Interim Order Protects Killer Whales in Southern BC

Summary#

The federal government published the Interim Order for the Protection of the Killer Whale (Orcinus orca) in the Waters of Southern British Columbia, 2025 under the Canada Shipping Act, 2001. Made by Chrystia Freeland on May 30, 2025, it sets temporary rules about how close boats and people can get to killer whales and creates slow and restricted boating zones; the order came into force on June 1, 2025.

What it does#

• Establishes a general no-approach rule: vessels and people must not go within 400 m of a killer whale in the mapped waters (Schedule 1).
• Prohibits placing a vessel in the path of a killer whale in those same waters.
• Creates vessel-restricted zones around Saturna Island and Pender Island (Schedule 2) where navigation is banned on or before November 30, 2025, with limited exceptions for island access, some Indigenous fishing and human-powered craft near shore (within 20 m).
• Sets speed limits of 10 knots over ground in specified areas (Schedule 3) on or before November 30, 2025; non-motorized vessels are exempt.
• Allows the Minister to issue written authorizations:
  • To let commercial whale-watching or ecotourism vessels approach non–Southern Resident whales to 200 m, if it’s safe and won’t harm whales or the marine environment.
  • To permit non-commercial boats or organizations to approach or operate in restricted zones for monitoring or promoting protection, subject to conditions.
• Requires authorized vessels to report encounters with Southern Resident killer whales (including vessel name, time, coordinates, number seen), to use the WhaleReport app for sightings, and to display an authorization flag.
• Prohibits tour operators holding an authorization from advertising Southern Resident sightings in commercial promotions.
• Exempts emergency vessels, pollution response, vessels avoiding immediate danger, and federal employees or peace officers on duty.
• Repeals the previous interim order made on May 30, 2024.

Who's affected#

• Commercial whale‑watching and ecotourism operators in southern British Columbia.
• Recreational boaters and kayakers using the waters named in the schedules (including areas in the Strait of Georgia, Burrard Inlet, and around islands listed in the order).
• Residents and service providers accessing Pender Island and Saturna Island by boat (there are narrow exceptions for necessary travel).
• Fishers, including those holding licenses under Indigenous or communal fishing rules, where exemptions apply.
• Indigenous governments or organizations that may seek authorizations or rely on existing rights.
• Mariners, ferry operators and others who transit or work in the mapped marine areas.
• Federal enforcement and response agencies who will oversee authorizations and compliance.

If it’s unclear whether a specific waterway or activity is covered, the order lists precise map coordinates in its Schedules.

Why it matters#

• The order introduces immediate, practical limits on how boats can behave near killer whales in busy southern BC waters. That can change where and how commercial tours, recreational boaters and local boat traffic operate.
• Slower speeds and exclusion zones aim to reduce physical and noise disturbance to whales and lower the risk of collisions. Those measures can affect travel times, tour options and small‑boat access in specific areas.
• Operators who want to work near whales will need written authorizations and must follow reporting and display rules; commercial promotions that rely on Southern Resident sightings are restricted.
• Because this is an interim order (temporary and made for urgent protection), it replaces a previous 2024 order and sets rules that, at least in part, run through November 30, 2025, so affected parties should check the exact maps and conditions quickly.