ECHO Program’s 2025 annual report highlights continued collaboration to protect at‑risk whales

The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority today published the 2025 annual report for the Enhancing Cetacean and Habitat Observation (ECHO) Program. In 2025, the ECHO program coordinated voluntary threat reduction initiatives in three key areas, spanning 86 nautical miles of southern resident killer whale (SRKW) critical habitat.

More than 5,300 ships from over 80 marine transportation organizations participated, with a total participation rate of 85%.

The port authority and its partners also undertook research focused on improving the accuracy of underwater listening stations. By continuing to develop and apply new technologies, the ECHO Program is better able to shape initiatives aimed at reducing underwater vessel noise.

Other key initiatives included:

• An extension of the slowdown area at Swiftsure Bank by approximately five nautical miles to better overlap with a known area of high SRKW occurrence
• Voluntary initiatives in Haro Strait and Boundary Pass, Swiftsure Bank, and the Strait of Juan de Fuca took place between June 1 to November 30
• Ongoing collection of underwater noise data throughout the Salish Sea, resulting in one of the world's largest ship noise databases, with more than 70,000 accepted measurements of ship transits, in partnership with Transport Canada

The Environmental Managers Association of BC recognized the port authority and fellow Conservation Agreement signatories with its Member's Choice Award for their collaborative efforts to support the recovery of endangered SRKW. The port authority thanks the ECHO Program's partners and advisors for their ongoing support, as well as the voluntary participation of over 80 marine transportation organizations.

To learn more about the ECHO Program, visit our website: