Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2017L00641:body:0:p94
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and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (India)[63].
Known foraging areas: Indo-Pacific region, particularly the Tasman Sea[14]. Leatherback turtles observed foraging in Australian waters are likely to include turtles that nest in the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. Leatherback turtles nesting during winter in Papua New Guinea migrate towards the east Australian current and there appears to be a foraging 'hotspot' between Australia and New Zealand[14]. It is likely that turtles observed in waters off Western Australia are part of the subpopulation nesting in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (India)[63]. While the leatherback turtle post nesting migrations are highly dispersed and they do not appear to centre on spatially restricted foraging grounds, they have been recorded exhibiting area-restricted search behaviours in up to five areas (globally) including in south-eastern Australia[8].
Major threats outside Australia's jurisdiction: Threats to leatherback turtles in the Indo-Pacific region include fisheries bycatch, egg take, consumption of turtle meat and coastal development[236]. Currently international mitigation measures include: marine protected areas; measures to reduce harvest of turtles for meat and eggs; control of terrestrial predators; and fisheries bycatch reduction (including gear changes and spatial and temporal closures)[176].
Priority actions specifically required to recover turtle populations foraging in Australia                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Action Area
    * Liaise at a regional scale to address and reduce the source of marine debris.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   A1, A3
    * Work on a regional scale to reduce unsustainable harvest and illegal and unregulated take of marine turtles.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    A1, A5
    * Liaise at a regional scale to promote best practice fishery management to reduce marine turtle bycatch outside Australian jurisdiction.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         A1, A7

5.5 Stocks at highest risk
Within each of the six marine turtle species that occur in Australian waters, there are six stocks that are considered a priority for management action. These stocks are in decline or likely to be in decline due to multiple, continuing threats occurring on a substantial scale.
  Olive ridley turtles (both stocks) – This species has only small nesting aggregations in Australia, which have been affected by up to 90 per cent nest predation at some beaches for multiple decades[136]. In addition, they are likely to be heavily impacted by ghost nets in the Arafura-Timor Seas and the Gulf of Carpentaria[255].
  Hawksbill turtles (north Queensland and international stocks) – Nesting at Milman Island has been declining at three per cent per year (1990‑1999)[54], the cause of which is largely unknown. Hawksbill turtles foraging in the Great Barrier Reef but nesting outside Australia have also declined[13]. There is likely to be substantial take of hawksbill turtles outside Australia's jurisdiction for the illegal tortoise shell trade[134].
  Loggerhead turtles (south-west Pacific) – There is an apparent lack of recruitment of juveniles to benthic foraging areas indicative of a