Management Concern: Moderate    

Adequacy of Information: Moderate

Summary extracts from Outlook Report 2009

• Most whales appear to be maintaining intact populations. Humpback whales are recovering strongly after being decimated by whaling.
  
• Much of the research activity on the Great Barrier Reef is confined to areas surrounding the six island research stations. With ongoing management, any impacts of research are likely to be small and localised in the immediate area of study.
• Increasing coastal development is resulting in the loss of both coastal habitats that support the Great Barrier Reef and connectivity between habitats.
• Most of the routine defence training activities carried out in the Great Barrier Reef have negligible impacts. Individual high impact activities are carefully managed and confined to specific localised areas, and limited to a few weeks per year.
• Most routine shipping activities have negligible consequences. Dredging and construction of port facilities can have significant but localised impacts.
• Marine mammals are likely to be affected by climate change due to its impact on food resources.
• There is now a range of mandatory and voluntary management arrangements that minimise the impact of commercial tourism operations in the Great Barrier Reef, such that the impacts associated with tourism activities are seen as minor.

What do we know?

Relevant pages from Outlook Online include:

• Population increase of humpback whales along the Eastern Australian coast
• Migration of humpback whales along the Australian east coast 
• East Coast Australian humpback whale population study - 1978 to 1982 Surveys 
• Status of recovering stock of humpback whales in Eastern Australian Waters - 1983 to 1987 Surveys 
• Status of humpback whales in Eastern Australia thirty years after whaling - 1984 to 1992 Surveys 
• Status of humpback whales in Eastern Australia at the end of the 20th Century - 1994 to 1999 Surveys
• Continued Increase in East Australian humpback whales in 2001 and 2002
• East coast Australian humpback whale population estimate - 2007 Survey
• Humpback whale Australian east coast relative and absolute abundances
• Blue whales
• Fin whales
• Sei whales
  
• Defence - Outlook Report 2009 supporting information
• Outlook Report 2009 Information Sheet - Defence [184KB]
• Impact of anthropogenic noise on marine mammals
• Trends for recreational use of the Great Barrier Reef
• Managing recreational impacts
• Impacts of boat strike on cetaceans
• Vulnerability of marine mammals in the Great Barrier Reef to climate change
• Marine tourism impacts on the Great Barrier Reef 
• Impacts of tourism and recreational use on the Great Barrier Reef
• The impacts of cetacean watching
• Swimming with dwarf minke whales - A 
• Swimming with dwarf minke whales - B
• Strandings of cetaceans in Queensland and interactions with the Queensland shark control program

Existing policies and management actions

• Operational Policy on Whale and Dolphin Conservation in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park [450KB]
  
• Protected Species in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
  
• The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Zoning Plan
  
• Policy on managing activities that include the direct take of a Protected Species from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
  
• Fisheries: legislative management arrangements
• Fisheries: other management tools
• Fisheries: information systems 
• Implementation of WTO conditions and recommendations from the latest EPBC assessment: progress by fishery
• East coast fin fish fishery independent review
• Queensland’s Nature Conservation (Whale and Dolphin) Conservation Plan 1997
  
• Action Plan for Australian Cetaceans
  
• Australian National Guidelines for Whale and Dolphin Watching 2005 
• High standard tourism operations 
• Ecocertification of Marine Park operators
• Policies and guidelines for managing tourism and recreational use
• Responsible Reef Practices
  
• Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 
• Queensland Fisheries monitoring
  
• Queensland Management of Commercial Fisheries
  
• Queensland Management of Recreational Fisheries 
• Managing research in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
• Where does research happen?
  
• Major research and information programs
• Australian Government policy on climate change 
• Queensland Government climate change policies and strategies 
• Climate Change Action Plan 2007-2012
• Memorandum of Understanding between GBRMPA and Queensland Ports [1.34MB]
  
• Cruise Shipping Policy for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park [113KB]
  
• Dredging and Spoil Disposal Policy [525KB]
  
• Environmental Impact Management Policy [900KB]

Future management requirements

• Review of Operational Policy on Whale and Dolphin Conservation in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
• Biodiversity strategy
• Draft Queensland Coastal Management Plan 
• Planned review of the Dredging and Spoil Disposal policy
• Overarching Great Barrier Reef Tourism Strategy
• Great Barrier Reef Recreation Strategy
• Review of management arrangements for the Dwarf Minke Whale swimming with whales activity

Defined research questions

• There are currently no defined research questions for this topic. Research questions will be developed, giving priority to interactions/issues that are of most concern to management.

Related information

• Current Research and Monitoring