Port of Vancouver ECHO Program

In early December 2023 the port authority-led ECHO Program concluded its longest-running season of voluntary measures to reduce the impacts of commercial ship traffic on endangered southern resident killer whales. 

About the ECHO Initiative

The Fraser Basin Council serves as a facilitator for a program led by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority called Enhancing Cetacean Habitat and Observation (ECHO). Launched in 2014, ECHO is aimed at better understanding and reducing the cumulative effects of shipping on whales on the southern coast of British Columbia.

As whales and ships share the same waters, many of the ships calling at the Port of Vancouver travel through critical habitat of the endangered southern resident killer whales, as well as through other areas of importance to whales such as the northern resident killer whales and humpback, fin, blue and sei whales.

Many different organizations operate commercial vessels within the port’s jurisdiction. The ECHO program takes a collaborative approach to addressing and understanding the cumulative effects of vessel activity on whales. The program involves Canadian and US partners and advisors from across government agencies, the marine transportation industry, Indigenous communities and environmental groups. It is guided by the advice and input of an advisory working group and associated technical committees.

For several years the ECHO program has run underwater noise reduction initiatives, which include voluntary seasonal  slow-down and distancing trials for commercial ships in key areas of southern resident killer whale habitat.

2023 ECHO Trials

In December 2023, the ECHO Program concluded its longest-running season of voluntary initiatives to reduce the impacts of commercial ship traffic on endangered southern resident killer whales – in particular vessel slow-downs in the waters of Haro Strait and Boundary Pass. The voluntary vessel slowdown in Swiftsure Bank saw record participation rates over 85% and route alteration initiative for tugboats in Canadian inshore areas of the Strait of Juan de Fuca achieved 95% voluntary participation.

Given the high level of industry participation, the ECHO Program’s ship slowdowns have been shown to reduce whale strike risk by up to nearly 30% and reduce underwater noise by 50% —helping to reduce key threats to at-risk whales like ship strikes and acoustic disturbance.

Learn More

Learn more about work in 2024 at the Port of Vancouver ECHO program.