The offshore population of killer whales was listed as Special Concern in 2003 by the Species at Risk Act (SARA). It was reassessed in March 2009 by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) as Threatened. Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is now seeking your input on potentially changing its status to Threatened under SARA. It is difficult to distinguish between resident, transient and offshore killer whales found on the west coast of North America. Offshores are a genetically distinct group, thought to be most closely related to resident rather than to transient killer whales due to similarities in appearance, vocalizations and genetics. Encounters with offshore killer whales have occurred mostly around the Queen Charlotte Islands; however, there have also been sightings of offshore killer whales in coastal and inshore waters such as Strait of Georgia and western Johnstone Strait. Some factors that threaten the offshore killer whale population include reductions in the availability or quality of prey due to fisheries competition or regime shift, environmental contamination, and acute acoustic disturbance. Natural factors and periodic events such as mass strandings or entrapments in narrow inlets also have the potential to drastically reduce local numbers. If you would like to know more about offshore killer whales or would like to submit comments on its potential listing as Threatened, please see http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/consultation/sara-lep/index-eng.htm. The comment period ends on November 13, 2009. Your input is valuable to DFO and will be considered by the Minister of Environment, in consultation with the Minister of Fisherises and Oceans, in making a listing recommendation. Sincerely, Karen Calla A/Regional Manager - Species at Risk Fisheries and Oceans Canada 200-401 Burrard St. Vancouver, BC V6C 3S4