75 of these whales remain. A new West Coast pipeline would be 'devastating' for them, experts say
Environmental advocates warn that a proposed oil pipeline in Alberta could be devastating for the critically endangered southern resident killer whale population. Increased tanker traffic in the Salish Sea poses risks of oil spills and harmful underwater noise pollution.
Why it matters
The project highlights the ongoing conflict between industrial economic expansion and the preservation of fragile marine ecosystems.
As of July 2025, there were 74 southern resident killer whales in the world , according to the Center for Whale Research.
The proposed pipeline would be "devastating" for the species, according to Anna Barford with the international non-profit environmental organization Stand.earth.
One spill would have "generations' worth of impacts" on the marine population, she said.
Alberta's pipeline proposal currently includes two main routing options. Both would lead to an export terminal in southern B.C., increasing tanker traffic in the Salish Sea. (Province of Alberta) But Barford says the project's risks go far beyond a spill.
The proposed pipeline, now under consideration by the federal Major Projects Office, would carry approximately one million barrels of crude oil a day along roughly 1,250 kilometres using a corridor similar to the existing Trans Mountain pipeline, according to the Alberta government.
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