{"id":"F2005L01892","name":"Blue, Fin and Sei Whale Recovery Plan 2005-2010","slug":"blue-fin-and-sei-whale-recovery-plan-2005-2010","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":36086,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2005L01892-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-01","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"BLUE, FIN AND SEI WHALE","sectionType":"division","heading":"BLUE, FIN AND SEI WHALE","content":"### BLUE, FIN AND SEI WHALE\n\n### RECOVERY PLAN\n\n### 2005 - 2010\n\n![](image.001.jpeg)![Department of the Environment and Heritage Logo - Inline design](image.002.png)  \nThe blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) is listed as endangered, and fin (Balaenoptera physalus) and sei (Balaenoptera borealis) whales are listed as vulnerable under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). This plan outlines the measures necessary to ensure recovery of the Australian populations of these species and is set out in accordance with Part 13, Division 5 of the EPBC Act.\n\nObjectives for recovery\n\nThe objectives are:\n\n-   the recovery of populations of blue, fin and sei whales utilising Australian waters so that the species can be considered secure in the wild; and\n-   to maintain the protection of blue, fin and sei whales from human threats.\n\nFor the purposes of this plan ‘secure in the wild’ is defined qualitatively, recognising that stricter definitions are not yet available, but will be refined and where possible quantified during the life of this plan by work currently underway and identified in the actions of this plan.\n\n‘Secure in the wild’ with respect to these species means: a population with sufficient geographic range and distribution, abundance, and genetic diversity to provide a stable population over long time scales.\n\nCriteria to measure performance of the plan against the objectives\n\nIt is not anticipated that the objectives for recovery will be achieved during the life of this plan. However, the following criteria can be used to measure the ongoing performance of this plan against the objectives:\n\n1.  an indication of the population and recovery status of blue, fin and sei whale populations using Australian waters was developed; and\n2.  domestic and international protection regimes that support the recovery of the species were maintained and where possible improved.\n\nSpecies information\n\nBlue, fin and sei whales are baleen whales (order Cetacea, family Balaenopteridae). All are wide ranging oceanic species and the current scientific view suggests that the species show a general migration pattern of summer in higher latitudes and wintering in warmer tropical waters.\n\nGeneral information on the biology, population status, distribution and habitat of humpback whales can be found on the Species Profiles and Threats Database – [www.deh.gov.au/sprat](http://www.deh.gov.au/sprat). This information is regularly updated to ensure that it reflects the most recent research.\n\nBlue whales\n\nBlue whales are the largest living animals, growing to a length of over 30m and weighing up to 180 tonnes. While the taxonomy is unclear, it is currently accepted that there are three subspecies of blue whale. Two are ‘true’ blue whales; the northern hemisphere Balaenoptera musculus musculus and the southern hemisphere Balaenoptera musculus intermedia. The third is the ‘pygmy’ blue whale Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda known mainly from the southern Indian Ocean, the eastern South Atlantic and the western South Pacific. Blue whales are extremely long-lived animals, with 'true' blue whales living up to 90 years and pygmy blue whales to around 50 years.\n\nThere are reported size and other morphological differences between ‘true’ and ‘pygmy’ blue whales, however, there is no confirmed set of features that make individuals of the two sub-species readily distinguishable from each other at sea. Studies have not yet conclusively distinguished differences between each subspecies, although recent acoustic research indicates segregation between the southern ocean populations. One notable differentiation is that during the southern hemisphere summer, ‘true’ blues are usually found south of 60°S, while ‘pygmy’ blues are usually found north of 55°S. The taxonomy of these different blue whales remains uncertain and may change with future genetic and behavioral work.\n\nBlue whales were greatly over-exploited by commercial whalers in the 19th and 20th centuries. In 1960, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) banned the taking of blue whales in the North Atlantic, banned it entirely in the North Pacific in 1966, and in the southern hemisphere in 1967. However illegal unreported and unregulated hunting may have continued through to the early 1970’s. In 1985/86 the IWC declared a global moratorium on commercial whaling. Scientists have estimated that prior to whaling, southern hemisphere true blue whales numbered approximately 311,000 and pygmy blue whales approximately 10,000. In 2001 it was estimated between 500 and 2300 true blue whales were living in Antarctic waters. No agreed estimates of the number of pygmy blue whales exist. Recent data has shown an increase in the number of Antarctic blue whales, but the species remains at less than 1% of pre-whaling numbers.