Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2009B00248:body:0:p5
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2009B00248
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 12782–16399

breeding, nesting, roosting, social behaviour patterns or seed dispersal processes.
                          All albatrosses spend more than 95% of their time traversing the world's oceans in search of prey, and usually only return to land to breed.  For southern hemisphere species, nesting typically occurs on small islands scattered throughout the Southern Ocean.  Five species of albatross breed within Australian waters, three of which are listed as threatened under the EPBC Act:
                                 * Shy Albatross
                                 * Wandering Albatross
                                 * Grey-headed Albatross.

                          There are four major breeding locations under Australian jurisdiction where these albatross species breed.  These are:
                                 * Macquarie Island
                                 * Albatross Island
                                 * Pedra Branca, and
                                 * The Mewstone

                          These remote islands constitute the only suitable breeding habitat under Australian jurisdiction and should be regarded as habitat that is critical to the survival of the three albatross species in Australian waters.

                          Criteria (c).  The extent to which the habitat is used by important populations.  NB: An important population is one that is necessary for a species' long-term survival and recovery.  This may include populations that are: key source populations either for breeding or dispersal, populations that are necessary for maintaining genetic diversity, and/or populations that are near the limit of the species range.
                          Because there are so few populations for these species in Australia, all populations are important.

                          Shy Albatrosses breed only within Australia, and hence the breeding habitats of this species (Albatross Island, Pedra Branca and The Mewstone) comprise its entire breeding range.  Each of these populations appears to be genetically distinct.

                          Macquarie Island hosts the other two species of albatrosses.  All of these populations are very small and are critical for maintaining the genetic diversity necessary to ensure the viability of these species.  Although these populations are likely to be genetically distinct (based on data from other populations which have been studied), no data currently exist regarding the genetic distinctiveness of these populations.

                          Criteria (d).  Whether the habitat is necessary to maintain genetic diversity and long-term evolutionary development
                          If these island habitats were lost, it is unlikely that the species which use them would persist.  Albatrosses are extremely site-faithful and the populations currently breeding on these islands are unlikely to breed elsewhere.

                          Criteria (e).  Whether the habitat is necessary for use as corridors to allow the species to move freely between sites used to meet essential life cycle requirements.
                          N/A.

                          Criteria (f).  Whether the habitat is necessary to ensure the long-term future of the species or ecological community through reintroduction or re-colonisation.
                          Shy albatrosses occupy most of the land area of the islands on which they breed.

                          Wandering and Grey-headed Albatrosses do not breed on all parts of Macquarie Island, but the entire island is critical to providing isolation for