Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2013L00289:body:0:p25
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2013L00289
Segment Type: other
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Character Range: 76959–79869

the season. Emerging aggregation areas are those areas that have been used on and off (often more frequently in recent years) by a small number of calving females, and so may become established aggregation areas over time. Historic high use areas show locations where significant numbers of southern right whales occurred in pre-whaling times, with evidence of current use. These areas may become more heavily used as the population increases.

See Section 1.2 for objectives and targets.

Figure 2: Coastal aggregation areas for southern right whales

5. Threats
5.1 Description of Threats
A: Entanglement
Entanglements occur when whales inadvertently make contact with materials such as fishing lines, ropes and nets and parts of their body become tangled in the material. A minimum of one fatal entanglement and 12 non-fatal entanglements of southern right whales occurred during the period 1950–200657, however, this figure is likely to be an underestimate. Entanglement can also reduce the fitness of an individual by restricting mobility and impairing breathing, swimming or feeding ability. Entanglement in nets and lines often cause physical damage to skin and blubber. These wounds can then expose the animal to infection. Entanglement can also result in amputation, e.g. of a flipper or tail fluke, and death over a prolonged period.

As the number of whales increases, the potential for interactions between whales and material that may cause entanglement is likely to increase unless appropriate mitigation strategies are developed. Entanglement is unlikely to have population scale impacts in the south-west but the risk to the population is higher in the south-east, as any entanglement affecting mortality or fitness of even a low number of animals in that region may have a significant impact on recovery of this population. Studies of right whale mortality in the northern hemisphere show that entanglement is second only to vessel strike as being responsible for documented right whale deaths36, 96.

Commercial fisheries or aquaculture equipment
During the period 1950–2010 the number of reported southern right whale entanglements in fishing gear increased. The source of much of the gear involved in entanglements was related to crustacean fishing57 and the proximity of lobster fisheries to calving areas in south-east Australia is of concern. Recreational use of lobster pots may also be of concern. A southern right whale has died in Australian waters after becoming entangled in a longline57. At least one non-fatal entanglement involved a fish farm in Tasmania.

Marine debris
'Injury and fatality to vertebrate marine life caused by ingestion of, or entanglement in, harmful marine debris' has been listed as a key threatening process under the EPBC Act. Harmful marine debris consists of plastic garbage washed or blown from land into the sea, fishing gear abandoned by recreational