Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2017L00641:body:0:p78
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2017L00641
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 458888–481729

captured in ghost nets are flatback turtles[256]. The main source of egg mortality is from terrestrial predation by dogs, dingoes and goannas, with up to 52 per cent of clutches affected at Fog Bay[20, 36]. Pig predation occurs on Bathurst Island[36]. Historically the collection of eggs by humans has been unsustainable[36, 125]. Indigenous communities who identified take as a potential concern have proposed increasing education and support for ranger groups as the most effective means to manage this threat[10].
Peak nesting for this stock occurs in winter and the high pivotal temperatures and high nest incubation temperatures suggest that this stock may have some resilience to climate change[109], noting that further temporal shifts in nesting are not possible due to the stock nesting in winter [76]. Future seabed mining is considered a potential high risk for the ongoing viability of this stock. Currently, the moratorium on seabed mining in the Northern Territory has been extended for another three years to 2018. This may provide a future threat to turtle foraging habitats. There are also planned port developments for the Gulf of Carpentaria in Weipa, MacArthur River, Groote Eylandt and Gove.
Priority actions specifically required to recover this stock                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Action Area
    * Support Indigenous and Torres Strait community programs to manage turtles and the implementation of their land and sea country management plans.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           A1, A3, A6, A10
    * Determine important flatback turtle foraging areas across northern Australia and compare marine debris hotspots foraging areas, post hatchling dispersal and migratory pathways to identify high priority mitigation areas.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                A3, B3

    * Quantify predation of eggs and hatchlings by terrestrial predators and implement terrestrial predator management programs.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 A6
    * Continue long-term monitoring of index beaches to assess trends in nesting abundance.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      B1
Measure of success
Trends in nesting turtle abundance for this stock are reversed                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   B1

Flatback – Cape Domett (F-CD)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Unknown
Threats                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          A. Climate change and variability    High
C. Chemical and terrestrial discharge – acute                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    High
Important nesting areas                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Internesting Buffer: 60 km
Major: Cape Domett[238].                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Mating: year round
Index beaches monitored: Cape Domett, WA (2005-2010)[238].                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Nesting: all year (peak: Aug–Sept)
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Hatching: all year
Foraging habitat
Post-hatchling/young juveniles: Unknown, likely to remain in waters over the Australian continental shelf.
Juvenile-adult: Flatback turtles favour soft sediment habitats that support benthic invertebrates[199]. Important foraging habitat has not been identified for this stock.
Foraging grounds monitored: None.
Distribution: See Figure 14.
Stock description
Cape Domett is an important high density nesting area. Combined with a smaller site at Lacrosse Island, this stock is likely one of the largest flatback turtle stocks. Average nesting abundance at Cape Domett is estimated at 3250 females per year[238], which is comparable to the largest known flatback turtle aggregation at Crab