Scientific Literature: Searchable Database

We make three recommendations, only one of which is a change to the current guidelines, First we suggest that long-term responses to whale and dolphin watching activities are still uncertain, the evidence to date especially in Australia is equivocal at best. Therefore we recommend supporting research into long-term effects. Second, compliance by tour operators to the guidelines makes assessment of their efficacy, particularly for long-term population consequences. We recommend further and continuing education on the guidelines themselves and on the benefits to industry of adhering to them. Third, we make a single recommendation regarding changing approach distance to dolphins from the current 150m for groups with calves and 50m for groups without calves, to a single approach distance of 100m the same as the closest approach distance for whales. We make this recommendation on the following grounds: 1. Lack of Compliance: Allen et al. (2007) found operators continued to breach the National Guidelines by not discriminating between dolphin schools with or without calves i.e. the proportion of dolphin groups with calves approached by tour operators (21%) was the same as the proportion of groups with calves present in the area. Similarly, Steckenreuter et al (2012) found that 90% of dolphin watch encounters when pods had calves were as close as 50m or less. 2. Enforcement and detectability of calves: Dual zone system is effectively impossible to enforce as operators may honestly not see calves until much closer than 150m by which time the effects of the boat approach are entrained. 100m for all groups will reduce close encounters in presence of calves.