Voluntary MA 7 No-Go Zone for SRKW

Voluntary “No-Go” Whale Protection Zone for Southern Resident Killer Whales

To Recreational and Commercial License Holders:

As you may have heard, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), working with NOAA Fisheries, recently proposed actions through the North of Falcon salmon season setting process to promote protection for Southern Resident Killer Whales (SRKWs). The purpose of this email is to request that recreational and commercial boats—fishing or otherwise—comply with a voluntary “No-Go” Whale Protection Zone to reduce disturbance and noise related to boating activities in an area routinely used by SRKWs to forage and socialize.

The voluntary “No-Go” Whale Protection Zone is along the western side of San Juan Island in Marine Area 7 for all recreational boats and commercial fishing vessels (Figure 1); fishing and non-fishing. This voluntary zone spans from Mitchell Bay in the north to Cattle Point in the south and extends a quarter-mile from shore, and half-mile from shore around Lime Kiln Lighthouse. WDFW is asking all vessels to stay out of this key area to provide a foraging area that is quiet and free from disturbance.

We understand the importance of the fishing grounds in Marine Area 7 that overlap the “No-Go” Zone and WDFW worked hard through North of Falcon to provide increased recreational fishing opportunities Puget Sound-wide. However, we also recognized that fisheries in areas important to SRKWs (e.g., MA 7) needed to be reduced to decrease boat traffic and the voluntary “No-Go” Zone was critical to the review by NOAA Fisheries required to secure the Endangered Species Act permit for all salmon-related fishing opportunities throughout the greater Puget Sound region. The only exception to this request is for the limited Fraser commercial sockeye fishery, which overlaps with a portion of the voluntary “No-Go” Zone and is expected to open only 6-8 days in late-July through early-September of this year.

Finally, as you may be aware, the Governor has established a SRKW Task Force to guide the implementation of a longer-term action plan for SRKW recovery. Further guidance or regulations to protect Southern Residents in future years will utilize recommendations from this stakeholder-driven public process. More information about the SRKW Task Force is available here

WDFW has a team of staff working on SRKW issues, and we have listed their contact information below. Please feel free to contact team members with any questions you may have relative to SRKW activities.
Figure 1. An approximation of the Voluntary “No-Go” Whale Protection Zone from Mitchell Bay to Cattle Point.
WDFW Staff Contacts for SRKW-Related Activities:

SRKW Task Force
Penny Becker, SRKW Task Force Lead
(360) 902-2694 or Penny.Becker@dfw.wa.gov

Voluntary “No-Go” Whale Protection Zone
Michele Culver, Intergovernmental Policy Manager
(360) 902-2182 or Michele.Culver@dfw.wa.gov

2018 Puget Sound Salmon Fisheries
Kirt Hughes, WDFW Statewide Salmon and Steelhead Fishery Manager
(360) 902-2705 or Kirt.Hughes@dfw.wa.gov

"Voluntary"

That's the request. Better than mandatory. It keeps NOAA happy, too, and we can continue to fish.

Not going to be much to fish for in that zone anyhow as the other side to this protection is that they beheaded the late summer king fishery up there this yeah. Doubt we’ll ever see one open again, now. An end of an era.

It is voluntary but I imagine we would be volunteering to be harassed by WDFW, NOAA, and the researchers by fishing there. The last two weeks of August and first two weeks of September was my favorite times to fish out there. I guess it is a good thing I no longer have a saltwater boat.

What will they do when this no-go zone has no measurable affect on the recovery of the SRKW population? Close all of Haro Srait next? Just a bunch of political, feel good, look at what we did regulations.

"What will they do when this no-go zone has no measurable affect on the recovery of the SRKW population? Close all of Haro Srait next? Just a bunch of political, feel good, look at what we did regulations."

As we have seen, measurable effects are not the yardstick of salmon management in the PNW. My observations are that they aren't the yardstick of SRKW recovery either.

Similar action in BC although it may not be voluntary.

According to Canada DFO, it's the 50Khz frequency on depth sounders that is the worst disturbance. Never done this fishery but heard fishing the rips off the shore a bit is the thing to do. Dunno if that 1/4 mile ask would totally kill that idea. Shouldn't be rocket science to find other spots to fish these runs. The BC forums say these whales are out at Tofino now & that in recent years they have found better feeding other than San Juan island.

At the first SRKW Task Force meeting there was limited discussion about the 50 Khz frequency and how it might be in the same range as that used by the SRKW. I'm sure it will be a topic of discussion in the Vessel working group part of the Task Force.

Looks like the strategy to save SRKW will be similar to the strategy for saving salmon: limit sport fishing. I suspect it will have similar success, which is to say none at all.