Management Concern: Low    

Adequacy of Information: Good

Summary extracts from Outlook Report 2009

• Two inshore dolphin species are known to be at risk.
• There is limited information for any other dolphin species in the Great Barrier Reef.
• 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:

• Spatial distribution of Australian snubfin and humpback dolphins
  
• Population sizes, site fidelity and residence patterns of Australian snubfin and humpback dolphins in the Cleveland Bay area, Townsville
  
• Australian humpback dolphin genetics
  
• Australian snubfin dolphin genetics 
• Impact of anthropogenic noise on marine mammals
• Impacts of boat strike on cetaceans
• Marine tourism impacts on the Great Barrier Reef 
• Impacts of tourism and recreational use on the Great Barrier Reef
• The impacts of cetacean watching

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
  
• 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 

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 
• Overarching Great Barrier Reef Tourism Strategy

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