\n\nIn Australia, blue whales are found in the waters off Australia’s Antarctic Territory, and along the southern parts of the Australian coast including Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania, New South Wales through to southern Queensland. The majority of the most northerly sightings are likely to be pygmy blue whales.\n\nFin whales\n\nFin whales are large whales growing to a maximum of approximately 26m. The biology and life history of the species is poorly known. Most fin whale populations were severely depleted by modern whaling from the early 1900’s until protection in 1975. The fin whale was second to the blue whale in commercial importance because of its size and wide ranging distribution. In the southern hemisphere the pre-exploitation abundance was estimated at around 500,000 and may have been reduced to as few as 25,000. There are no estimates of current fin whale abundance for the southern hemisphere or for Australian waters.\n\nFin whales are widely distributed in both hemispheres between latitudes 20-75°. The species is more common in temperate waters, and the Arctic and Antarctic Oceans. Areas of upwelling and interfaces between mixed and stratified waters may be an important feature of fin whale feeding habitat. In the Antarctic the species is seen feeding both at the ice edge and further to the north in areas of complex bathymetry.\n\nIn Australia, there are confirmed records of fin whales for all coastal waters except in New South Wales and the Northern Territory, but the available information suggests that the species is more commonly present in deeper water.\n\nSei whales\n\nSei whales are moderately large whales growing up to 18m. The biology and life history of the species are less well known than for blue and fin whales. Sei whales were hunted by modern whalers primarily after other whale species (such as blue, fin and right whales) had been depleted. Most populations of sei whales were reduced by extensive whaling from the 1950’s until the 1970’s. International protection was afforded in 1977 for this species.\n\nThe sei whale is one of the less well studied great whales and the current status of most populations is poorly known. The original southern hemisphere population may have numbered around 100,000. There is no accepted current abundance estimate for sei whales in the southern hemisphere and no estimate for Australian waters.\n\nThe movements and distributions of sei whales are unpredictable and not well documented. Sei whales are similar in appearance to Bryde’s whales which has resulted in confusion about distributional limits and frequency of occurrence, particularly in warmer waters where Bryde’s whales are more common. The available information suggests that sei whales have the same general pattern of migration as most other baleen whales including blue and fin whales, although the timing is generally later and the current scientific view is that the species does not go to such high latitudes. There is evidence from catch data of a pronounced segregation of the sexes during migration, where the pregnant females generally arrive and depart from feeding areas earlier than males.\n\nSei whales are not often found near coasts and the species is infrequently recorded in Australian waters, with records only occurring from Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania and Queensland.\n\nHabitat critical to the survival of blue, fin and sei whales\n\nIt is not currently possible to define habitat critical to the survival of blue, fin and sei whales. Due to the limited knowledge about the distribution and abundance of these species, little is currently known about the location and characteristics of these habitats. To date the best information relates to aggregation areas (in particular feeding areas) for blue whales. These areas can be considered important to the survival of blue whales as they seasonally support significant aggregations of whales, and those ecosystem processes on which blue whales rely.\n\nAustralian Antarctic waters are known to support feeding for all three species and should be considered as important to conserve. In Australian coastal waters, a number of areas are known to support aggregations of blue whales. Known feeding areas are listed in Table 1. Fin and sei whales have also been sighted in some of these areas but not enough information currently exists to suggest that they are important to the survival of these species. Significant aggregations of blue whales are also found at Geographe Bay in Western Australia, although the reasons for this are not currently known. Figure 1 illustrates the recognised aggregation areas for blue whales utilising Australian waters. It should be noted that the boundaries presented on the map are indicative only and there is inherent variability in the movements of the species.