White-whale watchers facing fine
From the Melbourne, Australia periodical, “The Age”
Saturday 12 July 2003
http://www.theage.com.au
Whale watchers keen to get a glimpse of the albino humpback migrating north along the Queensland coast will have to keep their distance or risk being fined $12,000.
Queensland Environment Minister Dean Wells has declared the mammal, which has sparked a high degree of interest since its reappearance, a "special interest whale."
"This attaches some special conditions to viewing it," Mr. Wells said. "No person can drive a boat or jet ski any closer than 500m or fly an aircraft any closer than 2,000ft without written permission."
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Mr Wells said if those conditions were breached the maximum penalty under the Nature Conservation (Whales and Dolphins) Conservation plan 1997, was $12,375.
The humpback whale is a species which is also listed as "vulnerable" in Queensland under the Nature Conservation Act 1992.
Mr Wells said he had been forced to step up fines after reports the creature was being harassed by whale watchers including one man who swam with it.
The 14-metre-long pearly white humpback was first sighted in 1991 off Cape Byron and has since been seen 38 times.
Named Migaloo (White Fella), by an Aboriginal elder in Hervey Bay, the whale is believed to be the only one of its kind in the world and had been seen for four years.
Humpback whales are now heading north along the Queensland coast to their breeding grounds on the Barrier Reef and will start appearing with their calves in Hervey Bay from late July.
©2003 AAP
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