Southern Resident orca importance
cultural
Orcas have been a cultural symbol and icon to the pacific northwest region for thousands of years. For many indigenous cultures, orcas are seen as guardians of the sea, as well as symbols for luck, compassion and family (Georgia Strait Alliance, 2022). In fact, for some of the Salish peoples, the orcas are seen as reincarnated family members who live under the water (NOAA, 2021). With increasing eradication of indigenous culture around the country, it is very important to preserve this living symbol of their culture.
Socioeconomic
Southern resident orcas fill a very important socioeconomic role in the Salish sea area. Whale watching is a cornerstone of the tourism industry in that area, with orcas being some of the most popular and desirable photographs in the Salish sea. For British Columbia in 2008, the total revenue from whale watching alone totaled $118 million USD (NOAA, 2021). As of 2018, whale watching in the Puget Sound region, Washington, generates $216 million USD as well as supporting over 1,600 jobs (NOAA, 2021). A sudden vanishing of the southern resident orcas could crash the whale watching industry in the Salish sea, accounting for hundreds of millions of dollars and thousands of jobs.
Enviornmental
When climbing the food chain of the Southern Resident Orca, they stand at the very top. As an apex predator, going extinct will throw off the entire Salish Sea ecosystem that they reside in. First, it will affect the Chinook Salmon. The population will explode rapidly and then they will run out of food and die off quickly. In other words, the entire ecosystem depends on the orcas and it will fall apart without them. The Southern Resident Orca is also an indicator species, if the ecosystem itself is damaged or there is a lack of something within it, the orcas will respond and show that there is an issue (US EPA). They are currently showing signs of an issue within the ecosystem. The declining population is how it’s being shown and the biggest cause is the lack of food. With the loss of orcas comes the loss of many other species like, barnacles, salmon, seals, sea lions, herring and more. So finding ways to protect them is very important.
