Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2017L00641:body:0:p68
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2017L00641
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 319768–330648

Nature Reserves Management Plan[48], and Eighty Mile Beach Marine Park Management Plan 2014-2024[47]. Indigenous communities along the coast monitor foraging grounds through a variety of programs such as I-tracker[114]. Offshore nesting is considered largely secure from terrestrial predation. Mainland terrestrial predation is controlled through initiatives such as the Ningaloo Coast Fox Control Program.
The stock appears stable[136], but given its range overlaps with high intensity oil and gas industry activities, it may be increasingly subject to impacts from artificial light[121], habitat modification and oil spills. The impacts of noise are poorly understood for marine turtles. This stock provides an opportunity to address this knowledge gap as it is subject to seismic and other industrial noise[175]. Many of the mainland beaches are subject to tourism activities such as beach driving, which has proven to be difficult to manage during the nesting and hatchling season.
Turtles remain an important part of Indigenous culture and a food source for many communities across north-western Australia. Eggs are harvested at beaches and adult turtles are taken for meat when they return to foraging grounds. Anecdotal reports have noted a decrease in size of foraging turtles[7]. Most Indigenous groups are actively managing or have started to manage community expectations about sustainable take. Turtles foraging out in the open ocean are also at risk from ghost nets carried along the currents from Indonesian waters towards the Gulf of Carpentaria[255]. The combined impacts of multiple threats may have a cumulative impact on the stock.
Priority actions specifically required to recover this stock                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Action Area
    * Artificial light within or adjacent to habitat critical to the survival of marine turtles will be managed such that marine turtles are not displaced from these habitats as per section 3.3 Table 6.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  A8
    * Ensure that spill risk strategies and response programs include management for turtles and their habitats.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            A4
    * Given this is a relatively accessible stock that is likely to be exposed to anthropogenic noise - Investigate the impacts of anthropogenic noise on turtle behaviour and biology and extrapolate findings from the North West Shelf stock to other stocks.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            B3

    * Support the implementation of management plans and build capacity to undertake monitoring, education, and compliance management of marine turtles.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    A1, A2, A3, A6, A10
    * Understand the threat posed to this stock by marine debris.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           A3
    * Continue long-term monitoring of index beaches.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       B1
Measure of success
Trends in nesting turtle numbers for this stock continue to be stable or increasing                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         B1

Green – Ashmore Reef (G-AR)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Unknown
Threats                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       A. Climate change and variability      Very high
B. Marine debris – entanglement                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Very high
C. Chemical and terrestrial discharge – acute and chronic                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     High
D. Terrestrial predation                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      High
Important nesting