Working to Protect Dolphins
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Working to Protect Dolphins
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All of the Institute's research programs can be considered "management based". They are geared towards finding out more information to assist in the management of the dolphin population, to ensure that they continue to thrive in Port Phillip Bay and around our Victorian coastline for future generations to enjoy.
Our long-term population studies monitor fluctuations in dolphin numbers both in time and space, and also help us to identify areas of importance to the dolphins. We also monitor potential human impacts on both dolphins and the marine environment, and, where possible, design studies to measure the extent of these impacts. The Institute is only conducting one such investigation at present. This is an investigation into the impacts of the dolphin based tourism industry in Port Phillip Bay.
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Swimming With Wild Dolphins - What are the Impacts?
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Commercial vessels have been conducting tours with wild dolphins in Port Phillip Bay since the early 1990's. This industry has rapidly expanded during the last decade. There are now five commercial vessels conducting swim tours in the southern part of the Bay. There are also many other commercial vessels that engage in dolphin watching on an opportunistic basis. When you include the impact of all of the various recreational vessels, particularly over the summer months, you are looking at a significant pressure on the dolphin population.
In 1996, the Institute began a long-term study into the impacts of these tours on the dolphins. Primarily we are interested in measuring factors such as how much time per day the dolphins spend interacting with boats, how they respond to boats, and the long-term impacts resulting from these human/dolphin interactions.
All of the information obtained from both our long-term studies and our investigations into the impacts of dolphin tours is made available to the relevant management authorities to assist in the sustainable management of the dolphin population.
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Impacts of Other Boat Traffic
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Port Phillip Bay is subject to traffic from a number of different vectors. A major shipping port is situated at Port Melbourne, in the northern part of the Bay.
There are also thriving fishing, diving and other marine-based industries. There is also a significant amount of traffic associated with recreational vessels that utilise the Bay for various activities. Over the summer months, recreational vessels are present in large numbers in the southern part of Port Phillip Bay, especially on warm days. This appears to be the peak time for dolphin sightings and is also the peak season for commercial dolphin watching vessles. This large concentration of vessels in this part of the Bay can be problematic for the dolphins who may become "harassed" due to the large amount of boat traffic, both recreational and commercial who may be attempting to interact with them.
Dolphins are a protected species under the Wildlife Act 1975. A set of regulations has been developed to regulate boat traffic around all cetaceans in Victorian coastal waters, including Port Phillip Bay. These regulations apply to ALL vessels (with the exception of some commercial dolphin tours that operate under separate conditions of permit). Institute researchers spend a lot of time educating the community about these regulations, including explaining and handing out copies of the regulations to other boats.
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