US Regulations to Protect Killer Whales Near BC Coast Effective: Study

US Regulations to Protect Killer Whales Near BC Coast Effective: Study
An orca whale leaps out of the water near a whale-watching boat in the Salish Sea in the San Juan Islands, Washington, on July 31, 2015. AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File
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VANCOUVER—American regulations that limit vessel noise and traffic around endangered killer whales off the West Coast are working, a new study has found.

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, said in its review of regulations adopted in 2011 that the changes are benefiting southern resident orcas without having negative effects on the local whale-watching and tourism industries.