Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2017L00641:body:0:p33
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2017L00641
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Character Range: 101562–104787

pot fisheries may be the 'most significant cause of death from human-related activities' in Australian continental shelf waters[136]. This is concerning considering the decline in the number of nesting female leatherback turtles in Australia.
Fisheries interactions are generally considered on a fishery by fishery basis. There is currently a paucity of information pertaining to the cumulative impact of all fisheries on any given stock[197]. To address this gap consideration must be given to the impacts from all recreational, state/territory, Commonwealth and international fisheries across the entire range of any given stock.
Commonwealth fisheries are managed by the Australian Fisheries Management Authority. State/territory fisheries are managed by the relevant state/territory jurisdiction. The impact of fisheries bycatch on matters of national environmental significance such as threatened and migratory marine turtles is considered in accordance with the EPBC Act and relevant state/territory legislation. While fishing impacts have been greatly reduced on turtles since the Recovery Plan for Marine Turtles in Australia – July 2003 was made, bycatch impacts are still being reported for all marine turtle species. Improving access and reporting of the most current bycatch information will enhance the assessment of whether current fisheries interactions are of a sufficient scale to impact on stock recovery.

International fisheries bycatch
Some marine turtles foraging in Australian waters migrate into international waters to breed. Similarly, turtles from Australian stocks may forage outside Australia's jurisdiction. These turtles are at risk from fisheries interactions on the high seas and in neighbouring countries.
Tag recoveries show that loggerhead, green, hawksbill and olive ridley turtles tagged in Australia have been taken by fisheries operating outside Australia's jurisdiction[136]. Genetic evidence indicates that juvenile loggerhead turtles that hatched in southeast Queensland have been captured as bycatch in Peruvian longline fisheries[21].
In 2000, pelagic longline fleets from 40 nations were estimated to set 1.4 billion hooks, resulting in the bycatch of approximately 200,000 loggerhead turtles and approximately 60,000 leatherback turtles globally[132].
Australia engages in international fora to promote and encourage best practice fisheries management. As such, Australia is an active member of three Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMO) that manage impact on marine turtles: the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission; Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission; and the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna. Measures adopted in RFMOs also acknowledge and draw upon the Food and Agriculture Organization-endorsed Guidelines to Reduce Sea Turtle Mortality in Fishing Operations. Australia has been encouraging Western and Central Pacific Fishing Commission fleets to adopt electronic monitoring for their longline fisheries. Australia also works through fora such as the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) to address threats throughout the species' range. The CMS Single Species Action Plan for the Loggerhead