Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2017L00641:body:0:p77
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2017L00641
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 437503–459127

best practice light management guidelines for existing and future developments adjacent to marine turtle nesting beaches.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          A1, A8
    * Support retrofitting of lighting at coastal communities and industrial developments, including imposing restrictions around nesting seasons.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             A8

    * Understand flatback turtle foraging requirements and identify key foraging areas for this stock.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         B2, B3

    * Continue long-term monitoring of index beaches.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          B1
Measure of success
The decline in nesting numbers at Peak Island is understood                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    B1
Trends in nesting turtle abundance for this stock remain stable or are increasing

Flatback – Arafura Sea (F-ArS)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Unknown[136]
Threats                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          B. Marine debris – entanglement     Very high
A. Climate change and variability                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                High
D. Terrestrial predation                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         High
I. Indigenous take – eggs                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        High
Important nesting areas                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Internesting Buffer: 60 km
Major: Bare Sand, Field, Deliverance, Crab and Sir Edward Pellew Islands[136].                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Mating: Unknown
Minor: Cobourg Peninsula, Wellesley, Flinders Beach, Jardine River to Edward River and in western Torres Strait[136].                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Nesting: all year (peak: Jun–Aug)
Index beaches monitored: Bare Sand (1996-2016), Field (1990-2016), Deliverance (1987), Crab (1991- ) and Sir Edward Pellew Islands (2000‑2002)[201, 243](Donehue et al. 2017, in press; Martin 2017, in press).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Hatching: all year (peak: Jul–Sep)
Foraging habitat
Post-hatchling/young juveniles: Remain on Australian continental shelf.
Juvenile-adult: Little is known of foraging habitat although trawl captures indicated flatback turtles feed in turbid inshore (10-40 m) soft bottom habitats over the continental shelf of northern Australia[199].
Foraging grounds monitored: Foraging grounds currently unknown.
Distribution: See Figure 14.
Stock description
This genetic stock encompasses flatback turtles nesting in the western Torres Strait, around the Gulf of Carpentaria, north-east Arnhem Land, Cobourg Peninsula and into western Northern Territory. The stock is managed by the Queensland and Northern Territory Governments in collaboration with the Torres Strait Regional Authority and a wide range of community and ranger groups. Crab Island, in the Gulf of Carpentaria, is one of the largest flatback turtle rookeries, and it is estimated that approximately 3000 turtles nesting there per year[214]. Recent studies have reported that numbers of nesting flatbacks at Field Island appear to be relatively stable (Groom et al. 2017, in press). Monitoring at Bare Sand Island had indicated a three per cent decline per year[243], but ongoing monitoring is to be analysed soon (Groom et al. 2017, in press). The decline may be due to cumulative impacts from multiple sources of mortality. Ghost net hotspots have been identified throughout this stock's nesting and likely foraging habitats[255]. Approximately 10 per cent of all turtles captured in ghost nets are flatback turtles[256]. The main source of egg mortality is from terrestrial predation by dogs, dingoes and goannas, with up to 52 per cent of clutches affected at Fog Bay[20, 36]. Pig predation occurs on Bathurst