\n\nTable 1: known feeding areas for blue whales within Australia’s main Exclusive Economic Zone.\n\n| Location                                                   | Feeding observed  |\n| ---------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------- |\n| Bonney upwelling, southeast SA to western Victorian waters | November to April |\n| Duntroon Basin, SA                                         | November to April |\n| Perth Canyon off Rottnest Island, WA                       | December to April |\n\nTrue blues appear to feed mainly, if not exclusively, in the Antarctic. Pygmy blues, however, are not generally found in the Antarctic, and appear to feed in more temperate latitudes. It is more than likely that Australian records of blue whales, almost entirely in summer, are of pygmy blue whales.","sortOrder":0},{"sectionNumber":"RECOVERY PLAN","sectionType":"division","heading":"RECOVERY PLAN","content":"### RECOVERY PLAN","sortOrder":1},{"sectionNumber":"2005","sectionType":"division","heading":"2010","content":"### 2005 - 2010\n\n![](image.001.jpeg)![Department of the Environment and Heritage Logo - Inline design](image.002.png)  \nThe blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) is listed as endangered, and fin (Balaenoptera physalus) and sei (Balaenoptera borealis) whales are listed as vulnerable under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). This plan outlines the measures necessary to ensure recovery of the Australian populations of these species and is set out in accordance with Part 13, Division 5 of the EPBC Act.\n\nObjectives for recovery\n\nThe objectives are:\n\n-   the recovery of populations of blue, fin and sei whales utilising Australian waters so that the species can be considered secure in the wild; and\n-   to maintain the protection of blue, fin and sei whales from human threats.\n\nFor the purposes of this plan ‘secure in the wild’ is defined qualitatively, recognising that stricter definitions are not yet available, but will be refined and where possible quantified during the life of this plan by work currently underway and identified in the actions of this plan.\n\n‘Secure in the wild’ with respect to these species means: a population with sufficient geographic range and distribution, abundance, and genetic diversity to provide a stable population over long time scales.\n\nCriteria to measure performance of the plan against the objectives\n\nIt is not anticipated that the objectives for recovery will be achieved during the life of this plan. However, the following criteria can be used to measure the ongoing performance of this plan against the objectives:\n\n1.  an indication of the population and recovery status of blue, fin and sei whale populations using Australian waters was developed; and\n2.  domestic and international protection regimes that support the recovery of the species were maintained and where possible improved.\n\nSpecies information\n\nBlue, fin and sei whales are baleen whales (order Cetacea, family Balaenopteridae). All are wide ranging oceanic species and the current scientific view suggests that the species show a general migration pattern of summer in higher latitudes and wintering in warmer tropical waters.\n\nGeneral information on the biology, population status, distribution and habitat of humpback whales can be found on the Species Profiles and Threats Database – [www.deh.gov.au/sprat](http://www.deh.gov.au/sprat). This information is regularly updated to ensure that it reflects the most recent research.\n\nBlue whales\n\nBlue whales are the largest living animals, growing to a length of over 30m and weighing up to 180 tonnes. While the taxonomy is unclear, it is currently accepted that there are three subspecies of blue whale. Two are ‘true’ blue whales; the northern hemisphere Balaenoptera musculus musculus and the southern hemisphere Balaenoptera musculus intermedia. The third is the ‘pygmy’ blue whale Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda known mainly from the southern Indian Ocean, the eastern South Atlantic and the western South Pacific. Blue whales are extremely long-lived animals, with 'true' blue whales living up to 90 years and pygmy blue whales to around 50 years.\n\nThere are reported size and other morphological differences between ‘true’ and ‘pygmy’ blue whales, however, there is no confirmed set of features that make individuals of the two sub-species readily distinguishable from each other at sea. Studies have not yet conclusively distinguished differences between each subspecies, although recent acoustic research indicates segregation between the southern ocean populations. One notable differentiation is that during the southern hemisphere summer, ‘true’ blues are usually found south of 60°S, while ‘pygmy’ blues are usually found north of 55°S. The taxonomy of these different blue whales remains uncertain and may change with future genetic and behavioral work.