The last 72 Southern Resident killer whales on the planet have been denied legal protection under Canada's Species at Risk Act

VANCOUVER/UNCEDED xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (MUSQUEAM), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (SQUAMISH) AND səlilwətaɬ (TSLEIL-WAUTUTH) TERRITORIES: The Federal Court has ruled against conservation groups challenging the approval of the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 project.    

In June 2024, Ecojustice lawyers were in Federal Court representing the David Suzuki Foundation, Georgia Strait Alliance, Raincoast Conservation Foundation and the Wilderness Committee. The groups argued that the Government of Canada’s approval of the new container shipping terminal at Roberts Bank was unlawful under the Species at Risk Act because it failed to ensure all feasible measures were in place to limit the impact of the project on Southern Resident Killer Whales and assure itself that the project would not further jeopardize the survival or recovery of this iconic group of whales.  

The court dismissed the case, based on its interpretation of the government’s responsibilities under the Species at Risk Act.  

Cabinet approved the project despite accepting the conclusion of the independent environmental assessment that the project would have significant adverse effects on the Southern Residents and their main prey source, chinook salmon.

Read more here: https://www.wildernesscommittee.org/news/federal-court-upholds-rbt2-meg…