Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2022L01285:reg:2:p6
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2022L01285
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 2 (pt 6/14)
Character Range: 46010–49026

that of the 12 albatross and petrel breeding populations where monitoring occurred during the life of the plan, one was increasing, two remained stable or increasing, one population was too small to determine its trend, the status of three populations were unknown and five populations were declining. No data had been collected for the remaining eight populations for over 10 years. This was attributed to the logistical difficulties concerning access to those populations. Addressing the lack of data on conservation status for these remaining eight species was identified as a priority action for this recovery plan.
The successful eradication from Macquarie Island by 2014 of pest populations of European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), ship rats (Rattus rattus) and house mice (Mus musculus) was identified as a major achievement during the review of the recovery plan. This was the largest island eradication project attempted at that time (Hunt G (Minister for the Environment) 2014, Parks and Wildlife Service 2014, Alderman et al. 2019). The Review further noted cats (Felis catus) had been eradicated from Macquarie Island by 2002 (Robinson & Copson 2014).

The Review highlighted that the recovery plan provided a strong policy foundation for action domestically to conduct ongoing monitoring of albatrosses and petrels at key breeding sites in Tasmania (Albatross Island, the Mewstone and Pedra Branca) and at Macquarie Island in the sub-Antarctic.
The Review stressed that in the absence of effective international conservation action, Australia would be unable to secure the conservation of threatened albatrosses and petrels that breed and forage within Australia's jurisdiction. The Review recognised that the recovery plan provided an important framework for international conservation and fisheries forums to establish and improve conservation measures concerning seabird bycatch mitigation in fisheries, and to improve conservation of breeding populations on land.
The Review noted there had been varying degrees of implementation by regional fisheries bodies of conservation measures for seabird bycatch mitigation, and collection of bycatch information through scientific observer programs, and highlighted that further international efforts would be required to improve the effectiveness of these measures over time. Australia's influence and engagement in the work of ACAP was also considered highly influential in addressing threats to albatross and petrel species on land and at sea, including the development of best practice measures and improved conservation advice for range states, as well as states whose vessels fished in the range of albatrosses and petrels.
The Review noted that the threat of marine debris including plastics had increased in significance during the life of the recovery plan, and there is now particular concern about the threat posed by marine plastics to seabirds in the Tasman Sea (Wilcox et al. 2015), an area of high abundance for Australia's albatross and