\n\nBlue whales were greatly over-exploited by commercial whalers in the 19th and 20th centuries. In 1960, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) banned the taking of blue whales in the North Atlantic, banned it entirely in the North Pacific in 1966, and in the southern hemisphere in 1967. However illegal unreported and unregulated hunting may have continued through to the early 1970’s. In 1985/86 the IWC declared a global moratorium on commercial whaling. Scientists have estimated that prior to whaling, southern hemisphere true blue whales numbered approximately 311,000 and pygmy blue whales approximately 10,000. In 2001 it was estimated between 500 and 2300 true blue whales were living in Antarctic waters. No agreed estimates of the number of pygmy blue whales exist. Recent data has shown an increase in the number of Antarctic blue whales, but the species remains at less than 1% of pre-whaling numbers.\n\nIn Australia, blue whales are found in the waters off Australia’s Antarctic Territory, and along the southern parts of the Australian coast including Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania, New South Wales through to southern Queensland. The majority of the most northerly sightings are likely to be pygmy blue whales.\n\nFin whales\n\nFin whales are large whales growing to a maximum of approximately 26m. The biology and life history of the species is poorly known. Most fin whale populations were severely depleted by modern whaling from the early 1900’s until protection in 1975. The fin whale was second to the blue whale in commercial importance because of its size and wide ranging distribution. In the southern hemisphere the pre-exploitation abundance was estimated at around 500,000 and may have been reduced to as few as 25,000. There are no estimates of current fin whale abundance for the southern hemisphere or for Australian waters.\n\nFin whales are widely distributed in both hemispheres between latitudes 20-75°. The species is more common in temperate waters, and the Arctic and Antarctic Oceans. Areas of upwelling and interfaces between mixed and stratified waters may be an important feature of fin whale feeding habitat. In the Antarctic the species is seen feeding both at the ice edge and further to the north in areas of complex bathymetry.\n\nIn Australia, there are confirmed records of fin whales for all coastal waters except in New South Wales and the Northern Territory, but the available information suggests that the species is more commonly present in deeper water.\n\nSei whales\n\nSei whales are moderately large whales growing up to 18m. The biology and life history of the species are less well known than for blue and fin whales. Sei whales were hunted by modern whalers primarily after other whale species (such as blue, fin and right whales) had been depleted. Most populations of sei whales were reduced by extensive whaling from the 1950’s until the 1970’s. International protection was afforded in 1977 for this species.\n\nThe sei whale is one of the less well studied great whales and the current status of most populations is poorly known. The original southern hemisphere population may have numbered around 100,000. There is no accepted current abundance estimate for sei whales in the southern hemisphere and no estimate for Australian waters.\n\nThe movements and distributions of sei whales are unpredictable and not well documented. Sei whales are similar in appearance to Bryde’s whales which has resulted in confusion about distributional limits and frequency of occurrence, particularly in warmer waters where Bryde’s whales are more common. The available information suggests that sei whales have the same general pattern of migration as most other baleen whales including blue and fin whales, although the timing is generally later and the current scientific view is that the species does not go to such high latitudes. There is evidence from catch data of a pronounced segregation of the sexes during migration, where the pregnant females generally arrive and depart from feeding areas earlier than males.\n\nSei whales are not often found near coasts and the species is infrequently recorded in Australian waters, with records only occurring from Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania and Queensland.\n\nHabitat critical to the survival of blue, fin and sei whales\n\nIt is not currently possible to define habitat critical to the survival of blue, fin and sei whales. Due to the limited knowledge about the distribution and abundance of these species, little is currently known about the location and characteristics of these habitats. To date the best information relates to aggregation areas (in particular feeding areas) for blue whales. These areas can be considered important to the survival of blue whales as they seasonally support significant aggregations of whales, and those ecosystem processes on which blue whales rely.