Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2013L01314:reg:2013:p8
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2013L01314
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 2013 (pt 8/24)
Character Range: 19514–22591

the recovery of the Australian sea lion. The cumulative impact of many of these threats varies across the range of the species, with some threats having more prominence in certain areas.

The principal threats to the Australian sea lion are outlined in the 2013 Issues Paper for the Australian Sea Lion, available at: www.environment.gov.au/coasts/species/seals/index.html

Interactions with the commercial gillnet fishing sector, mortality due to interactions with the rock lobster industry and deaths caused by fisheries-related marine debris are currently considered to be the primary threats to the recovery of the Australian sea lion. Other factors that may be contributing to the lack of recovery include habitat degradation and interactions with aquaculture operations; human disturbance to colonies; deliberate killings; disease; pollution and oil spills;
prey depletion and climate change.

6 Objectives

The overarching objective of this recovery plan is to halt the decline and assist the
recovery of the Australian sea lion throughout its range in Australian waters by increasing
the total population size while maintaining the number and distribution of breeding colonies
with a view to:
   * improving the population status leading to the future removal of the Australian
     sea lion from the threatened species list of the EPBC Act
   * ensuring that anthropogenic activities do not hinder recovery in the near future
     or impact on the conservation status of the species in the future.

The following specific objectives, relevant to colonies in both South Australia
and Western Australia, have been identified.

The specific objectives of this recovery plan are to:

 1. mitigate interactions between fishing sectors (commercial, recreational and Indigenous)
 and the Australian sea lion to enable the recovery of all breeding colonies

 2. mitigate the impacts of marine debris on Australian sea lion populations

 3. mitigate the impacts of aquaculture operations on Australian sea lion populations.

 4. investigate and mitigate other potential threats to Australian sea lion populations,
 including disease, vessel strike, pollution and tourism

 5. continue to develop and implement research and monitoring programs that
 provide outputs of direct relevance to the conservation of the Australian sea lion

 6. increase community involvement in, and awareness of, the recovery program.

7 Populations that Require Protective Measures

There is evidence that Australian sea lion populations have not recovered from
past hunting and that populations at some breeding sites may be in decline.

The Australian sea lion has an unusual reproductive biology and life history, which complicates species recovery. Such characteristics are unlikely to be significantly contributing to population decline but are likely to exacerbate the effects of anthropogenic threats to populations and contribute to slow recovery of populations. Due to the extreme philopatry of females and limited dispersal of males between breeding colonies, the removal of only a few