October 4, 2023 — Up to 19 fish-eating resident North Pacific killer whales can be accidentally killed annually by Alaska fishing fleets or other human activity without triggering a federal effort to reduce this toll.
This take number has received renewed scrutiny in the aftermath of a Sept. 21 NOAA Fisheries disclosure that 10 killer whales were incidentally caught this year by Bering Sea trawl vessels. One was released alive.
It represents a NOAA Fisheries determination of the toll that humans can take each year without impacting the optimum population of resident killer whales off Alaska. Some scientists say it is based on an outdated assessment, and is likely too high to protect smaller genetically distinct populations.