Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2015L01633:body:0:p43
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2015L01633
Segment Type: other
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Character Range: 138391–141618

actions to achieve better conservation outcomes.
Monitoring progress towards the actions of the Conservation Management Plan
Monitoring of the plan itself will require tracking the progress of actions designed to improve management of the population and reduce threats. It is anticipated that a midterm (5 year) review of the plan will be conducted using a 'Measure of Success' for each Action Area. This review will identify:
     1. Actions that have been completed;
     2. Actions that are on track for completion; and
     3. Actions that have not commenced.
A process for reporting and review is essential to determine how well the Plan is contributing towards its overall long-term objectives and, specifically, how well it is meeting the interim objectives and their targets within the time frame of the Plan.
Data management
Collection of data on the two known blue whale subspecies using Australian waters, and archiving of these data, is mainly performed by individual researchers and/or research organisations. The Department of the Environment summarises newly collected data on an annual basis in the Australia's Progress Report to the International Whaling Commission.

Data on blue whales usually falls into one of the following categories:
       * Sightings;
       * Photo-identification;
       * Spatial distribution (GPS coordinates);
       * Behavioural;
       * Acoustic;
       * Genetics;
       * Satellite tagging;
       * Archival tagging;
       * Strandings;
       * Necropsies;
       * Vessel collision, entanglement and/or Injuries;
       * Habitat modelling using environmental covariates; and
       * Habitat and prey field characteristics.
A central database, the National Marine Mammal Data Portal for strandings, sightings, entanglement and shipstrike data has been developed by the Australian Marine Mammal Centre at the Australian Antarctic Division. It is a repository and existing catalogue for genetic information, archive samples, and collection of photo-IDs. It is recommended that publically funded research data is entered into this centralised database and it would be advantageous if all research from alternative funding source is also entered.
 A Southern Hemisphere Blue Whale Photo-Identification Catalogue was recently developed for allowing researchers to upload and match catalogues between different regions for better understanding movements of blue whales and connectivity of populations in the southern hemisphere. An Indo-Pacific Blue Whale Research Consortium was also recently created to assist in collaborative research efforts and communication between research groups working on blue whales in the region.

7. References

    1. Aguilar A, Borrell A, Reijnders PJH (2002) Geographical and temporal variation in levels of organochlorine contaminants in marine mammals. Marine Environmental Research 53:425-452.

    2. Anderson RC (2005) Observations of cetaceans in the Maldives, 1990-2002. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management 7:119-135.

    3. Atkinson A, Siegel V, Pakhomov E, Rothery P (2004) Long-term decline in krill stock and increase in salps within the Southern Ocean. Nature 432:100-103.

    4. Attard CRM, Beheregaray LB, Burton