Whales and shipping How the port authority-led ECHO Program is working to reduce the effects of ship traffic on whales in the Salish Sea Krista Trounce Enhancing Cetacean Habitat and Observation (ECHO) Program Project Manager December 5, 2019 Vancouver Fraser Port Authority Vancouver Fraser Port Authority |
Vancouver Fraser Port Authority Our vision Vancouver Fraser Port Authority | 2
Outline 1. Whales and shipping 2. What is the ECHO Program? 3. Research project highlights 4. Global applications Vancouver Fraser Port Authority | 3
Port of Vancouver Enabling trade with more than 170 world economies Vancouver Fraser Port Authority | 4
Whales in our waters Many at-risk marine mammals species off the coast of British Columbia Erik Christensen NOAA NOAA DFO Harbour Hum pback Fin Sei (Threatened) (Endangered) Porpoise (Threatened) (Special Concern) Jim Borrowman HelloBC NOAA NA Blue North Pacific Biggs ( transient) Resident killer (Endangered) Right w hale killer w hale w hale (Endangered) (Threatened) (Endangered) Based on Canadian Species at Risk Act. Vancouver Fraser Port Authority | 5
Known threats to marine mammals Example Floating Caption Slide Acoustic Disturbance Physical Disturbance Environm ental Contam inants Photo: Oceanwise / NOAA Availability of prey Vancouver Fraser Port Authority | 6
Whales and acoustic disturbance • Southern resident killer whales use sound to find food, communicate and navigate • Ship noise can disrupt their ability to communicate, socialize, rest and their ability to hear returning echolocation clicks when feeding Whale echolocation Sound clip: Northern resident killer whale masking from passing commercial vessel. Credit: Orcalab Vancouver Fraser Port Authority | 7
Commercial shipping activities and whales An international issue • International shipping lanes overlap protected critical habitat for endangered southern resident killer whales and other at- risk species • Underwater noise can affect whales’ ability to feed and communicate • Predicted shipping activity and human population growth in both Canada and USA • Port authority mandate under the Canada Marine Act Vancouver Fraser Port Authority | 8
What is the ECHO Program? Vancouver Fraser Port Authority | 9
Enhancing Cetacean Habitat and Observation (ECHO) Program overview What? A collaboration with marine transportation industries, conservation groups, scientists, Indigenous individuals and Canadian and US governments. When? Convened Nov 2014 Why? To better understand and reduce the cumulative effects of commercial shipping activities on at-risk whales throughout the southern coast of British Columbia. Key actions: • Collaborative international and regional relationships. • Research projects, with an emphasis on underwater noise. Photo: Joan Lopez • Trial and implement threat reduction measures Vancouver Fraser Port Authority | 10
Species At Risk Act Conservation Agreement to support recovery of southern resident killer whales • First of its kind in Canada • Formalizes role of ECHO Program over five- year term • Focuses on existing and new voluntary efforts to reduce acoustic and physical disturbance from large commercial ships operating in Southern Resident killer whale critical habitat Vancouver Fraser Port Authority | 11
ECHO Program actions: Research projects highlights Vancouver Fraser Port Authority | 12
Key acoustic research questions • What are current ambient noise levels? • What do different ships sound like? • Where do different types of ships contribute to noise? • What options exist to reduce underwater noise from ships? Photo: Joan Lopez Vancouver Fraser Port Authority | 13
What are current ambient noise levels? Underwater noise monitoring in the region • Three locations with two years of data • Undergoing analysis for drivers of ambient noise and trends Burrard Inlet • Environmental conditions (current, wind, rain, marine animals) • Anthropogenic factors (small and large boats and Strait of Georgia ships) • Fourth location 2019 – Burrard Inlet Boundary Pass Haro Strait Vancouver Fraser Port Authority | 14
What do different ships sound like? U nderwater listening stations Locations: • Strait of Georgia • Haro Strait • Boundary Pass Listening for: • Level of noise from ships (10,000+ ship transits) • Marine mammal detections • Ambient noise Photo: VFPA Vancouver Fraser Port Authority | 15
