancouver Sun
Fishermen in Canada and the U.S. may have to give up part of their lucrative chinook salmon catch to help the recovery of endangered resident killer whales.
The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in a news release Wednesday it plans to hold a science workshop with Fisheries and Oceans Canada in the spring to discuss potential catch restrictions.
The federal agency said that “killer whales depend to a substantial degree on large chinook salmon as a high-calorie food source” and that “killer whale productivity is affected by chinook abundance.”
As a result of the workshop, both countries will be “better able to determine whether and to what extent additional constraints on salmon fishing may be necessary,” it said.