Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2015L01633:body:0:p23
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2015L01633
Segment Type: other
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Character Range: 62643–65640

Australian Government proposed a Southern Ocean Research Partnership (SORP) to the IWC and SORP was established in 2009, to conduct non-lethal, multi-national scientific research of cetaceans in the Southern Ocean. Two SORP research projects have been established to conduct further research on Antarctic blue whales: The Antarctic Blue Whale Project, and Acoustic Trends of Blue and Fin Whales23,24,59.
The Antarctic Blue Whale Project aims to estimate the abundance, improve understanding of population structure and linkages between breeding and feeding grounds, and characterise the behaviour of Antarctic blue whales. The project has a strong focus on developing novel non-lethal methodologies to enable efficient and robust monitoring of Antarctic blue whales. An initial voyage trialling of these methods was conducted in 201335 and methods to obtain a circumpolar abundance estimate have been rigorously explored with robust and efficient methods identified89.
The Acoustic Trends SORP project aims to better determine the distribution and potentially the abundance trends through conducting long-term passive acoustic monitoring around the Antarctic 23,24,59. Additionally, further understanding of Antarctic blue whale usage in waters off Australia may reveal the need to monitor Antarctic blue whales around Australia as well as in the Antarctic.

5. Threats
The relevance of the various threats to the two blue whale subspecies varies depending on the habitats they occupy and their population size. A precautionary approach must be used when identifying threats at a population level based on the detection and severity of acute effects on individuals, which are often the easiest to observe43. For example, a blue whale may continue feeding despite anthropogenic disturbance in the area if other suitable feeding areas are limited. Therefore the need to feed can override the need to move away from a possible threat such as anthropogenic noise.

5.1 Description of Threats

5A Whaling
The impacts of commercial whaling on blue whales have been well documented. While currently banned under the IWC moratorium on commercial whaling and due to classification by the IWC of all blue whale populations as a "Protected Stock", the potential for commercial whaling to recommence still exists.
An additional area of concern is the potential expansion of lethal special permit (or scientific) whaling undertaken under Article VIII of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling. That provision allows member states to issue special permits to kill, take and treat whales for purposes of scientific research. Since 1986, special permits have been issued for minke, fin, sei, sperm, Bryde's and humpback whale species as part of scientific whaling research programs undertaken by IWC members, including Iceland, Japan, Norway and the Republic of Korea. Part of Japan's lethal whaling program has taken place in the area covered by the Southern Ocean Sanctuary, and an area