Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2013L00289:body:0:p23
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2013L00289
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Character Range: 71267–74424

single season31, 58. Such movements indicate that connectivity of coastal habitat is important for southern right whales84. Connectivity may be disrupted temporarily or permanently by human activities84 and as functional connections between habitat areas are essential, conservation planning should consider the importance of connecting habitat as well as aggregation areas.

Exactly where whales approach and leave the Australian coast from, and to, offshore areas is not well understood. A defined near-shore coastal migration corridor is unlikely given the absence of any predictable directional movement of southern right whales such as that observed for humpback whales84, 99. A predominance of westward movements amongst long-range photo-identification re-sightings may indicate a seasonal westward movement in coastal habitat31,50, 58. More-or-less direct approaches and departures to the coast are also likely. Southern right whales are thought to be solitary during migration, or accompanied by a dependent calf or occasionally a yearling offspring. Culturally inherited fidelity to feeding areas, as is apparent for South American right whales98, combined with the well known maternally directed and natal fidelity to breeding locations, may play a role in governing migratory travel in Australian populations.

4.2 Biologically Important Areas for the Southern Right Whale
Critical habitat under the EPBC Act is undefined for southern right whales. Through the development of marine bioregional plans, Biologically Important Areas (BIAs) have been identified for southern right whales. BIAs are not defined under the EPBC Act, but they are areas that are particularly important for the conservation of protected species and where aggregations of individuals display biologically-important behaviour such as calving, foraging, resting or migration. BIAs have been identified using expert scientific knowledge about species' distribution, abundance and behaviour. The presence of biologically-important behaviour is assumed to indicate that the habitat required for this behaviour is also present. The conservation status of southern right whales and the significance of southern Australian waters to this species suggest that the BIAs identified are necessary for southern right whales' essential life functions. These include:

      * Large established aggregation areas used for calving and nursing - These are important for recovery as they currently contribute most to overall abundance increases by being the sites of highest calf production.

      * Small and potentially emerging aggregation areas used for calving and nursing - These are important for recovery in terms of expanding the habitat occupancy of southern right whales and contributing to the maintenance of genetic diversity as site fidelity may lead to small scale genetic differences. These areas will contribute to overall population increases and enable calf production to regularly occur at a greater number of sites as recovery progresses.

      * Coastal connecting habitat, which may also serve a migratory function or encompass locations that will emerge as calving