\n\nAustralian Antarctic waters are known to support feeding for all three species and should be considered as important to conserve. In Australian coastal waters, a number of areas are known to support aggregations of blue whales. Known feeding areas are listed in Table 1. Fin and sei whales have also been sighted in some of these areas but not enough information currently exists to suggest that they are important to the survival of these species. Significant aggregations of blue whales are also found at Geographe Bay in Western Australia, although the reasons for this are not currently known. Figure 1 illustrates the recognised aggregation areas for blue whales utilising Australian waters. It should be noted that the boundaries presented on the map are indicative only and there is inherent variability in the movements of the species.\n\nTable 1: known feeding areas for blue whales within Australia’s main Exclusive Economic Zone.\n\n| Location                                                   | Feeding observed  |\n| ---------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------- |\n| Bonney upwelling, southeast SA to western Victorian waters | November to April |\n| Duntroon Basin, SA                                         | November to April |\n| Perth Canyon off Rottnest Island, WA                       | December to April |\n\nTrue blues appear to feed mainly, if not exclusively, in the Antarctic. Pygmy blues, however, are not generally found in the Antarctic, and appear to feed in more temperate latitudes. It is more than likely that Australian records of blue whales, almost entirely in summer, are of pygmy blue whales.","sortOrder":2},{"sectionNumber":"Location","sectionType":"part","heading":"Location","content":"## Location","sortOrder":3},{"sectionNumber":"Identified Threats","sectionType":"section","heading":"Identified Threats","content":"##### Identified Threats\n\n1.  The resumption of commercial whaling and/or the expansion of scientific whaling\n\nThe impacts of commercial hunting on blue, fin and sei whales have been well documented. While currently banned under the IWC moratorium on commercial whaling, the potential for commercial whaling to recommence exists and pressure may well increase as populations recover.\n\nAn additional area of concern is the potential expansion of de facto commercial whaling under the guise of scientific whaling. The IWC Convention allows member states to issue special permits to kill whales for research purposes and then process these animals for sale. Since 1986, Japan and Iceland have issued special permits for several whale species as part of their scientific whaling research programs. The recent expansion of these programs in the Northern Hemisphere involve the killing of various baleen whales including minke, Bryde's, fin, sperm and sei whales. In addition, since the implementation of the Southern Ocean Sanctuary in 1994, Japan has continued to harvest minke whales there under special permits. While not likely in the near future for blue whales, there is no guarantee that blue, fin or sei whales will not be included in future research programs.\n\n2. Habitat degradation\n\nA range of anthropogenic activities have the potential to degrade habitat important to the survival of blue, fin and sei whales. These activities may degrade habitat by operating at times that coincide with the presence of whales, or they may occur when whales are absent, but degrade habitat suitability on a permanent or semi-permanent basis. These activities may include:\n\n-   acoustic pollution (e.g. commercial and recreational vessel noise, and seismic survey activity);\n-   entanglement (e.g. in marine debris, fishing and aquaculture equipment);\n-   physical injury and death from ship strike;\n-   built structures that impact upon habitat availability and/or use (e.g. marinas, wharves, aquaculture installations, mining or drilling infrastructure);\n-   changing water quality and pollution (e.g. runoff from land based agriculture, oil spills, outputs from aquaculture); and\n-   changes to water flow regimes causing extensive sedimentation or erosion or altered currents in near shore habitat (e.g. canals and dredging).\n\nOf the three species covered by this plan, blue whales are potentially the most likely to be affected by these processes because of the species’ use of Australian coastal waters. Given the limited knowledge about the use of habitat by fin and sei whales, it is difficult to determine the extent of the threat of habitat degradation to these species.\n\nHabitat degradation may result in reduced occupancy and/or exclusion of individual whales from suitable habitat, compromised reproductive success, and mortality. It is possible that impacts on a sufficient number of individual whales could lead to broader impacts at the population level, e.g. by reducing recruitment to such an extent that species recovery is impeded. This would be more likely to arise where activities that cause habitat degradation occurred intensively and/or cumulatively, or over a large portion of their range.