Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2013L00289:body:0:p8
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2013L00289
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 23738–27110

Management Plan framework as a new way of protecting cetaceans under the auspices of the IWC.

      * Establishment of the Australian Marine Mammal Centre (AMMC) – an organization involved in the research and management of marine mammals around Australia and internationally.

      * Establishment of the Southern Ocean Research Partnership - an Australian Government‑led initiative through the IWC that will develop regional non-lethal cetacean research partnerships.

      * Production of management documents for areas of impact and concern for whales in Commonwealth waters and provision of guidance to state regulatory agencies and industry, e.g. EPBC Act Policy Statement 2.1 – Interaction between offshore seismic exploration and whales (2008) (Seismic Guidelines)4 and the Australian National Guidelines for Whale and Dolphin Watching (2005)6 (whale watching guidelines).

      * Continuing discussions with the energy industry, marine scientists and state government agencies on whether existing assessments and conditions appropriately manage the impacts associated with infrastructure development and seismic surveys.

      * Best practice training and preparedness efforts by state government staff involved in disentanglement operations and coordinated response to reports of injuries, stranding and mortality.

      * Improved mechanisms for commercial fishers to reduce the likelihood of interaction and report bycatch or other interactions with whales, dolphins and other protected species, e.g. through voluntary codes of practice.

      * Civil maritime surveillance and response services reporting environmental incidents such as marine pollution, and contributing to marine species protection through reporting sightings of marine mammals.

      * Recognition of southern right whale Biologically Important Areas in the marine bioregional planning process designed to identify regional conservation priorities.

      * Ongoing support for research programs that improve understanding of southern right whale recovery and interactions with humans.

1.1 Review of the 2005–2010 Recovery Plan
The Southern Right Whale 2005–2010 Recovery Plan was reviewed in 2010: http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/publications/recovery/cetaceans-assessment.html. The review recommended an update of the recovery plan for the southern right whale as, despite evidence of good recovery rates for the south-western population, the recovery rate of the south-eastern population of southern right whales remains low. Performance measures used to review the 2005–2010 Recovery Plan included:

      * a comparison of the recovery rate of southern right whales against the optimum biological rate of approximately seven per cent

      * expansion into suitable habitat

      * domestic and international protection regimes.
The review found that the objectives of the 2005–2010 Recovery Plan were achieved in relation to assessment of the south-western population of southern right whales, however, information on the south-eastern population was found to be lacking. The review prioritised the need for long term monitoring of the south-eastern population of southern right whales. The review also noted the impacts of large scale climate change signals in the southern hemisphere on the reproductive output of Australian southern right whales83.