Management Concern: Low    

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.

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
  

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
  
• Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 
• Managing research in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
• Where does research happen?
  
• Major research and information programs

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