New study says decrease in salmon threatens killer whales
Southern Resident killer whales have not had enough food for several years, which could affect their already small numbers. That’s according to a study by the University of British Columbia.
Researchers looked at the availability of prey for Northeastern Pacific Southern Resident killer whales. The study found a fluctuating level of salmon from spawning areas on rivers had a detrimental effect on killer whale health, threatening a small and fragile group of whales.
About 75 of the Southern Resident killer whales span from the California coast to British Columbia’s Queen Charlotte Islands.
But a decrease in salmon threatens that population.
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