Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2017L00641:body:0:p81
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2017L00641
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 505759–522767

strategies and response programs include management for turtles and their habitats, particularly in reference to slow to recover habitats, e.g. seagrass meadows or corals.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            A4

    * Continue the implementation of the North West Shelf Flatback Turtle Conservation Program.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     A1, A6, A8, A9, B3
    * Continue long-term monitoring of index beaches to assess trends in nesting abundance.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         B1
Measure of success
Trends in nesting turtle abundance are assessed for this stock                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      B1

Flatback – Pilbara (F-Pil)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Unknown
Threats                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    A. Climate change and variability  High
C. Chemical and terrestrial discharge – acute                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              High
G. Light pollution                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         High
H. Infrastructure/coastal development                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      High
Important nesting areas                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Internesting Buffer: 60 km
Major: Barrow Island, Mundabullangana Station[182], Delambre Island[136].                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Mating: Sep–Jan
Minor: Thevanard, Varanus, Muiron Islands, Montebello Group, Cemetery Beach, Dampier Archipelago[136, 228].                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Nesting: Oct–Mar (peak: Nov–Jan)
Index beaches monitored: Barrow Island (2005- ), Mundabullangana Station (1992- )[182], Cemetery Beach (2009-2014)[110]                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Hatching: Feb–Mar
Foraging habitat
Post-hatchling/young juveniles: Unknown, likely to remain in waters over the Australian continental shelf.
Juvenile-adult: Flatback turtles are known to favour soft sediment habitats that support benthic invertebrates. Post-nesting satellite tracking indicates foraging occurs along the Western Australian coast in water shallower than 130 m and within 315 km of shore. High use areas included water around Thevenard Island, adjacent to Eighty Mile Beach and Quondong Point, Lynher Banks and the Holothuria Banks[253].
Foraging grounds monitored: Ningaloo (Coral Bay)[195].
Distribution: See Figure 14.
Stock description
This stock nests on many islands in the Pilbara and southern Kimberley, although the extent of genetic relatedness of flatback turtles along the Western Australian coast is currently under review. Post migration satellite tracking indicates this stock is likely to forage along the coast of Western Australia and north to the Gulf of Carpentaria, and a number of likely important foraging grounds have been identified[253].
Infrastructure for oil/gas storage and processing has been developed on islands used by nesting turtles, including Barrow, Thevenard and Varanus Islands and on the mainland at Cape Lambert. These developments have resulted in altered light horizons, increased boat and human activity, increased noise and altered beach profiles[38, 179, 259]. Changes to the benthic environment have occurred through the installation of pipelines and dredging[46]. Port developments also increase the risk of boat strike, benthic disturbance, oil spills, chemical spills and marine debris. Nesting on Barrow Island is monitored through approval conditions for the Chevron Gorgon Project[39] and the whole of stock is managed by Western Australian Government through the North West Shelf Flatback Turtle Conservation Program. Both programs are required to continue through the life of this plan. Monitoring of nesting near Cape Lambert (Bells Beach) and on Delambre Island is conducted by Rio Tinto[17].
Hatchling success at Cemetery Beach and Mundabullangana in