Raincoast Conservation Foundation

Mission

To protect the lands, waters and wildlife of the transboundary Salish Sea.

Description

Raincoast is a team of conservationists and scientists empowered by our research to protect the lands, waters and wildlife of the transboundary Salish Sea. We use rigorous, peer-reviewed science and community engagement to further our conservation objectives. We call this approach 'informed advocacy'. As a charitable, non-profit conservation science organization that operates a research lab, research field station and a research/sailing vessel, we are unique.

Since 1990, we have been making progress toward our habitat and wildlife protection goals. Our on-the-ground presence has given us a deep-rooted understanding of our vast coastline. We work in partnership with scientists, First Nations, local communities and NGOs to build support for decisions that protect marine and rainforest habitat.

Raincoast conducts applied, process-oriented, and hypothesis-driven research that has immediate and relevant utility for the conservation debate and our collective body of scientific knowledge. Our in-house scientists collaborate with graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and professors to produce high-quality peer-reviewed publications.

Our vision for the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia is to protect the habitats and resources of umbrella species. We believe this approach will help ensure the survival of all species and ecological processes that exist at different scales.

Raincoast's approach to recovering Southern Resident killer whales stands on two primary tenets. First is to hold the line: to keep critical habitat in the Salish Sea from becoming further degraded. The second tenet is to reduce the immediate threats undermining their survival; lack of food, noise and disturbance from vessels, and pollutants that accumulate in their food. Since 2008, Raincoast has been using science and the courts in our efforts to stop large commercial shipping expansion projects that significantly increase underwater noise, like Terminal 2 and Trans Mountain. Over the last three years, we have also used science, legal processes, and government engagement to implement measures that reduce noise and disturbance from vessels, and reduce the impact of fisheries on the Southern Resident's dwindling salmon food supply. By some measures, 2020 may have provided an improvement in killer whale health. Whether from the influence of sanctuaries, reduced fishing, whale watch restrictions, ship slow downs, or other marine conditions that affect Chinook, there are two young calves and pregnancies within the three pods. This is very welcome news. However, the test will be whether these calves and fetuses survive to become breeding adults. This has been the problem of the last decade or so. We sincerely hope 2020 signals a turning point in their recovery. In 2021, we will continue to champion recovery efforts for food security, along with noise and disturbance reductions, with our conservation partners in Canada and the US.

We Investigate to understand coastal species and processes. We Inform by bringing science to decision makers and communities. We Inspire action to protect wildlife and their wilderness habitats.

https://www.raincoast.org/tracking/into-2022/