Question regarding risk assessment adherence to national guidelines for dolphin recruitment at Monkey Mia. The Minister states adherence is not required, but risk assessment is ongoing and consultation has occurred with specialists.

AnsweredQoN 2808Legislative Council
Asked
18 February 2020
Portfolio
Environment

QuestionView source ↗

I refer to the Australian National Guidelines for Whale and Dolphin watching 2017, and the proposal to recruit replacement dolphins into the Monkey Mia feeding program, and I ask: (a) has a risk assessment been undertaken by the State in accordance with the guidelines: (i) if yes, will the Minister please table the report; (ii) if no to (i), why not; (iii) If no to (a), when will a risk assessment be undertaken; and (iv) what consultation has been done and with whom on the proposal to recruit replacement dolphins?

AnswerView source ↗

Answered
31 March 2020
Responded by
Minister for Environment
Response time
9 days
(a)(i)-(iii)     It is not a requirement for the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions to adhere to the Australian National Guidelines for Whale and Dolphin Watching 2017. The assessment of risk is an integral and ongoing component of the dolphin recruitment planning and adaptive management process. There is no formal risk assessment report available.
(iv)    There has been ongoing long-term consultation with marine and dolphin science specialists within, and external to, the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions to ensure recruitment considers best available science and operates ethically and sustainably.

Explore WA Government Data

Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.

Explore more