Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2017L00641:body:0:p53
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2017L00641
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 178528–185536

partnerships with its regional partners to manage marine turtle nesting beaches.
Risks: The remote regions where predators are often a problem presents difficulty with maintaining access and support to predator control programs. Eradication programs are generally not possible due to the geographic extent that many exotic species occupy.
Likelihood of success: Moderate

Action Area A7                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Number of stocks with threat rated as 'very high' or 'high'
Reduce international and domestic fisheries bycatch                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             1
4
Action
    * Engage in, and implement, bi- and multi- lateral agreements to improve the protection of Australia's marine turtles through best practice fisheries management throughout their range.
    * Promote and implement best practice and continued innovation of turtle bycatch mitigation in all Australian fisheries.
    * Quantify fishery interactions by species, and where necessary, improve reporting processes.
    * Design reporting frameworks to quantify the cumulative impacts of all fishing pressure on any given stock. Depending on range, this will require consideration of recreational, state/territory, Commonwealth and international fisheries.
    * Support and expand research collaborations with commercial fishers on improving management of bycatch.
    * Quantify post release mortality of live caught turtles, and where necessary, improve success rates.
Recovery targets addressed                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Threats to be mitigated
1.1, 1.2, 3.1, 3.2                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              F
Description
Australia will continue to promote and encourage best practice fisheries management through relevant international fora and agreements throughout the species' range, such as the CMS Single Species Action Plan for the Loggerhead Turtle (Caretta caretta) in the Southern Pacific Ocean. Domestic Australian fisheries should continue to implement best practice management including compliance with fisheries legislation in regard to turtle excluder and bycatch reduction devices. Fisheries management should be undertaken in accordance with the FAO Guidelines to Reduce Sea Turtle Mortality in Fishing Operations[59]. Improved bycatch reporting, particularly marine turtle species identification, will assist in understanding the impact of fisheries on marine turtle stocks. Priority fisheries research includes novel approaches to bycatch mitigation, which may include gear modifications, spatial and temporal closures and assessment of post release viability.
Responsible agencies and potential partners: Australian Government, state and territory governments, fisheries management agencies, relevant non-government organisations, and industry groups.
Within the life of this plan
Measure of success: The Australian Government is engaging in regional fora and meeting international obligations to reduce threats from bycatch across the entire stock range. Domestic fisheries are compliant with fisheries legislation pertaining to bycatch. Marine turtle species are accurately recorded in 90 per cent of reported fishery interactions within Australia's jurisdiction. Marine turtle bycatch is reduced such that it does not impact stock recovery.
Risks: May not be possible to reach agreement on closure areas or achieve a change in management or improvement in the reduction of bycatch in fisheries.
Likelihood of success: