Management Concern: Low    

Adequacy of Information: Low

Summary extracts from Outlook Report 2009

• Two inshore dolphin species are known to be at risk.
• The endemic Australian snubfin dolphin and the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin are at risk, especially from interactions with large mesh nets and increasing human use of their inshore habitat.
  
• There is limited information for any other dolphin species in the Great Barrier Reef.
• Traditional use, mainly hunting, fishing and collecting, involves a range of marine species (some of conservation concern) but levels of take are unknown. Poaching by non-Traditional Owners is a concern for Traditional Owners and management agencies.

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 
• Impacts of boat strike on cetaceans
• Perceived threat to the Reef from Indigenous use
• The national recreational and indigenous fishing survey
• Limited quantitative data for Indigenous harvest of marine species

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
  
• Queensland’s Nature Conservation (Whale and Dolphin) Conservation Plan 1997
  
• Action Plan for Australian Cetaceans
  
• Australian National Guidelines for Whale and Dolphin Watching 2005 
• Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 
• Management of 'Traditional use' 1
• Management of 'Traditional use' 2
• 'Traditional use', management and contemporary relationships
• Traditional Use of Marine Resources Agreement (TUMRA) boundary maps
• Cape York rangers  

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 

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