❓ Question regarding the status of the Monkey Mia dolphin hand-feeding program, its impacts, and the implementation of recommendations from an independent review. The Minister's response outlines current practices, ongoing reviews, and adherence to sustainable management principles.
AnsweredQoN 2766Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I
refer to the plans to recruit replacement dolphins for the hand-feeding program
at Monkey Mia, and I ask: (a) could
the Minister please provide an update on the current status of efforts to
recruit more dolphins into this program; (b) given
the research finding that hand-feeding dolphins negatively impacts their
health, behaviour and reproductive success, could the Minister please outline
how the Department will address these impacts to the dolphins involved in this
program; (c) what
outcomes in dolphin health and well-being would cause the Department to suspend
or cancel the feeding program; (d) has
the Minister considered the recommendations from the independent review to
improve the welfare of the Monkey Mia dolphins; (e) have
these been implemented; and (f) if
no to (e), why not?
refer to the plans to recruit replacement dolphins for the hand-feeding program
at Monkey Mia, and I ask: (a) could
the Minister please provide an update on the current status of efforts to
recruit more dolphins into this program; (b) given
the research finding that hand-feeding dolphins negatively impacts their
health, behaviour and reproductive success, could the Minister please outline
how the Department will address these impacts to the dolphins involved in this
program; (c) what
outcomes in dolphin health and well-being would cause the Department to suspend
or cancel the feeding program; (d) has
the Minister considered the recommendations from the independent review to
improve the welfare of the Monkey Mia dolphins; (e) have
these been implemented; and (f) if
no to (e), why not?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
17 March 2020
Responded by
Minister for Environment
Response time
9 days
(a) Currently there are two dolphins that are provisioned at Monkey Mia. A provisioning trial is currently being implemented.
(b) The provisioning of wild dolphins at Monkey Mia is guided by approved protocols that have been developed with the advice of leading dolphin scientists and through the experience gained over many years of successful and sustainable provisioning at Monkey Mia.
The provisioning program has not been shown to impact the life expectancy of adult provisioned dolphins or present an impact to the broader Shark Bay dolphin population.
(c) The provisioning program may be suspended or cancelled if it could no longer meet the principles of ecologically sustainable management.
(d)-(f) The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions is undertaking a review of provisioning at Monkey Mia. Inputs to the review include the independent review report, the advice of DBCA and external dolphin science experts, the views of key stakeholders and the experience gained over many years of managed provisioning. The review will inform the development of an updated dolphin provisioning plan for Monkey Mia. It is anticipated that the plan will be finalised this year.
(b) The provisioning of wild dolphins at Monkey Mia is guided by approved protocols that have been developed with the advice of leading dolphin scientists and through the experience gained over many years of successful and sustainable provisioning at Monkey Mia.
The provisioning program has not been shown to impact the life expectancy of adult provisioned dolphins or present an impact to the broader Shark Bay dolphin population.
(c) The provisioning program may be suspended or cancelled if it could no longer meet the principles of ecologically sustainable management.
(d)-(f) The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions is undertaking a review of provisioning at Monkey Mia. Inputs to the review include the independent review report, the advice of DBCA and external dolphin science experts, the views of key stakeholders and the experience gained over many years of managed provisioning. The review will inform the development of an updated dolphin provisioning plan for Monkey Mia. It is anticipated that the plan will be finalised this year.
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