Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2017L00641:body:0:p70
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2017L00641
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 335867–361005

an oil spill is generally considered low, the consequences would be substantial due to the small range and localised nature of this stock, and the risk increases with each new activity. The consequences of an oil spill have implications for the immediate health of marine turtles and their nesting, future nesting activities, water quality and general turtle health[206].
It has been reported that non-permitted harvest of female turtles by non-Australian fishers has occurred from the Ashmore Reefs and Cartier Islands[239]. Similarly, an unknown proportion of the stock feeds outside Australian waters and is likely subject to foreign harvest[136].
Priority actions specifically required to recover this stock                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Action Area
    * Understand pivotal temperatures and thermal tolerance for this stock and where necessary investigate management approaches to mitigating impacts from increased sand temperatures.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       A2, A9, B3

    * Support tropical fire ant management program at Ashmore Reef.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           A1, A6
    * Liaise at a regional scale to address and reduce the source of marine debris in Australian waters.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      A3
    * Ensure that spill risk strategies and response programs include management for turtles and their habitats.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              A4
    * Identify the proportion of this stock subject to international take and determine whether further action is required.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   A5
Measure of success
Due to its inaccessibility, long-term monitoring has not been advocated for this stock and therefore an appropriate measure of success cannot be determined.

Green – Scott Reef - Browse Island (G-ScBr)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Unknown
Threats                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          A. Climate change and variability  High
C. Chemical and terrestrial discharge – acute and chronic                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        High
H. Habitat modification – infrastructure/coastal development                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     High
Important nesting areas                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Internesting Buffer: 20 km
Major: Scott Reef and Browse Island[77].                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Mating: Oct
Index beaches monitored: None currently monitored. Census – Sandy Islet, Browse Island[77].                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Nesting: Nov–Mar
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 (peak Jan–Feb)
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Hatching: Peak Mar–Apr
Foraging habitat
Post-hatchling/young juveniles: Unknown. Likely disperse through waters of the Arafura-Timor Seas.
Juvenile-adult: Tidal/sub-tidal habitats with coral reef, mangrove, sand, rocky reefs and mudflats where there are algal turfs or seagrass meadows present[18]. A proportion of turtles may also remain resident in the open ocean[92].
Foraging grounds monitored: Census (2006)[79]. Monitoring of foraging turtles at Cocos Keeling identified some resident turtles from the Scott-Browse genetic stock[249].
Distribution: See Figure 11.
Stock description
The Scott-Browse stock is a discrete genetic unit known to nest at two locations within a localised area in the Indian Ocean. Sandy Islet at Scott Reef is an un-vegetated sand cay, while Browse Island is vegetated[79]. The environment at Scott Reef has been subject to multiple events since 1998 including three cyclones (one category 5), an outbreak of disease and two bleaching events[72] before 2013 and another in 2016[8], which potentially have reduced the resilience of Sandy Islet. The accumulation of sand