\n\nOngoing monitoring and management, particularly in relation to known blue whale aggregation areas, are required to ensure that habitat degradation does not become a significant issue. Further identification of habitat areas important to the survival of all three species is also needed.","sortOrder":4},{"sectionNumber":"Potential threats","sectionType":"part","heading":"Potential threats","content":"# Potential threats\n\n1.  Climate and oceanographic change\n\nMost of the world's leading scientists agree that global warming caused by human activity is occurring. The exact implications of these changes are unknown, but it is predicted that there will be reduced productivity of Southern Ocean ecosystems and unpredictable weather events caused by increasing ocean water temperatures, changing ocean currents, rising sea levels and reductions in sea ice.\n\nThe potential impacts of climate and oceanographic change on blue, fin and sei whales are twofold:\n\n1) Habitat availability\n\nWhale migration, feeding, breeding, and calving site selection for these species may be influenced by factors such as ocean currents and water temperature. Any changes in these factors could affect recovery by rendering currently used habitat areas unsuitable.\n\n2) Food availability\n\nChanges to climate and oceanographic processes may also lead to decreased productivity and different patterns of prey distribution and availability. Such changes would certainly effect dependant predators such as blue, fin and sei whales.\n\n2. Prey depletion due to over harvesting\n\nBlue, fin and sei whales rely on krill as a main food source and require adequate supplies to accumulate energy reserves essential for migration and breeding. Depletion of krill through over harvesting may be a potential future threat for Australian populations of these species. However, it should be noted that:\n\n-   the krill fishery is managed through the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) on an ecosystem basis which takes into account the needs of predators such as whales; and\n-   while the fishery is likely to grow, fishing currently occurs well within the current precautionary limits.\n\nActions to achieve the objectives\n\nPopulation recovery\n\n1.  Implement a program to measure population abundance, trends and recovery for Australian populations of blue, fin and sei whales\n\n-   Included within this activity will be the need to:\n    -   establish models for measuring the recovery and status of blue whales, incorporating a range of indicators (e.g. population numbers, structure, use of habitats etc);\n    -   engage in the IWC southern ocean survey process to determine meaningful population estimates for fin and sei whales;\n    -   gather information on population structures and limits – e.g. through the use of genetic analysis; and\n    -   continue to collect long-term data sets using standardised survey methodologies for blue whales in a statistically robust manner.\n\nHabitat use and needs\n\n2. Implement a program to better define the characteristics (spatial, temporal, physical) of calving, feeding, and migratory areas\n\n-   Included within this activity will be the need to:\n    -   gather information on movements, migrations, and feeding grounds – e.g. through the use of satellite tracking, acoustic monitoring and other survey methods; and\n    -   determine the values and characteristics of important migratory pathways and aggregation areas (calving, resting, and feeding) particularly in areas where human use is likely to impact upon the species.\n\nProtection from threats\n\n3. Prevent commercial whaling and/or the expansion of scientific whaling\n\n-   Australia should maintain its position on promoting high levels of protection for blue, fin and sei whales in all relevant international agreements including the IWC, CITES, CMS, fisheries-related agreements, and Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings (ATCM).\n-   Australia should continue to support a ban on directed take of blue, fin and sei whales.\n\n4. Protect habitat important to the survival of the species\n\n-   Ensure that in areas important to the survival of the species environmental assessment process and research activities are in place to determine the level of impact and threat of human activities, and implement management measures to ensure the ongoing recovery of each species. This should include, but not be limited to, the following actions:\n    -   assess and manage acoustic disturbance – including the development and application of administrative guidelines under the EPBC Act such as the “Guidelines on the application of the EPBC Act to interactions between offshore seismic operations and larger cetaceans”;\n    -   encourage best practice approaches that will reduce the likelihood of blue, fin and sei whales being entangled in marine debris, fishing and aquaculture equipment. If entanglements occur, manage the impact of individual entanglements where possible through the application of national standards for disentangling large cetaceans;\n    -   ensure that habitat requirements of blue, fin and sei whales are considered in the establishment and management of marine conservation areas and reserves;\n    -   manage the potential impacts of tourism – e.g. through the application of consistent Commonwealth and State tourism and whale watching regulations; and\n    -   assess and manage physical disturbance and development activities (such as ship-strike, aquaculture, pollution, recreational boating, and exploration and extraction industries) – including the application of environmental impact assessment and approvals and the development of industry guidelines and State/Commonwealth government regulations.