6/8/2016 0 Comments Managing Blue WhalesThe blue whale has had a harsh past. One of the largest problems surrounding it, is the whaling done in the world’s oceans. Through the development and education of the commercial whaling industry the blue whale populations have been able to gradually increase. Yet there are still other issues that affect the blue whale those being pressure from both the tourism industry and the commercial shipping industry. Most of the industry’s have had a negative outlook toward the blue whale in the past but through years of deepening understanding about the species organizations are starting to see the blue whale in a new light. The Australian Government is one of the world leaders in seeking to protect blue whales since 2005 when their “Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act” was first created and was updated in 2010. The plan outlines some conservation strategies to save the blue whale, firstly the plan calls for a monitoring technique to estimate the abundance of blue whales as well as monitor them in Australian and Antarctic waters. Secondly to identify biologically important areas as well as discover the population structure of both the Antarctic and Australian blue whale populations. Some of the groups that have any interest in this plan are commercial shipping/fishing, tourism industry, research organisations, and conservation groups. The blue whale is a international listed endangered species which it allows for it to be protected from whaling as well as all international trade in the species is prohibited, with the drawback being that we can no longer harvest them for scientific research or to harvest them for food and oil. Throught the conservation efforts of several countries there have been whale sanctuaries set up in the Antarctic, Indian, and Southern Ocean. Yet further research still has to be done into the ecology of the blue whale so that we can better understand how to help it. Most of the current management strategies to protect the blue whale are related to better understanding where we can find the whale as well as to make industries like whaling and fisheries safer for whales. As an individual there are many things that we can do to protect the blue whale. The most important thing that can be done is to educate yourself on the blue whale and its habitat as well as educating those around us. Other ways that we can help protect the blue whale is by buying seafood that comes from bycatch friendly sources, as well as understanding where your food comes from.
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