Gazing out at the beautiful ocean in front our Vancouver Island home is a daily reminder that my wife and I are truly blessed.
But these are not the “southern resident” whales that many believe are the last orcas on the planet. They are, rather, some of the estimated 400 Biggs killer whales that roam B.C.’s coastal waters feeding on the sea lions and seals that are all too plentiful here. Guide boats remain tied to wharves, tackle shops go bankrupt and thousands of hotel rooms and lodges remain empty,
But the only thing that is remarkable about them is that they are the only 74 orcas out of 50,000 in the world that are addicted to salmon. Meanwhile, the futile attempt to save those 74 whales doomed by the law of natural selection is devastating a vital part of our West Coast economy. The recent federal decision to offer only five-year renewals to open-net salmon farms set a 2029 shutdown date for an industry that has operated safely for four decades.