Researchers have acknowledged BC Ferries’ decision to reduce speeds in key humpback whale corridors as a positive development, but stress that comprehensive, legally binding regulations for foreign cruise ships and LNG tankers are necessary for effective whale protection.

Fatal Collision Prompts Action

The speed reduction, which began on June 1st, follows a tragic incident where a BC Ferries vessel struck and killed a humpback whale named Emma. This event highlighted the increasing risks posed by growing maritime traffic in the region.

Speed Reductions Show Promise

Studies conducted in Hawaiian waters have demonstrated that reducing vessel speeds to approximately 10 knots (19 km/h) significantly reduces both the probability of whale collisions and the severity of injuries if a strike occurs. Existing Canadian regulations in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, mandating 10-knot zones for North Atlantic right whales, provide a precedent for the effectiveness of this approach.

Limitations and Ongoing Concerns

However, researchers caution that speed restrictions are not a foolproof solution. They function similarly to school zones, mitigating risk but not eliminating it entirely. Janie Wray, a whale researcher with BC Whales, expressed hope that BC Ferries’ action will encourage other maritime operators to adopt similar practices.

LNG Tanker Traffic a Major Threat

Wray’s primary concern centers on the increasing LNG tanker traffic heading to Kitimat, with LNG Canada now operational. She anticipates a substantial increase in tanker transits – potentially one or more per day – through Wright Sound and adjacent channels. Her team and the Gitga’at First Nation have requested LNG Canada to avoid nighttime transits to facilitate better monitoring, but have yet to receive a response.

Changing Whale Populations

Wray highlights the dramatic transformation of northern BC waters over the past two decades, with whale sightings increasing from infrequent occurrences to dense concentrations. Her team frequently observes groups of 8 to 14 humpbacks engaged in bubble-net feeding within busy shipping lanes.

Data Gaps and Future Solutions

Chloe Robinson, director of whales at Ocean Wise, identifies a lack of reliable data on ship strikes as a major obstacle to stronger whale protection policies. Underreporting hinders accurate assessment of the problem. She advocates for combining slowdown zones with real-time detection systems, such as infrared monitoring and whale-alert networks, to enhance effectiveness.

Despite humpbacks being considered a conservation success story, Robinson cautions against complacency, emphasizing that a lack of data itself poses a significant threat. Wray’s team recovered the body of a whale named Midnight, killed in a collision with a BC Ferries vessel in Gitga’at territory on September 17, 2025, and a necropsy was performed to determine the cause of death.