09/05/2005 - Whale sharks
and seabirds will be better protected thanks
to new recovery plans unveiled today by the
Minister for the Environment and Heritage,
Senator Ian Campbell.
The recovery plans outline ways to protect
whale sharks and species of Australian seabirds
that are listed as threatened under the Environment
Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act
(1999).
Senator Campbell said whale sharks were fully
protected within Australian waters but they
faced unsustainable hunting pressure in other
parts of their migration range.
"Today marks an important day for the
future existence of whale sharks in our own
Australian waters and internationally, with
the release of the recovery plan and the first
international whale shark conference starting
in Perth," he said.
"Whale sharks are the biggest fish in
the sea, reaching an incredible 20 metres
in length. During their lifespan of around
one hundred years, these filter-feeding sharks
migrate huge distances, both into and out
of Australian waters."
The International Whale Shark Conference
starting in Perth today brings together approximately
70 people from 23 countries where the shark
can be found at various times during its migrations.
The conference will focus on issues important
to the survival of the whale shark, including
improving our understanding of the animal's
biology and ecology, along with promoting
socio-economic alternatives to harvesting
it such as whale shark based tourism - an
activity in which Australia leads the world
through whale shark tourism operations occurring
in the Ningaloo Marine Park.
"The conference, along with the release
of the recovery plan further enhances Australia's
leadership in marine species protection,"
he said.
Senator Campbell said species of Australian
seabirds had been grouped together in the
recovery plan in recognition of the common
threats they face from feral animal predators.
"The recovery plan for the 10 species
of seabirds addresses this threat and aims
to increase our understanding of some poorly-known
species," he said.
Senator Campbell said the Australian Government
had spent more than $2 million on whale shark
and seabird conservation since 1997.
The Federal Environmental Law establishes
a list of threatened species for which recovery
plans must be developed within statutory timeframes.
Recovery plans set out recovery objectives
for a species, the actions required to meet
the objectives and ways in which the success
of the plan can be measured. These binding
plans are reviewed every five years and remain
in force until the species are removed from
the threatened list.
Further information about the whale shark
and seabirds recovery plans is available at
www.deh.gov.au/ or by calling the Department
of the Environment and Heritage on Freecall
1800 803 772.
