Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2013L00289:body:0:p28
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2013L00289
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research programs.  Part of Japan's lethal whaling program has taken place in the area covered by the Southern Ocean Sanctuary, which is also where Southern Right Whales occur.

While not likely in the near future, there is no guarantee that right whales will not be included in Japan's or some other country's lethal whaling programs at some point in the future.

D: Climate variability and change
There is evidence that climate variability affects reproductive output in southern right whales calving in Australia83 and South America56, with El Niño events being shown to lead to decreased calf production in a later year. Environmental fluctuations probably impact on reproduction by affecting body condition/ health through changes in foraging conditions. Measuring responses to shorter-term climate variability provides insight into the possible effects of longer-term climate change, and indicates that southern right whales may be sensitive to warming events. The likelihood of a negative impact from climate change is hard to quantify as much is unknown about the impact of climate change on Southern Ocean ecosystems and the food webs on which southern right whales rely.

Significant changes in the Southern Ocean may alter ecosystem trophic interactions and reduce prey availability. Southern right whales rely on krill and copepods as a major food source and require adequate supplies of food to accumulate energy reserves for migration and breeding. Changes to climate and oceanographic processes may also lead to decreased productivity and different patterns of prey distribution and availability. Such changes would certainly affect dependant predators such as southern right whales. The extent to which dietary shifts could compensate for any reduction in krill availability is unknown. Currently, the krill fishery is managed through the CCAMLR on an ecosystem basis, which takes into account the needs of predators such as whales, and fishing is believed to occur well within precautionary limits41,68,69,71.

Climate change is also predicted to increase ocean acidification which may affect the calcium carbonate structure of animals at the base of the southern right whale food web. This may in turn affect prey availability. The consequences of any negative response may be substantial because climate change impacts would likely be broad-scale and population-wide with no option for mitigation in a suitable timeframe.

E: Noise interference
Noise in the marine environment is a recognised threat to marine mammals4, 93. Loud noises or long exposure can lead to call masking, interrupting communication between individuals. Although the extent of vocal communication in breeding areas is unknown, right whales are known to respond to high noise conditions by changing the frequency and volume of calls, call duration, and call rate38, 73, 74. Noise may make preferred habitats and migration routes less suitable and, in extreme situations, can