Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2017L00641:body:0:p87
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2017L00641
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 583642–602979

but genetic affiliations are unknown. The Dampier Archipelago has the largest nesting aggregation recorded with approximately 1000 nesting females per year at Rosemary Island[136]. Surveys undertaken at Varanus and Rosemary Islands suggest that survivorship of nesting females has remained high (0.95) and constant over the past 20 years[189]. A major proportion of nesting for this stock is protected within the Dampier Archipelago, Thevenard and Barrow Island Nature Reserves, and the Montebello Conservation Area. However, Delambre Island (major nesting) is not protected. Historically, there was a large-scale commercial harvest and trade of hawksbill turtles for tortoiseshell in east and northern Australia. The commercial harvest was smaller in Western Australia than in the Northern Territory and Queensland, however this stock may have also been affected[134, 136]. Due to substantial harvest of hawksbill turtles for the tortoiseshell trade in other jurisdictions throughout its range, it is likely that the greatest threat to this stock is the take outside Australian waters[136, 171].
Important foraging habitat has not been documented for this stock, however reefs within the Ningaloo Marine Park, Rowley Shoals Marine Park and the Montebello/Barrow Islands Marine Park likely provide protection for hawksbill turtles. This stock also occurs within areas of high industrial development, which is likely to continue to increase into the future. Associated changes in light horizons affect nesting beach selection and hatchling dispersal[121]. Changes in ocean circulation, ocean acidification and increased coral bleaching will directly affect the availability of hawksbill turtle foraging habitat and food availability[83].
Priority actions specifically required to recover this stock                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Action Area
    * Maintain long-term monitoring programs at index beaches and establish monitoring at a key foraging area.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         A5
    * Work on a regional scale to understand market supply chains and to reduce unsustainable harvest and illegal and unregulated trade.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       A4
    * Manage artificial light from onshore and offshore sources to ensure biologically important behaviours of nesting adults and dispersing hatchlings can continue.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  A8
    * Quantify and model how changes in ambient temperatures (sand and water), sea level, frequency of extreme weather events, ocean circulation and acidification affect marine turtle nesting, sex ratios, hatching success, habitats, food availability and their ability adapt to these changes.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   A2

    * Understand foraging ground requirements and identify priority areas for protection.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              B3
    * Assess mixed stock genetics at foraging grounds.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 B3
Measure of success
Trends in nesting turtle abundance are stable or increasing                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            B1

Olive Ridley – north-western Cape York (O-nwCY)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Likely to be in decline[147]
Threats                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             A. Climate change and variability   Very high
B. Marine debris – entanglement                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Very high
D. Terrestrial predation                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Very high
F. Fisheries bycatch – domestic                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     High
Important nesting areas                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Internesting Buffer: 20 km
Major: None.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Mating: Feb–Sep
Minor: Low density nesting occurs on western