Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2022L00677:reg:12:p13
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2022L00677
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 12 (pt 13/33)
Character Range: 38935–41959

species. In Western Australia for example, this occurred on a reclaimed seabed area of the Fremantle Harbour, leading to the creation of the Rous Head Fairy Tern Sanctuary by Fremantle Ports and this is now one of the most successful breeding locations for the species. Some sites, which are well above the coastal strand, may become vegetated with native dune vegetation or covered by introduced weeds, making them unusable.

             Intervention may be necessary to increase the probability that one or more secure sites will be used, or alternatively, to prevent breeding Australian Fairy Terns being attracted to inappropriate locations (Dunlop 2018). Potential breeding sites that result from development footprints or coastal engineering may put nesting terns at risk of breeding failure and increased adult mortality (Dunlop 2018).

             In the absence of sufficient protected breeding sites in the local coastal system, steps may have to be taken to enhance the attractiveness of either naturally developing or artificial habitats (Dunlop 2018). This could involve reducing the vegetation cover, contouring the surface to produce low berms or adding shell or limestone pebble material to otherwise visually uniform substrates (Dunlop 2018). Local shell material to enhance preferred nesting sites has been sourced from Pacific Gull feeding stations, and in one case, from the coarse screenings from a marine lime-sand operation. In the absence of cover for the chicks at the margins of a planned nesting area, simple shading 'chick-shelters' can be placed to increase fledging success (Dunlop 2018). These can often be constructed from local rocks or driftwood or purpose built.

             In coastal systems where human use pressures now prevent Australian Fairy Terns from breeding successfully, there is growing interest in establishing secure artificial sites (Dunlop 2018). These may be dredge-spoil islands in strategic locations or even floating islands and nesting platforms landscaped to provide breeding habitat. In the absence of legal protections however, even these sites may not be secure from human disturbance.

         2.2.2     Disturbance
   The presence of people, and/or their dogs, within 80–100 metres of an Australian Fairy Tern breeding colony will elicit an anti-predator response (BirdLife Australia 2018).
   The nest-tending adults will take to the air to avoid disclosing the location of their eggs and/or young, and will then engage in noisy corporate dives on intruders. Direct physical contact is avoided but the terns will accurately defecate on interlopers or foreign objects within the nesting area.

   Ongoing disturbance events during the colony establishment or early-laying period will often lead to the abandonment of the site (a predator avoidance response).
   Although, relaying a clutch of eggs may occur elsewhere in the coastal system if eggs are lost early in the season, protracted disturbance later in the nesting cycle may cause unattended eggs