Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L00930:front:0:p10
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L00930
Segment Type: other
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Character Range: 30911–35149

is improved to assist in addressing recovery actions of southern right whales in Australia.

Recovery Plan actions
The following actions in Table 1 aim to achieve the interim recovery objectives (section 4.2) within a short-term period of ten years. Key threats to southern right whales have been identified through the risk analysis in section 3.11 and further detail on the actions designed to address the higher prioritised threats ('High' and 'Very High') are outlined in section 5. Risk assessments of threats were separately undertaken for the western and eastern populations to account for the different recovery trajectories and that identified threats may potentially impact the two populations differently.

Table 1 Summary of actions and priority ratings linked to interim recovery objectives developed to support the recovery of southern right whales.
Action                                                                                                                                                          Interim objective  Priority rating
A: Assess and Address Threats                                                                                                                                                      Western population  Eastern population
   A.1: Maintain, implement, and improve efficacy of current legislative and management protection.                                                             1, 2               Very high           Very high
   A.2: Address habitat degradation impacts from coastal and offshore marine infrastructure developments.                                                          1, 2, 3            Very high           Very high
   A.3: Understand impacts of climate variability and anthropogenic climate change on population recovery.                                                      1, 2, 3, 4         Very high           Very high
   A.4: Manage and mitigate the threat of entanglements from commercial active or discarded fishing gear.                                                       1, 2, 3            Very high           Very high
   A.5: Assess, manage, and mitigate impacts from anthropogenic noise.                                                                                          1, 2, 3            Moderate            Very high
   A.6: Manage, minimise, and mitigate the threat of vessel strike.                                                                                             1, 2, 3            Moderate            Very high
B: Measure Recovery
   B.1: Measure and monitor population demographics and recovery.                                                                                               1, 2, 3, 4, 5      Very high           Very high
   B.2: Characterise population structure.                                                                                                                      1, 2, 3, 4, 5      Very high           Very high
   B.3: Determine migratory paths and offshore distribution.                                                                                                    1, 2, 3, 4         High                High
   B.4: Improve capability of First Nation Australians, research, citizen science, and general community groups to assist management of southern right whales.  3, 4, 5            High                High

      Criteria for success and performance of Recovery Plan
The Recovery Plan will be determined to be successful if by the end of the period set out for the interim recovery objectives, the following are achieved:
       * The southern right whale population is demonstrated to be recovering via an effective national monitoring program across its known distribution and a sustained positive population trend is identified.
       * Threats have been demonstrably reduced and effectively mitigated through the implementation of an adaptive management framework to facilitate species recovery.
       * Understanding of the species' ecology has increased to a level that enables assessment of risks associated with anthropogenic threats and impacts on the species demographic parameters to be calculated. This includes an increase in knowledge of migration