Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2013L00289:body:0:p16
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2013L00289
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 49073–54754

WA and Tasmania)
                                                                         * Australian Government Threat Abatement Plan for the Impacts of Marine Debris on Vertebrate Marine Life
A.4: Impacts of climate variability and change                           * Australian Government climate change adaptation initiatives                                                                                                                                    Core Government Business
                                                                         * Ongoing research activity
                                                                         * Government grants programs (AMMC, the Australian Research Council (ARC) and other) for new research priorities
A.5: Addressing vessel collisions                                        * Development of the Australian Government ship strike strategy to mitigate against vessel/cetacean collisions                                                                                   Core Government Business plus
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          $80 000
A.6: Addressing infrastructure and coastal development impacts           * Australian and state government environmental assessment processes                                                                                                                             Core Government Business
                                                                         * EPBC Act Environmental Offsets policy has measures that might compensate for environmental impacts that cannot be adequately reduced through avoidance or mitigation
B: Measuring Recovery
B.1: Measuring and monitoring population recovery                        * Ongoing Australian and state government monitoring programs                                                                                                                                    $180 000 per annum plus
                                                                         * Ongoing research activity                                                                                                                                                                      $280 000 one off for photo ID
                                                                         * Government grant programs (AMMC, ARC and other) for new research priorities
B.2: Investigating the two-population model                              * Ongoing Australian and state monitoring programs                                                                                                                                               Majority covered under photo ID plus
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          $20 000 per annum.
                                                                         * Ongoing research activity

                                                                         * Government grant programs (AMMC, ARC and other) for new research priorities

B.3: Understanding offshore distribution and migration                   * Ongoing Australian and state monitoring programs                                                                                                                                               $350 000 over 3 years

                                                                         * Ongoing research activity

                                                                         * Government grant programs (AMMC, ARC and other) for new research priorities

B.4: Characterising behaviour and movements                              * Ongoing Commonwealth and state monitoring programs                                                                                                                                             Addressed in above studies

                                                                         * Government grant programs (AMMC, ARC and other) for new research priorities

4. Science
4.1 The Biology, Status and Environmental Parameters
Basic biology (feeding, reproduction and survivorship)
Southern right whales are medium to large black (or less commonly grey-brown or with white patches on the belly) baleen whales. They can be recognised by the lack of a dorsal fin, rotund body shape, and whitish callosities (patches of keratinised skin colonised by cyamids - small crustaceans) on the head. Callosities are present from birth and are unique to each individual, although a recognisable pattern may not develop for some months73, providing a long-term means of identification used in research studies.

Southern right whales reach a maximum length of approximately 17.5 metres. With a weight of around 80 tonnes they are much heavier than other baleen whales of a similar length65 and their bulky body form is markedly different from the more streamlined balaenopterid whales42. They are slower swimming16 and have thicker blubber (23–24 centimetres)94, with mature females slightly larger than males94. Right whales produce social sounds ranging in frequency from 50–600 hertz at sound levels ranging from 137–192 decibels. Modelling suggests they can hear frequencies in the