Oregon Approves Conservation Plans for Orcas

The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission voted today to approve three Endangered Species Management Plans for Southern Resident Orcas, completing the listing process initiated by a 2023 petition by Defenders of Wildlife and partners. The Commission approved plans by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon Department of State Lands, Oregon Parks and Recreation Department — all agencies that own or manage waters and adjacent lands where Southern Resident Orcas or their habitat are found and who can play a role in the species’ conservation.

"Approving these three Endangered Species Management Plans is a good first step toward taking responsibility in the recovery of these iconic and important species," said Colin Reynolds, senior advisor to Defenders of Wildlife's Northwest Program. "The real work begins now, as agencies need to implement these plans and the legislature needs to fund that implementation."

Southern Resident orcas are listed as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act as well as Washington state’s Endangered Species Act, but the population has continued to decline.

Unlike other orcas, Southern Resident orcas feed almost exclusively on Chinook salmon, which are also experiencing population declines because of dams, habitat destruction, toxic pollution and other issues.

Orcas are recognized by their striking black and white coloration and their history in popular culture. Scientists have observed that Southern Resident orcas have their own dialects and culture, with distinctions between pods.

Although these orcas are known to live in the Puget Sound and coastal waters of Washington state, the Southern Residents also spend considerable time feeding in the inland and coastal waters of Oregon and California. The mouth of the Columbia River on Oregon’s northern border is a crucial foraging area for the whales. More than half the Chinook salmon the orcas consume while in coastal waters comes from the Columbia Basin.

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