Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2017L01040:body:0:p18
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2017L01040
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 51340–54419

was prohibited, through an amendment to the Inland Fisheries Act (1995), on 1 January 1998; however, the impacts of ongoing illegal fishing continue to threaten the species. The full implications of fishing on the population dynamics of the species are not well understood, although population surveys indicate that past fishing pressure has had a significant impact on crayfish populations (TSS 2006). Fishing pressure targets mainly adult and large sub-adult members of the population. Given the slow growth rate of the species, and the significant time lags in the reappearance of full sized adults following past recreational fishing pressure, illegal fishing has the potential to significantly threaten crayfish populations,
A degree of fishing activity is known to be continuing despite now being illegal. This is evidenced by prosecutions, the presence of bait lines and anecdotal reports. Annual reports from the Inland Fisheries Service (IFS) provide details on the compliance activities undertaken jointly by the IFS, Tasmanian Police and the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service in relation to illegal fishing activities (IFS 2016). Investigations and/or prosecutions relating to offences involving giant freshwater crayfish are occurring on a regular basis, with most convictions relating to the take of a protected fish or possession of the giant freshwater crayfish, and penalties generally involving the issuing of fines (IFS 2016). Reports indicate that compliance activities often occur in remote areas and many prosecutions are associated with joint charges being laid for offences involving firearms, ammunitions, drugs and drug-related materials (IFS 2016). The amount of illegal fishing that may be going undetected is currently unknown. However, anecdotal reports suggest that illegal fishing may be having a more significant impact than suggested by the number of prosecutions occurring, with one citizen report suggesting that an entire crayfish population may have been targeted by poachers in the Lower Beulah sub catchment and several reports of bait lines having been found abandoned in many catchments containing crayfish.

 4.2.4 Climate change
Climate change is a significant overarching threat that may result in altered stream flows, stream temperatures and changes to catchment vegetation (DoEE 2015). Extreme weather events which are predicted to increase with climate change may significantly impact a large proportion of the population within a catchment, or sub-catchment. Such habitat disturbance may have significant effects on entire local crayfish populations, not just large individuals (TSS 2006). For example, extensive flooding that occurred in north-west Tasmania in June 2016 resulted in more than 100 crayfish being found dead, washed up on a single property (Gibson 2016). Within Australia climate-mediated threats, including impacts on water temperature and availability, are putting the conservation status of two-thirds of all freshwater crayfish species at risk (Richman et al. 2015).

4.2.5 Management approaches to managing