Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2015L01633:body:0:p37
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2015L01633
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 104107–109191

in state or territory waters.
State and territory government partnerships also address the protection of blue whales by improving knowledge on blue whales observed within state and territory waters, and by maintaining and improving existing protection measures for blue whales. Some of these initiatives include:
       * Marine protected areas in state waters;
       * Raising community awareness;
       * Creating whale watching regulations;
       * Promoting data sharing;
       * National guidance documents for cetacean incidents addressing disentanglement, strandings and euthanasia;
       * Supporting the national disentanglement network;
       * Undertaking necropsy of carcasses and reporting;
       * Developing state based codes of practice for commercial fisheries (e.g. WA and VIC governments);
       * Developing state based guidelines for seismic activities;
       * Developing state based guidelines for reducing ship collisions; and
       * Creation and/or updating of an oil spill response plan.

Existing research actions
Research on blue whales using Australian waters that was completed or is underway has focused on the following areas:
       * Characterising historical population parameters such as distribution, abundance and life history characteristics by using historic whale catch data;
       * Developing long-term, cost-effective and feasible population abundance and trends methods (e.g. based on distance sampling from ship or aerial surveys, mark-recapture from photo-identifications, cue counting from acoustics, or a combination of those);
       * Assessing the distribution, habitat use and seasonality of the two subspecies using acoustic recordings, land-based observations, boat and aerial surveys and spatial modelling;
       * Monitoring long-term regional occupancy through boat and aerial surveys, land-based observations and photo-identification catalogues for Bonney Upwelling, Perth Canyon and Geographe Bay areas;
       * Assessing spatial connectivity (both national and international) through a recently developed Southern Hemisphere Blue Whale Photo Identification Catalogue;
       * Assessing genetic identity and connectivity (both national and international) using genetic methods;
       * Characterising foraging habitat and interactions with blue whales, including prey dynamics and influences of climate and ocean processes for feeding areas including the Bonney upwelling and Perth Canyon;
       * Assessing migratory pathways and timing, and other long range movements through satellite tagging and acoustic recordings;
       * Collecting information on stranded blue whales and undertaking necropsies where possible; and
       * Conducting noise exposure experiments with baleen whales (e.g. humpbacks rather than blue whales) to assess changes in whale behaviour, migratory routes and habitat occupancy.

Assessing and addressing threats
The following sections summarise the key action areas including the targets and threats they are addressing.
Action Area A.1                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Priority
Maintain and improve existing legal and management protection                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Pygmy                    Very high
Antarctic                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Very high
Action
1. Continue or improve existing legislative management actions as identified in Section 2 of this Plan.
2. Maintain the currency of management advice and actions
Recovery Targets addressed                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Threats to be mitigated
3-1                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               A, B, C, D, E, F
Description