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Report of the Second Workshop on The Biology and Conservation of ...

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(2) State Legislati<strong>on</strong>.In state waters <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Western Australia marinemammals are protected under <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> WildlifeC<strong>on</strong>servati<strong>on</strong> Act 1950. Interacti<strong>on</strong>s betweenhumans <strong>and</strong> marine mammals in state waters thatmay injure, disturb, molest or o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>rwise interferewith, or result in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> taking <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> marine mammalsare regulated by <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Wildlife C<strong>on</strong>servati<strong>on</strong> (CloseSeas<strong>on</strong> for Marine Mammals) Notice 1998 issuedunder <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Wildlife C<strong>on</strong>servati<strong>on</strong> Act 1950. In<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Nor<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>rn Territory, marine mammals areprotected under <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Nor<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>rn Territory Parks <strong>and</strong>Wildlife C<strong>on</strong>servati<strong>on</strong> Act 2000. In Queensl<strong>and</strong><str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Nature C<strong>on</strong>servati<strong>on</strong> Act 1992 protects allmarine mammals in Queensl<strong>and</strong> waters.(3) Internati<strong>on</strong>al Agreements.Australia is party to internati<strong>on</strong>al c<strong>on</strong>venti<strong>on</strong>srelating to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> c<strong>on</strong>servati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> marine mammalsincluding: Internati<strong>on</strong>al C<strong>on</strong>venti<strong>on</strong> for <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>Regulati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Whaling, 1946; World HeritageC<strong>on</strong>venti<strong>on</strong> 1972; C<strong>on</strong>venti<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> Internati<strong>on</strong>alTrade in Endangered Species <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Wild Fauna <strong>and</strong>Flora, 1973; C<strong>on</strong>venti<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> C<strong>on</strong>servati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>Migratory Species <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Wild Animals, 1979; <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>C<strong>on</strong>venti<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> C<strong>on</strong>servati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> AntarcticMarine Living Resources, 1980<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> United Nati<strong>on</strong>sC<strong>on</strong>venti<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Law <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Sea, 1982; <strong>and</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>C<strong>on</strong>venti<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> Biological Diversity, 1992.(4) Fisheries Legislati<strong>on</strong>.In 2000 <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Australian Government launched <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>Comm<strong>on</strong>wealth Policy <strong>on</strong> Fisheries By-catch. <strong>The</strong>development <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> this by-catch policy dem<strong>on</strong>stratesa commitment to ensure that fisheries areecologically sustainable through by-catchreducti<strong>on</strong>, improved protecti<strong>on</strong> for threatenedspecies, <strong>and</strong> minimizing adverse impacts <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> fishing<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> marine envir<strong>on</strong>ment.Under <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Policy <strong>on</strong> Fisheries By-catch, nati<strong>on</strong>al(Comm<strong>on</strong>wealth)-managed fisheries are requiredto have By-catch Acti<strong>on</strong> Plans in place. <strong>The</strong> acti<strong>on</strong>sidentified in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> acti<strong>on</strong> plans have legal authorityby being included in permit c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>s or making<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>m part <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> a statutory fishing right under <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>Fisheries Management Act 1991. To date ten bycatchacti<strong>on</strong> plans have been completed. However,<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> provisi<strong>on</strong>s <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Fisheries Management Act1991 do not apply to fisheries managed by <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>relevant states/territory.In additi<strong>on</strong> to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> By-catch Acti<strong>on</strong> Plans, allAustralian fisheries with an export comp<strong>on</strong>entmust be assessed for <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir sustainability accordingto prescribed Guidelines for Assessing <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>Sustainability <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Fisheries (www.ea.gov.au/coasts/fisheries/assessment/guidelines.html). During <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>assessment phase fisheries are to be assessed toensure that <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> fishery is c<strong>on</strong>ducted in a mannerthat ensures that populati<strong>on</strong>s <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> by-caught speciesor protected species are maintained. Managementresp<strong>on</strong>ses are specified during <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> assessmentphase, including that measures are in place to avoidcapture <strong>and</strong> mortality <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> by-catch species. <strong>The</strong>reare also requirements for by-catch acti<strong>on</strong> plansunder state/territory laws, seas<strong>on</strong>al closures,gear restricti<strong>on</strong>s <strong>and</strong> fisher educati<strong>on</strong> regardingendangered species.(5) Regi<strong>on</strong>al Marine Planning.Under Australia’s Oceans Policy (<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> first policy<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> its kind in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> world) areas <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Australia areundergoing regi<strong>on</strong>al marine planning, whichis <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> primary mechanism for implementingan integrated ecosystem-based approach tomanagement. Regi<strong>on</strong>al Marine Plans integrateacross ec<strong>on</strong>omic, envir<strong>on</strong>mental <strong>and</strong> social<strong>and</strong> cultural objectives. <strong>The</strong> Plans providea focus for coordinati<strong>on</strong> between existing <strong>and</strong>developing ocean uses <strong>and</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> range <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> sectoral<strong>and</strong> administrative agencies with resp<strong>on</strong>sibilitiesfor marine systems. <strong>The</strong> first plan, c<strong>on</strong>ductedin <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> sou<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>astern Australia, commenced inApril 2000. <strong>The</strong> sec<strong>on</strong>d area for Regi<strong>on</strong>al MarinePlanning has been identified, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> nor<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>rn area16 CMS Technical Series Publicati<strong>on</strong> Nº 9 - 2005

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