Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L00930:front:0:p8
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L00930
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 25175–28244

waters east of Ceduna in South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania, New South Wales, and Queensland. Southern right whales in Australian waters predominantly occur in aggregations in coastal water reproductive areas where they calve and nurse their young from May to October, primarily occupying shallow waters (< 10m depth) within 1 km of the coastline (Charlton et al. 2019, Smith et al. 2022).
There is evidence of a population increase of the western population where a regular annual census occurs, whereas there is greater uncertainty of the population status and trends of the eastern population. Current southern right whale abundance in Australian waters is still well below estimated historic abundance (< 20 percent), particularly for the eastern population. Recent estimates of the population size in Australia for the western population is around 3,200 individuals (~5.5 - 6.2 percent increase per annum (p.a.) for mother-calf pairs) and 268 individuals (4.7 percent increase p.a. for mother-calf pairs) for the eastern population (Stamation et al. 2020, Smith et al. 2022). Habitat occupancy is still constrained in comparison to historical occupancy, and knowledge about habitat use in both populations is limited.

Threats
The life history traits of southern right whales, which include a long-life span, low reproductive output, late sexual maturity, and strong fidelity to calving areas, make them vulnerable to anthropogenic threats. These life history traits mean that any long-term response to disturbance and impacts from threats that may affect recovery are unlikely to be detectable, or even reliably identified to a specific threat, over short timescales (i.e., 1 to 3 years). Consequently, long-term monitoring is required for effective management and assessment of the recovery of southern right whales.
Threats to southern right whales were assessed through a risk assessment process (section 3.11) and the highest rated threats (i.e., 'High' and 'Very high' rating) were identified. These are anthropogenic climate change and climate variability; entanglement in fishing and aquaculture equipment; habitat degradation from coastal and offshore development; anthropogenic underwater noise; vessel collision; whaling (if resumed at any time); and prey depletion from overfishing. The degree and associated level of risk to which these threats may impact southern right whales varies between the western and eastern population, given their different population sizes, varied rate of recovery, and differing levels of exposure to anthropogenic pressures.
Southern right whales are capital breeders, whereby they accumulate and store sufficient energy reserves on the foraging grounds to meet the cost of growth, maintenance, locomotion and reproduction in the breeding grounds (Jönsson 1997). Energy demands are greatest for breeding females due to the cost associated with gestation and lactation, and they require larger energy stores than males and non-pregnant females.
In Australian coastal waters, southern right whales are typically engaged in