For a very long time, whales were considered to be an exploitable resource. Historically, communities all around the world killed whales, particularly the larger ones, to obtain products such as oil, meat and baleen. In Australia, the whaling industry ended in 1978, and since then, Australia has become a world leader in the protection and conservation of whales, with the Government taking the following initiatives:
Establishment of The Australian Whale Sanctuary - this includes all Commonwealth waters from the three nautical mile state waters limit out to the boundary of the Exclusive Economic Zone.
Within this Sanctuary, it is an offence to kill, injure or interfere with a cetacean. There are severe penalties to those who do not comply with this. All states and territories are responsible for protecting whales and dolphins within their waters.
Recovery Plans - Australia currently has five whales species considered to be threatened in its waters, and there are recovery plans for each. The plans identify the threats these whale species face and establish actions to ensure their ongoing recovery.
The five threatened species are:
- Blue Whale (endangered)
- Southern Right Whale (endangered)
- Sei Whale (vulnerable)
- Fin Whale (vulnerable)
- Humpback Whale (vulnerable)
How you can help whale conservation
Despite being protected, whales and dolphins still face various threats, including water and noise pollution, habitat degradation, collision with ships, entanglements and climate change.
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DONATE
NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service works with several organisations in the raising of funds for whale and other marine conservation.
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VOLUNTEER
Want to volunteer during the whale migration? Find out how you can be a whale spotter at Kamay Botany Bay National Park!
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WHALE RESCUE
In NSW whale rescue falls under the purview of national parks rangers as well as not-for-profit partner organisations like ORRCA.
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CONSERVATION ORGANISATIONS
Find out a little more about the various conservation organisations in Australia.
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PARTNERS
Wild About Whales is made possible through its conservation partners ORRCA and IFAW.
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