Conservation management plan for the Southern right whale - A recovery plan

Abstract

Southern right whales (Eubalaena australis) are currently listed as endangered under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (the EPBC Act) because they have undergone a severe reduction in numbers as a result of commercial whaling. An initial recovery plan for southern right whales was developed for the period 2005 to 2010. A review of that plan found that despite progress on many recovery actions and evidence of some population increase in south-west Australian waters, southern right whale habitat occupancy is still constrained in comparison to historical occupancy, and current abundance is still well below estimated historic abundance.