Australian Whale Sanctuary facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Australian Whale Sanctuary |
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| Established | 1999 |
| Governing body | Department of the Environment and Energy |
The Australian Whale Sanctuary was created in 1999. Its main goal is to protect dolphins and whales from hunting. This protection applies to all waters under the Australian government's control.
What is the Australian Whale Sanctuary?
The Australian Whale Sanctuary is a special area. It was set up to keep whales and dolphins safe. In this sanctuary, it is against the law to hunt these amazing sea creatures. This helps them live and grow without danger from whaling.
Where is the Sanctuary?
The sanctuary covers a very large area. It includes all of Australia's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). An EEZ is a sea area that extends 200 nautical miles (370 km) from a country's coast. In this zone, the country has special rights to explore and use marine resources.
This huge area surrounds the continent of Australia. It also includes waters around many Australian islands. These islands are places like Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands in the Indian Ocean. Other islands are Norfolk Island, Macquarie Island, and Heard Island and McDonald Islands. The sanctuary also reaches into the waters near the Australian Antarctic Territory.
Protecting Whales: A Global Effort
Australia is very serious about protecting whales. The Australian Whale Sanctuary helps enforce laws against whaling. There have been times when Australia's laws about whale protection have been tested.
For example, there was a disagreement between Australia and Japan about whaling. In 2008, an Australian court decided that it was against Australian law for Japanese whaling ships to hunt whales in the sanctuary. This showed how committed Australia is to keeping its whale sanctuary safe.
