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Research
Whaling was Australia's first major primary industry. More than 26,000 Southern Right whales were taken from south-eastern Australian and New Zealand waters between 1822 and 1930. Over 40,000 Humpback whales were killed on their migrations from Antarctic Ocean to the tropics. Over 16,000 sperm whales were hunted and killed during the nineteenth century. At the Cheyne Beach whaling station in Albany, Australia 600 sperm whales a year were killed until it closed in 1978.
Australia was the last English-speaking nation to stop whaling and the first to say that whaling was morally wrong. Australia banned whaling within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and at the International Whaling Commission (IWC) announced a commitment, on both scientific and ethical grounds to a total whaling ban.
Research, published by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), in 2003 found that $276 million was spent directly and indirectly on whale watching. Furthermore, there has been an annual growth of 15% in the numbers of people going whale watching between 1998 and 2003 and this in a period where international tourism in Australia has only grown at 2.76% a year.
Additional research found that whales inspire feelings of freedom, simplicity and an escape from the everyday, with 78 per cent of people who have seen a whale, wanting to go whale watching again.
Whale and dolphin watching has now become the fastest growing sector of the national Eco-tourism industry. Whale watching is worth more than US$1 billion worldwide, at least 10 times more than the revenue generated by killing whales in commercial whaling. Whale watching in Australia generates an estimated $100 million a year. Four times as many whale watching locations exist today than existed five years ago in Australia. This could soon rival the leading whale watching countries of Canada, the Canary Island the Unites States of America. |
National Whale and Dolphin Research Conference
The National Whale and Dolphin Research Conference was held on 21 - 22 February in Adelaide, South Australia. The conference brought together stakeholders interested in research, conservation and management of whales and dolphins in an effort to identify gaps in scientific knowledge and determine future research directions and priorities. The conference was attended by over 100 representatives from conservation and animal welfare organisations, government agencies, research institutions, the whale watching and tourism industries, the oil and gas exploration industry and the defence forces.
The conference was opened by Anne-Marie Delahunt, Assistant Secretary Environment Assessment Branch on behalf of Ian Campbell, Minister for the Environment and Heritage. The conference concentrated on presentations on progress made in research or developments in science since the first whale and dolphin research workshop held in Ballina, NSW in 2004. A broad range of topics were covered including information on threatened whales, inshore dolphins, fishing interactions, whale watching, noise issues, ways of estimating populations, stranding events and other applied research methods. In total participants heard from over 60 scientists, research students, industry and government personnel.
A series of pre-conference workshops focussed on the future research needs for southern right whales, blue whales, humpback whales, minke and other large whales, beaked whales, dolphins and the impacts of noise on cetaceans. The workshops involved scientists working in the field to discuss current research, identify gaps in research and prepare points for discussion on the second day of the conference.
The outcomes of the conference will guide researchers in filling knowledge gaps and assist managers to protect whales and dolphins from threats including habitat degradation, commercial and scientific whaling and climate change. The Australian Government will use the outcomes of the workshop to direct research priorities funded through the Natural Heritage Trust and other funding sources.
We were all saddened to hear of the sudden death of Dr Peter Arnold, only days after his attendance at the conference. The Whale Conservation Team at the Department express our condolences to his family and colleagues.
South Australian Museum skeleton preparation facility
On the evening prior to the conference Cath Kemper and the staff from the South Australian Museum hosted a tour for conference participants through the skeleton preparation facility at Bolivar. The facility is the most technologically advanced for the preparation of animal bones in the southern hemisphere and holds a large collection of whale and dolphins skeletons. Following the tour, light refreshments were provided by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).
Download Trish Franklin & Wally Franklin's presentation to the Conference on their Research Program in Hervey Bay. |
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