Conservation management plans

The Australian Government has proposed the development of Conservation Management Plans (CMPs) as a new way of protecting cetaceans under the auspices of the International Whaling Commission (IWC). The vision for CMPs is to improve the conservation and management of cetacean populations. The objectives of such plans would address threats other than whaling, including through the mitigation of bycatch and the regulation of whale watching. They should be tailored to support the recovery of particular cetacean populations. The Australian Marine Mammal Centre is involved in providing high quality science that can be used in the development of CMPs.

In order to be effective, the plans would need to link to, and augment, actions under other relevant international arrangements. Support from other governments in other relevant international bodies would also be required to manage effectively some threatening processes such as fisheries bycatch or ship strikes. In some cases, plans should take the form of an international species recovery plan including an assessment process, and the development of actions to address identified threats. Such international plans can provide coordinated and enhanced support and leadership for national efforts.

Examples of some possible CMPs might be:

• Recovery plan for South Pacific humpback whales: Several populations of humpback whales in the South Pacific remain at very small proportions of their pre-whaling abundance. A recovery plan process would review available information, define research needs, and where defined, mitigate threats.
• High-latitude whales and climate change: An improved understanding of the population dynamics of unexploited whale populations in Arctic and some Antarctic ecosystems in the face of the rapid rate of climate-related change might provide valuable information about the nature and extent of ecological change, and thereby add power to forecasting and mitigation models that address management objectives.
• North West Pacific gray whales: This critically-endangered population is subjected to unsustainable levels of fishery bycatch and substantial industrial threats to its feeding grounds. A CMP for this species would establish measurable objectives around possible population trajectories and the scale of reduction of threats as well as specify mitigation actions around performance criteria. The direct engagement and support of the range states would be critical for such an approach, as would the integration of the plan into other international efforts.

Effective modern management planning requires substantial effort in setting priorities and assessing populations, threats and issues. By committing to develop CMPs, the IWC would develop a strong and improved capacity to respond to pressing conservation and management concerns for cetaceans globally. This would include a framework for monitoring and review.

This approach would add substantial value to the work of specialists who attend IWC meetings and frame the more difficult debates within a positive contribution to modern and emerging issues in cetacean conservation.