\n-   Implement education programs to inform marine users (e.g. whale watchers, fishermen, and shipping crews using important habitat) about best practice behaviours and regulations when interacting with whales.\n\n5. Monitor and manage the potential impacts of prey depletion due to over harvesting\n\n-   Improve knowledge of blue, fin and sei whale feeding ecology, and the ecology of prey species in order to determine if or when prey depletion becomes a threat.\n-   Australia should support regional ecosystem approaches to krill management through its involvement in CCAMLR and other fora.\n\n6. Monitor climate and oceanographic change\n\n-   Develop an understanding of the effects of climate and oceanographic change on blue, fin and sei whale populations to determine if species survival and recovery are being, or are likely to be affected.\n\nMajor benefits to other native species or ecological communities\n\nAs blue, fin and sei whales are wide ranging species, marine management protection regimes may have some benefits for other cetaceans found within Australian waters, in particular other oceanic mysticete species such Bryde’s and minke whales, as well as the more coastal (in Australian waters) humpback and southern right whales.\n\nImplementation of this plan is unlikely to have negative impacts on any other native species or ecological communities.\n\nDuration and cost of the recovery process\n\nIt is anticipated that the recovery process will take longer than the life of the plan (2005-2010), which should be reviewed after five years. A recovery plan should remain in place until such time that the populations of blue, fin and sei whales utilising Australian waters have improved to the point that the populations are considered secure.\n\nThe cost of this plan will be met through various direct and indirect funding activities undertaken by the Australian Government, State and Territory governments, researchers, conservation groups, marine based industries and the Australian public. Costing of specific actions will be determined at the time of activity.\n\nRole and interests of Indigenous people\n\nMany marine mammal species have cultural significance to Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people. Recognising this cultural connection to whales is important. No record has been found of whale hunting before the arrival of Europeans, although it is likely that some use was made of whales that washed ashore. Indigenous people must be considered if plans for development or use of an area are expected to impact upon indigenous ownership or native title interests. Agreements between government and Indigenous people are essential and serve to increase the involvement of all parties with a stake in the welfare and recovery of whales.\n\nSocial and economic impacts\n\nIt is not anticipated that this plan will have significant economic and/or social impacts in the short or long-term.\n\nOrganisations/persons involved in evaluating the performance of the plan\n\nThe Threatened Species Scientific Committee (TSSC) with the assistance of relevant scientists, managers and other stakeholders should evaluate the performance of this plan and report the results of their review to the Minister for the Environment and Heritage.\n\nAffected interests\n\nOrganisations likely to be affected by the actions proposed in this plan include the following:\n\n| Australian Government:Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander CommissionAustralian Fisheries Management AuthorityAustralian Maritime Safety AuthorityDepartment of Agriculture, Fishing and ForestryDepartment of DefenceDepartment of Foreign Affairs and TradeDepartment of Industry, Tourism and ResourcesDepartment of the Environment and HeritageGreat Barrier Reef Marine Park AuthorityIndigenous Land CorporationIndustry and Non-Government Organisations:Commercial fishers and associationsCommercial shippingConservation groupsEnergy distribution networksIndigenous Land Councils and communitiesLocal communitiesNature-based tourism industryOil and gas exploration and production industryRecreational fishers and associationsUniversities and other research organisationsWhale-watching industry and associations | State/Territory Governments:Department of Conservation and Land Management, WADepartment of Environment and Heritage, SADepartment of Primary Industries, Water and Environment, TASDepartment of Primary Industry, QLDDepartment of Sustainability and Environment, VICEnvironment Protection Agency, QLDFisheries agenciesMuseumsNational Parks and Wildlife Service, NSWParks and Wildlife