Researchers charting population trajectories for the Southern Resident population found that the orcas could be extinct in 50 years – in a worst-case scenario. A new scientific study published this week said there are "warning signs" indicating that the Southern Resident orcas extinction risk is accelerating rapidly. The study, published in "Nature," found that the Southern Resident population has been declining by about one whale per year.
For a population of just 74 animals, a decrease at the rate (1.5%) could eventually push the species near extinction in the next five decades. The study also mentioned that the root causes of the orca population decline can be connected to "unsustainable" live capture fishing in the 1970s and 1980s, which limited the salmon population, and too much noise. "There's just not enough salmon," Williams said. "(And) there's too much noise, which makes it harder for the whales to find the salmon.
Southern Resident Orcas Extinction Risk Declining Population Live Capture Fishing Salmon Population Excessive Noise
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