Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2017L00641:body:0:p34
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2017L00641
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 104523–107531

monitoring for their longline fisheries. Australia also works through fora such as the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) to address threats throughout the species' range. The CMS Single Species Action Plan for the Loggerhead Turtle (Caretta caretta) in the Pacific Ocean was agreed at the CMS Conference of the Parties in November 2014. This plan identifies fisheries bycatch as a very high threat to loggerhead turtles in the south Pacific and identifies actions required to mitigate the threat of bycatch.

4G Light pollution
Artificial light poses a threat to marine turtles because it disrupts critical behaviours. Marine turtles use light as an orientation cue. Artificial light can inhibit nesting by females[200] and can disrupt hatchling orientation and sea finding behaviour[184, 258]. When hatchlings are attracted to light inland they may be exposed to increased mortality from avian and terrestrial predators, trapped in vegetation or killed on roads. If hatchlings do reach the ocean they may have used valuable energy reserves required to reach pelagic feeding areas. Lighting of jetties, vessels or platforms can create pools of light that attract swimming hatchlings and increase their risk of predation[221]. Artificial light can therefore cause a gradual decline in the reproductive output of a nesting area, with changes not evident for decades because of the long life cycles involved.
Marine turtles nesting on beaches in Western Australia and south-east Queensland have been identified as being at highest risk from the effects of light pollution from urban and industrial development[121]. As hatchlings orient towards the lowest light horizon rather than being directly attracted to bright lights, lights of any wavelength can affect behaviour[139, 140, 198] and light glow can disrupt marine turtles when it out-competes natural light sources[103, 120, 221].
Light pollution is managed at the local council level, except in instances where state/territory or Commonwealth environmental approvals require the management of light by a proponent. There are a range of guidelines available to provide advice to proponents, consultants or the general public, but as a general rule turtles require naturally illuminated beaches for successful nesting and sea finding behaviour[140, 198].

4H Habitat modification
Habitat modification in this plan refers to physical modification of habitat, and has the potential to spatially displace individuals or modify behaviour. Habitat modification includes the construction of ports and marinas, oil and gas infrastructure, marine aquaculture facilities and coastal urbanisation. In Australia, such developments may be subject to assessment under the EPBC Act and relevant state and territory legislation where the facilities occur in state waters or on land.
Loss or modification of habitat can result in short term impacts such as physical displacement. Where habitat is lost permanently there is likely to