The Importance of Research

It is vital that we try to achieve the best understanding we possibly can of what cetaceans need to flourish within their habitats.  In particular, we need to be fully conscientious of how human activities have the potential to impede cetaceans’ ability to meet those needs.  This means a continued investment in research.

Here is a great example of important research work which deserves our support:

https://saveourseas.com/project/cetacealab/

The key objective, under the heading “Identifying critical habitat for killer whales in Northern British Columbia”, is the enhancement of our understanding of the area’s importance to killer whales (orcas) in the region.

Note how they describe why this work is important…

“The collected information is particularly important to the recovery efforts for northern resident killer whales in light of increased risks to these species. Furthermore, we will continue to provide all of our data to DFO’s [Department of Fisheries and Oceans] Cetacean Research Program so it can be incorporated into their coastwise assessments of NRKWs. Our project will also increase the community’s capacity to manage cetaceans and provide sound information that can be applied to the management of numerous development and other human use proposals and activities.”

… and what we’d like you to take away from this is a couple of things:

1. The collaborative nature of scientific work is something we find tremendously admirable.  Data acquired in one project is shared with others who can put it to some useful purpose in another project, a multiplier effect which has considerable benefit as we try to tackle some of the daunting environmental challenges we’re faced with.
2. This one can’t be stressed enough! – We need the best science we can get in order to make important political and economic decisions.  The orcas are an excellent case in point (the Southern Residents this time).  As of this writing, new infrastructure is being considered which would result in a seven-fold increase in tanker traffic through their primary habitat.  On what basis do we make such a decision? We need to do the research required, and to understand what the facts are, so that we can make a well-informed assessment of what the impact will actually be.  If we make policy decisions based purely on questions like whether we need the oil, jobs created, or other economic benefits, we may well be dooming the Southern Residents to extinction.  Are any of us prepared to live with that?