Conservation groups file lawsuit to protect endangered killer whales
VANCOUVER — A collection of conservation groups has teamed up to launch legal action aimed at protecting endangered southern resident killer whales.
The groups said Wednesday that the federal government failed to recommend an emergency order to protect the whales under the Species at Risk Act and they want a Federal Court to review that decision.
Margot Venton, a lawyer and nature program director at Ecojustice, said they want the court to force the ministers to address existing imminent threats to the whales with an emergency order under the act.
The order is a legal tool that enables the government to fast-track protection for critically endangered populations like the southern residents, she said.