20/05/2005 - The Australian
Government is taking strong action to enforce
whale protection with the release today of
a comprehensive strategy to preserve Australia's
five threatened whale species.
The recovery plans outline key strategies
for the protection of five of Australia's
great whales - the humpback, southern right,
blue, fin and sei whales - and aim to recover
their population levels back to the levels
that existed prior to the 19th century when
they were hunted extensively throughout the
world's oceans.
The plans:
provide protection for whales within 200
nautical miles from Australia's coastline
(see attached map). This area - the Australian
Whale Sanctuary - encompasses the area of
the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) outside
state waters and extends further than 200
nautical miles in some areas to cover the
continental shelf and slope;
give whales a high level of protection under
the Australian Government's Environment Protection
and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999; and
spell out that it is an offence to kill, injure,
take, trade, keep, move or interfere with
these whales within the designated Australian
Whale Sanctuary zone.
The recovery plans have involved extensive
consultation with the States and Territories,
key researchers, non-government organisations
and industry.
"These whale species were decimated
by commercial whaling during much of the last
century and Australia is strongly committed
to their long-term recovery and protection,"
Senator Campbell said.
Australia has a number of long-standing programs
to monitor populations of these whales and
preserve their survival. The release of these
whale protection plans will enable all governments
and stakeholders to implement and fund activities
for the recovery of these whale species.
One of the key threats to these whales identified
in the plans is any recommencement of commercial
whaling.
"The Australian Government is strongly
opposed to any resumption of whaling and will
continue fighting for a permanent ban on commercial
whaling and an end to whaling for so-called
'scientific' purposes," Senator Campbell
said.
"I will represent Australia at the next
meeting of the International Whaling Commission
in June and will be working to remove any
loopholes that allow commercial whaling, under
the smokescreen of science or anything else."
Australia was a founding member of the International
Whaling Commission (IWC), is the host country
of the Commission for the Conservation of
Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR),
and a key player in Antarctic Treaty Consultative
Meetings (ATCM).
Australia is also working with other South
Pacific countries to establish a Memorandum
of Understanding for the conservation and
management of marine mammals in the South
Pacific region, under the Convention on Migratory
Species.
