Page 30 - Virge 2025

HELP SAVE THE SOUTHERN
RESIDENT ORCAS
By Niall H., Grade 6
Do you think
orcas are
really cool?
Yeah, everyone says that since orcas' nicknames are killer
whales, they think they kill humans. Well, that is true. But only
because the orcas were kept in captivity and not taken care of
well. 4 humans have died from orcas in captivity, three by the
same orca. That wasn’t really the orca's fault. If their owners had
taken care of them better, those events never would have
happened. Humans have killed more orcas than orcas have killed
humans, resulting in a huge plummet in the orca population,
especially for the Southern Resident Orcas.
There are only 73 Southern Resident Orcas left in the wild, and their population is decreasing. In 2005, the Southern
Resident Orcas were designated endangered under the Endangered Species Act, and human activities are largely to blame.
In fact, human noise pollution is a significant threat to their survival, as it disrupts their communication and navigation. You
.
might think that once orcas get pregnant, the population will increase. That is not true. 80% of the orcas' diet is made up of
Chinook salmon, which helps orcas get pregnant. However, that is the very same fish that humans catch to sell at stores.
This causes less food for the orcas, which is why ⅔ of the orca pregnancies fail due to nutritional stress.
“ Roaring Waves.
”
By Haleema Hasan
Grade 7, Niagra Falls, Canada, iPhone
For two decades, conservation and fishing groups have gone to
court challenging federal agency plans that have failed to
protect threatened and endangered Snake River salmon. In fact,
during this time, five federal plans have been declared illegal by
three federal judges. On March 27, 2018, the U.S. District
Court Judge Michael Simon declared that the Columbia and
Snake River dams were causing irreparable harm to imperiled
salmon and steelhead, increasing water releases over spillways
to improve salmon survival rates for juvenile salmon migrating
to the ocean. This helped the Southern Resident Orcas a little
bit but not enough, unfortunately.
In conclusion, the fate of the Southern Resident Orcas hangs in
the balance. It's up to us to take action and ensure their
survival. If we continue to raise awareness and support
conservation efforts, it will help these beautiful orcas. You can
help by making petitions, telling your friends and teacher, and
donating. If you want to donate, go to
https:/ /www.orcaconservancy.org/donate. By helping, we can
guarantee a better future for these orcas. Southern Resident
Orcas.
“Southern Resident Orcas.
”
Endangered Species Coalition, Congressman John Dingell (D-
MI) and Senator Harrison Williams, (D-NJ), 20 Sept. 2021,
www.endangered.org/campaigns/southern-resident-orcas/.
Accessed 11 Feb. 2025.
Layout Credit, Lily Campbell, Grade 12
30