The Recovery Plan is an official plan  by the US National Marine Fishery service, to help support and protect the Southern Resident Killer Whales. The most important part of this plan is not the steps they are taking to support the Killer Whales, but the final population goal is to remove them from being endangered. These goals highlight where the population of Southern Resident Killer Whales must be in order to consider them not endangered anymore. All the steps used to support and protect the Killer Whales are derived from these goals, and are put in place to achieve them. The Recovery Plan for the Killer Whales has two criteria goals that must be met in order to remove them from the endangered list.

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One, their population must have a growth rate of 2.3 percent per year for 28 years, this will indicate a healthy, growing population that has a low chance of drastically dropping. Two, variables like gender composition, population age structure, and social structure within pods stay consistent with healthy stable population trends. In order to achieve these two goals, the Recovery Plan has 5 steps:

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Step 1

This step is all about protecting the Southern Resident Killer Whale population through a few steps. They plan to rebuild some of their prey food base, minimize pollutants and contaminants that harm them, along with decreasing the agitation that vessels create. 

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Step 2

This step is looking to decrease problems that increase mortality, injury, and threaten the habitat that Southern Resident Killer Whales reside within. This step is mainly focusing on decreasing the risk and effects from oil spills, infectious diseases, and invasive species.

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Step 3

the third step looks away from the Killer Whale population, and instead looks to the human population. This step works to inform the public about Killer Whales and how they can help them, through education programs. 

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Step 4

Step four is a reactionary step that is geared to respond to problems with Killer Whales. This can include Killer Whales that have become stranded, have become sick and threaten the rest of the population, or have become isolated for whatever reason. Sadly, this step can include taking out Killer Whale individuals that have become a nuisance, or even threaten the public.

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Step 5

The final step has to do with the coordination and cooperation between agencies and departments. This step is vital because the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration cannot save the Southern Resident Killer Whales alone, but through the cooperation of other groups, Killer Whales have a much better chance at recovery.

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