What do different ships sound like? Strait of Georgia underwater listening station Average Five loudest ship types radiated noise level* Container ship >200m 189.7 dB Bulkers >200m 186.6 dB Ferries 186.5 dB Tankers 185.9 dB Bulker <200m 185.9 dB Source: Strait of Georgia underwater listening station, 2015 – 2018 * Average Radiated Noise Level (dB re 1 μ Pa) Total transits = 5134 Vancouver Fraser Port Authority | 16
What can we hear? Strait of Georgia underwater listening station Killer whale Container ship Birds? Humpback whale Project partners: Ocean Networks Canada, Transport Canada and JASCO Applied Sciences Vancouver Fraser Port Authority | 17
Where do different ships contribute to noise? Regional noise contributors study – 2017 modelling Haro Strait Strait of Georgia Modelled unweighted noise in July 2017, by vessel class Source: ECHO Program regional noise contributors study, 2017 Vancouver Fraser Port Authority | 18
What options exist to reduce vessel underwater noise? Quiet design, technology Quiet operating options and maintenance options Port Slowing authority and route incentives alterations Vancouver Fraser Port Authority | 19
ECHO Program actions: Trial and implement threat reduction measures Vancouver Fraser Port Authority | 20
Quiet design, technology and maintenance options Port authority incentives for quieter ships Underwater noise reduction criteria added to existing EcoAction Program in 2017 47% 35% 23% discount discount discount SILVER GOLD BRONZE Noise reduction Quiet ship notation Technologies that help performance from ship reduce cavitation indicator from Green classification society Marine Vancouver Fraser Port Authority | 21
Quiet operating options Voluntary ship slowdown in Salish Sea Why: To better understand the relationship between ship speed, underwater noise and potential effects on killer whales Where: ~16-30 nautical miles through critical whale feeding areas in Haro Strait and Boundary Pass Who: Over 80 organizations Monitoring: • Participation and vessel speeds • Ambient noise • Vessel source levels (2017 only) • Killer whale presence and behaviour Vancouver Fraser Port Authority | 22
Voluntary ship slowdown in Haro Strait Modelling underwater noise before and during the trial Trial speed (10.6 knots) Baseline speed (19.4 knots) Comparison of a underwater noise from a container ship Source: JASCO Applied Sciences Vancouver Fraser Port Authority | 23
Voluntary ship slowdown in Salish Sea Overview of results Speed Duration Distance Participation Acoustics SRKW 2017 11 knots through the 61% reported 22% reduced impact to 1.7 dB reduction at water for all vessel participation foraging time 61 days 16.6 nm Lime Kiln (filtered) types (951 total ships) (modelled) 2018 Variable speeds 87% reported 15% reduced impact to 1.5 dB reduction at 12.5 and 15 knots 111 days 16.6 nm participation foraging time Lime Kiln (filtered) through the water (1678 total ships) (modelled) Variable speeds 82% reported 2019 11.5 and 14.5 knots 103 days 29.6 nm participation TBC TBC through the water (1551 total ships) Vancouver Fraser Port Authority | 24
Quiet operating options Voluntary route alteration (lateral displacement) trial in the Strait of Juan de Fuca Ships and tugs were asked to shift as far south as possible in existing lanes to reduce underwater noise in near- shore feeding areas. Vancouver Fraser Port Authority | 25
Voluntary route alteration (lateral displacement) trial in the Strait of Juan de Fuca Overview of results Speed Duration Participation Acoustics SRKW 2018 -0.6 to 1.0 dB deep-sea 82% deep-sea 33 days of killer whale Deep-sea and tugs 72 days 80% tugs sightings* -4.3 dB tugs 2019 Tugs only 125 days 80% tugs TBC TBC *from BC Cetacean Sightings Network Vancouver Fraser Port Authority | 26
Other projects Vancouver Fraser Port Authority | 27
Measures: Raising mariners’ awareness Vancouver Fraser Port Authority | 28
Whales in our Waters tutorial Developed for mariners, open to public What: Online tutorial for mariners to learn about species of whales in the Pacific Northwest and how to best navigate in their presence When: November 2018 How long: ~90 minutes to finish, certificate upon completion Who can take it: Focus on regional operators, open to anyone Visit: www.portvancouver.com/echo/resources Vancouver Fraser Port Authority | 29
Global applications Vancouver Fraser Port Authority | 30
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