Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2013L01314:reg:2013:p18
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2013L01314
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 2013 (pt 18/24)
Character Range: 67785–70895

of Australia's National Representative System of Marine Protected Areas, comprising of five regional networks of Commonwealth Marine Reserves (South-east; South-west; North-west; North and Temperate east) and the Coral Sea Commonwealth Marine Reserve. Considered together, the new Commonwealth marine reserves networks and the Coral Sea reserve protect examples of all of Australia's different marine ecosystems and habitats. Commonwealth marine reserves are managed according to management plans made under
the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). A single management
plan is being developed for each regional marine reserves network and for the Coral Sea Commonwealth Marine Reserve. Draft management plans are available on the deparmtnet's website at: www.environment.gov.au/marinereserves/index.html Transitional management arrangements are in place until management plans come into effect, which is expected to be in July 2013 for the South-east Commonwealth Marine Reserves Network and 1 July 2014 for all other networks and the Coral Sea reserve.

The Commonwealth marine reserves networks protect habitats important for protected species, including the Australian sea lion. Many of the Commonwealth marine reserves intersect with Biologically Important Areas (BIAs) for the Australian sea lion, as identified in the Marine Bioregional Plans In particular, 11 of the 14 Commonwealth Marine Reserves in the South West Marine Reserves Network intersect with BIAs for foraging by the Australian sea lion, while the Twilight Commonwealth Marine Reserve protects further foraging habitat because it is adjacent to an Australian sea lion haul-out site at Twilight cove.

9.2 South Australia

The Australian sea lion was listed in 2008 as a threatened species under the South Australian National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972, and is also protected under the South Australian Fisheries Management Act 2007 with respect to offence provisions relating to marine mammals. The South Australian Government is also in the process of planning and declaring Marine Protected Areas. As a threatened species, Australian sea lion
habitat protection forms a key environmental value likely to be included in the South Australian Marine Protected Areas.

9.3 Western Australia

The Australian sea lion was listed as 'specially protected fauna' under the Wildlife Conservation Act 1950 — Wildlife Conservation (Specially Protected) Fauna Notice in 2003. A number of breeding and haul out islands are protected as nature reserves, and existing marine parks further protect marine areas of Australian sea lion habitat. The Western Australian Government has implemented several initiatives to support the recovery of the Australian sea lion, including the use of sea lion exclusion devices (e.g. spikes in pots) to mitigate this incidental mortality within the area of known interaction in the Western Australian Rock Lobster Fishery
since the 2006/2007 fishing season (Campbell, et al., 2008b). The potential levels of
interaction of the Australian sea lion with demersal gillnet fisheries