Commission, NTParks VictoriaShipping, oil and gas exploration and development agencies |\n| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |\n\nWhere to get the plan\n\nThis recovery plan is obtainable from:\n\n[http://www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/recovery/list-common.html](http://www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/recovery/list-common.html)\n\nWildlife Impact and Protection Section\n\nWildlife Conservation Branch\n\nDepartment of the Environment and Heritage\n\nGPO Box 787\n\nCanberra ACT 2601","sortOrder":5}],"analysis":{"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":4,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The plan does not indicate any expansion or contraction of scope from its stated purpose. It applies to blue, fin and sei whales utilising Australian waters and sets recovery objectives, performance criteria and actions consistent with Part 13, Division 5 of the EPBC Act. The document notes likely long timeframes, data gaps and distributed funding/responsibility but contains no provision that alters the species or geographic scope described."},"complexity_factors":["Scientific uncertainty about population size, subspecies and habitat (Species information; Habitat critical to the survival) — limits ability to set quantitative targets","Broad geographic and seasonal scope: Antarctic and extensive Australian coastal waters with migratory behaviour","Multiple, heterogeneous threats (commercial/scientific whaling, acoustic pollution, entanglement, ship strike, habitat alteration, prey depletion, climate change) requiring different interventions","Interjurisdictional coordination and many affected stakeholders (Commonwealth, States/Territories, industry, Indigenous communities) (Actions; Affected interests)","Data and monitoring requirements (population surveys, genetics, satellite/acoustic tracking) necessary before many management decisions can be made (Actions 1–2)","Long timeframes and indeterminate costs (plan life 2005–2010 but recovery expected to take longer; costs allocated across multiple parties)","Dependence on international fora and agreements (IWC, CCAMLR, CITES, CMS, ATCM) for measures on whaling and prey management (Actions 3,5)"],"plain_english_summary":"Mechanically, this is a recovery plan under the EPBC Act that sets recovery objectives, performance criteria, identified threats and specific actions (monitoring, research, habitat protection, international advocacy) for blue, fin and sei whales using Australian waters. It affects Commonwealth and state agencies, researchers, industry (shipping, fisheries, oil & gas, tourism), Indigenous groups and other marine users who are expected to adopt measures, contribute data or funding. The plan matters because it organises how population status will be measured and how human threats (whaling, habitat degradation, ship strike, prey loss, climate impacts) will be managed over the long term."},"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"Unauthenticated. Configure AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY or use a provider module. Learn more: https://ai-sdk.dev/unauthenticated-ai-gateway","source":"analysis-cron"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This is a standalone recovery plan made under the EPBC Act. It remains focused on its original purpose: conservation of three specific whale species. No scope creep is evident."},"complexity_factors":["Straightforward policy document with clear narrative structure (background, threats, actions)","Minimal defined terms — only 'secure in the wild' is explicitly defined","No cross-referencing legislation sections or nested conditional logic","Simple bulleted action items without legal enforcement mechanisms","Single-purpose document focused on conservation strategy rather than regulatory obligations","Contains some scientific taxonomy and species classification details, but these are explanatory rather than operative"],"plain_english_summary":"This 5-year Australian recovery plan (2005–2010) aims to restore blue (endangered), fin and sei (vulnerable) whale populations to secure, self-sustaining levels by coordinating government, industry, Indigenous, and research actions. It focuses on preventing a return to commercial whaling and reducing human threats—ship strikes, fishing gear entanglement, noise, habitat degradation, krill depletion and climate impacts—so these species can recover while balancing shipping, fishing, oil/gas and tourism interests."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/blue-fin-and-sei-whale-recovery-plan-2005-2010","history":"/api/acts/blue-fin-and-sei-whale-recovery-plan-2005-2010/history","analysis":"/api/acts/blue-fin-and-sei-whale-recovery-plan-2005-2010/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/blue-fin-and-sei-whale-recovery-plan-2005-2010/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/blue-fin-and-sei-whale-recovery-plan-2005-2010/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/blue-fin-and-sei-whale-recovery-plan-2005-2010/documents"}}