Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2017L00641:body:0:p5
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2017L00641
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threats, actions and research requirements that are unique to each stock (Section 5.4). In doing so, the plan will also ensure the conservation of genetic diversity. Amongst the six species of marine turtle found in Australia, this plan considers 22 genetic stocks that nest or forage in Australian waters. The identified threats and subsequent management measures also encompass those turtles that forage in Australia and nest elsewhere (see maps in Section 3.2 and individual stock tables, Section 5.4).

Threats
There are a range of anthropogenic threats that may inhibit the recovery of Australian marine turtles (see Section 4). The risk posed by these threats to the 22 marine turtle stocks varies depending on the habitats they occupy, timing of habitat occupancy, life cycle stage affected, abundance and trends in nesting and foraging numbers, and the management and mitigation currently in place. Threats were assessed through a risk assessment process (outlined in Section 4.4) and are as follows: climate change and variability; marine debris; chemical and terrestrial discharge; international take; terrestrial predation; fisheries bycatch; light pollution; habitat modification through infrastructure/coastal development and dredging and trawling; Indigenous take; vessel disturbance; noise interference; recreational activities; and disease and pathogens.
While the plan considers these threats in isolation, for most of the identified marine turtle stocks, it is the cumulative impacts of multiple threats that need to be addressed to secure their recovery.

Actions
Actions were prioritised based on the number of stocks found to have a 'high' or 'very high' rating for the threat risk assessment. An action area has been developed for each threat found to pose a 'high' or 'very high' risk to at least one stock (Table 1). Table 1 identifies the priority action areas from highest to lowest for the recovery of marine turtle stocks. For threats where there was insufficient information available to assess the threat, research actions have been identified. The action areas have been devised to deliver tangible benefits to meet the Interim Recovery Objectives (Section 1.2). The plan also provides priority actions for each of the 22 marine turtle stocks (or in the case of leatherback turtles, those nesting in Australia) in the individual stock tables at Section 5.4.
Table 1. Summary of overarching action areas
 identified in the Recovery Plan for Marine Turtles in Australia.
ACTION
A. Assessing and addressing threats
A1 Maintain and improve efficacy of legal and management protection
  A2 Adaptively manage turtle stocks to reduce risk and build resilience to climate change and variability
A3 Reduce the impacts from marine debris
A4 Minimise chemical and terrestrial discharge
A5 Address international take within and outside Australia's jurisdiction
A6 Reduce impacts from terrestrial predation
A7 Reduce international and domestic fisheries bycatch
A8 Minimise