Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2006B00701:front:0:p10
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2006B00701
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 24518–27665

the Marine Park; and
(d) as tourism is an important activity in the Planning Area, the Authority is working with the tourism industry to ensure best environmental practices through accreditation, training, education programs and materials.

Subdivision 2 Marine animals, plants and habitat conservation

1.15 General intent

  The Authority intends that, in the Planning Area, to ensure the retention of the natural values and ecological integrity of estuarine, seagrass and other marine communities:
 (a) the distribution, extent and biological diversity of the communities will be maintained; and
 (b) marine species will be protected from threatening processes; and
 (c) water quality is of a suitable standard to enhance the ecological sustainability of aquatic systems.

1.16 Marine animals, plants and habitat conservation values

  Some indicative values relating to the conservation of marine animals, plants and habitats in the Planning Area are:
 (a) the seagrass beds that:
 (i) provide shelter and a nutrient-rich environment for a diverse array of flora and fauna, including dugong and marine turtles; and
 (ii) are nurseries for a variety of marine life; and
 (b) estuarine communities that are of major ecological and economic importance in the Planning Area; and
 (c) soft bottom habitats (the most extensive habitat in the Planning Area) that support a diversity of marine animals and plants; and
 (d) dugongs, dolphins, whales, crocodiles, marine turtles and seabirds.

1.17 Marine animals, plants and habitat conservation issues

  Issues relating to the conservation of marine animals, plants and habitats in the Planning Area are the following:
 (a) seagrass, estuarine and other soft bottom communities, that are important to a variety of marine life, may be damaged by inappropriate human activity (see Map 2 in Schedule 8 for distribution of seagrass);
 (b) the following species are, or may become, threatened:
 (i) dugong (Dugong dugon);
 (ii) Irrawaddy dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris);
 (iii) Indo-Pacific hump-backed dolphin (Sousa chinensis);
 (iv) green turtle (Chelonia mydas);
 (v) hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata);
 (vi) loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta);
 (vii) flatback turtle (Natator depressus);
 (viii) olive-ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea);
 (ix) humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae);
 (x) leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea);
 (c) dugongs, dolphins and marine turtles may be displaced by disturbance caused by vessels, particularly in the Planning Area's shallow waterways;
 (d) dugong numbers have declined more than 90% along the urban coast of Queensland over the last 4 decades, resulting from causes including habitat degradation, gill-netting, displacement from feeding areas, incidental kills, illegal netting and hunting;
 (e) dugongs have a low reproductive capability and inhabit inshore areas that are susceptible to human activities, which means that a slight decrease in adult numbers (particularly of breeding-age females) can cause a long-term decline in the dugong population;
 (f) dugongs and green turtles feed primarily on seagrass which is easily damaged by