Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L00930:reg:5:p3
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L00930
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 5 (pt 3/11)
Character Range: 212105–220250

Cumulative impacts of development undertaken in HCTS should be considered in the assessment of activities to ensure there is continued use of HCTS and BIAs for southern right whales.
Within the period of this plan
Measure of success
    1. All levels of government and industry consider HCTS for southern right whales at all stages of project planning and assessment of development proposals.
    2. The recovery of southern right whales, and their occupancy and residency within reproductive BIAs, is not adversely affected by coastal and offshore development, demonstrated by no long-term decrease in current levels of use.

Risks: Marine development project assessments are made without the use of available robust information, and the precautionary principle is not applied where information is lacking on habitat use by southern right whales in areas of coastal development. There may be inconsistent approaches between Commonwealth and State government in assessing the impacts of development proposals to southern right whales.
Likelihood of success: Moderate.

Action Area A3                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Priority
Understand impacts of climate variability and anthropogenic climate change on the species biology and population recovery.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Very High
Action
   1. Continue to meet Australia's international commitments to address causes of climate change, including greenhouse gas emissions.
   2. Continue to contribute via CCAMLR to the sustainable management of the krill fishery in Antarctica to mediate potential reduction in prey resources due to climate change.
   3. Support international collaborations in understanding the responses of southern right whales to climate variability and change through ongoing commitments to the IWC and CCAMLR.
   4. Increase understanding of the effects of anthropogenic climate change on environmental conditions, including the impacts on prey availability in high latitude foraging areas and links with southern right whale foraging ecology, health, and population demographics (e.g., reproductive success).
Interim objectives addressed                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Threats to be mitigated
1, 2, 3, 4                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            3.1, 3.2, 3.7
Description
Australia's broader policy actions will attempt to combat climate change (e.g., through the National Climate Resilience and Adaptation Strategy). There is a strong negative correlation between environmental conditions (e.g., sea surface temperature anomalies) at southern right whale feeding grounds and female reproductive success. However, the specific processes and pathways that link the impacts of climate change on environmental conditions, prey availability, and whale reproductive success and health, are not understood to a level that allows an understanding of how these might affect the recovery of the species. Australia is a partner of the IWC-SORP research consortium and collaborates on the theme The right sentinel for climate change: linking foraging ground variability to population recovery in the southern right whale. Continued engagement in this program will assist with better understanding of the linkages between foraging success, the energetics of individuals and breeding success, and climate change impacts.