Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2017L00641:body:0:p92
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2017L00641
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 664952–674161

as bycatch in longline fisheries where they are often released alive[177]. All Australian longline vessels are required to carry de-hookers and line cutters to facilitate quick release of turtles caught on longlines. Leatherback turtles were also commonly captured in the Queensland shark control program, but mortalities were generally low, and they have been rarely captured since 1992[136]. Leatherback turtles are also often entangled in pot fisheries, particularly in Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia[136]. Due to their dietary preference for soft bodied animals, such as jellyfish, leatherback turtles are at risk from plastic ingestion[172, 203]. Many of the major threats to leatherback turtles occur outside Australia's jurisdiction and therefore require international collaboration to address and manage threats.
Priority actions specifically required to recover this stock                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Action Area
    * Liaise at a regional scale to address and reduce the source of marine debris.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   A3
    * Promote best practice bycatch mitigation and innovation in all Australian fisheries and continue to meet international obligations including conservation management measures under regional fisheries management organisations.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                A7

    * Determine genetic affiliations of leatherback turtles nesting in Australia.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     B3
    * Monitor nesting activity in historically known nesting areas.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   B1
Measure of success
The genetic relatedness of leatherback turtles nesting in Australia with those nesting in neighbouring countries is understood                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        B3

All species – International stocks foraging in Australian waters
Threats                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               B. Marine Debris – entanglement and ingestion
C. Terrestrial predation (international nesting)
D. International take (eggs and meat)
F. Fisheries bycatch – international
Green turtles
Known shared stocks: New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Borneo, Palau, Marshal Islands and French Polynesia[50, 63, 117, 136, 137, 192].
Known foraging areas: Cobourg (Northern Territory), One Arm Point (Western Australia)[136], Torres Strait, Clack Reef, Howicks Group, Edgecombe Bay, Shoalwater Bay, Princess Charlotte Bay south to Moreton Bay (Queensland)[117], Norfolk Island (stock unknown)[183].
Major threats outside Australia's jurisdiction: These turtles face threats from harvest for meat and eggs at nesting beaches, and adults at internesting areas; entanglement in marine debris; and interaction with high seas or neighbouring countries' fisheries[136].
Loggerhead turtles
Known shared stocks: New Caledonia has a small nesting aggregation that is thought to be the same genetic stock as those nesting in Queensland[63]. The degree of relatedness between the Sri Lankan, and the Western Australia stock is not currently known[63, 136]. A small number of loggerhead turtles had been described foraging at Cocos (Keeling) islands that may be part of the Northern Indian Ocean stock[136], however, a long-term study of turtles foraging at the Cocos (Keeling) islands did not record loggerhead turtles foraging[249].
Known foraging areas: Only a small number of loggerhead turtles tagged in eastern Australia have been recorded migrating outside Australia to