VANCOUVER—Canada’s fisheries minister says he is committed to implementing as many protective measures as possible for the critically endangered southern resident killer whales before they make their annual return to B.C.’s coast to feed.

He has about five months.

“We (will) try to put as many of the measures as possible by May of next year when the bulk of the whales return to Canadian waters,” said Jonathan Wilkinson, minister of fisheries, oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard.

In a year-end interview with StarMetro, Wilkinson acknowledged that the southern resident orcas’ ongoing struggle to fend off extinction is an “urgent problem” — but he also disagreed with environmental organizations that have been calling for a complete shutdown of Chinook salmon fisheries in order to help the whales recover. Chinook salmon are the orcas’ main food source.

“At this stage, our view is we are working toward a situation where the whales will have enough to eat,” said Wilkinson, who is also MP for North Vancouver.

“If we don’t have to tell everyone else who is actually involved in the Chinook fisheries that they can’t fish at all, we won’t do that. We are not convinced that it’s required.”

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But the idea of closing all Chinook fisheries may appeal to people who have been following the orcas’ plight since the dramatic events of this past summer.

The profound display of grief by an orca named J-35, who carried her dead newborn around for weeks, and the intense rescue effort to save young J-50 shone an international spotlight on the southern resident orcas’ fight for survival.

Three southern resident orcas died in 2018, leaving only 74 whales in the population, which is unique to the waters off the Pacific Northwest. Hundreds of orcas live in that area, including northern residents, transients and offshore orcas, but the southern residents have their own distinct culture. They are one of the most heavily studied whale populations in the world.

Wilkinson acknowledged the role those two whales played in “catalyzing” Canadians’ feelings about saving the small population. He confirmed Canadian officials are willing to make the same “heroic” effort next time another southern resident whale needs help, said Wilkinson.

He pointed out that the government had already been working on a recovery plan for the orcas for years. The government reduced Chinook quotas by about a third in June 2018, before J-pod made international headlines.

But it appears the ministry is now speeding up the implementation of measures like increasing the amount of protected territory, expanding the no-go zone around orcas to 200 metres and moving shipping lanes away from waters frequented by the animals.

Most recently, Wilkinson announced in December the creation of two new protected areas: one located off the southwestern coast of Vancouver Island and another off the north coast of B.C. in the western Dixon Entrance. The government protects a total of 10,700 square kilometres for orcas.

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“This is an urgent problem,” he said.

“We need to ensure we are doing what we can in the short term to enable recovery in the long term.”

The government will start public consultations in 2019 on what measures — including fishery restrictions — should be implemented in those protected areas.

Wilkinson also addressed concerns from some members of the scientific community about how fish farms are affecting wild salmon populations.

Scientists, environmental groups and a number of coastal First Nations have raised major concerns about the spread of viruses such as piscine reovirus from fish farms to wild salmon. Piscine reovirus, or PRV, has been shown to cause heart and skeletal muscle inflammation in Atlantic salmon in Norway and other countries.

“I recognize there are some who are opposed to aquaculture, who make the case that diseases are transmitted from these farms,” Wilkinson told StarMetro.

“I don’t think that is a fact. That is a statement of opinion.”

He said the ministry is looking at the idea of banning fish farms close to salmon migration routes. He also said the ministry is open to the idea of giving officials additional tools to enforce fish-farm regulations.

“That is a live conversation,” he said.

Currently the only way to enforce rules governing fish farms is to take companies to court.

Wilkinson emphasized his ministry is dealing with a balancing act when it comes to these twin conservations issues. The government has a responsibility to protect wildlife — including the southern resident killer whales and wild salmon — under the Species at Risk Act but also faces pressure from industry.

“What we are focused on is, any measures that we put into place, whether they affect fishing or transportation or any other activity, are done in a manner that is significantly beneficial to the whales but that is also done in a way that is as sensitive as we possibly can be to legitimate economic interests, like coastal fishing communities.”

Six conservation organizations are currently suing the federal government for not doing enough to protect the southern resident killer whales. Environmentalists want the Canadian government to enact an emergency order to save the animals from extinction, but the government has so far refused to do so.

With files from Ainslie Cruickshank

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