Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2022L00775:reg:18:p46
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2022L00775
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 18 (pt 46/152)
Character Range: 167374–170438

greater than elsewhere in the colony, and an estimated 125 birds were killed on roads during the 2008/2009 breeding season (Reid 2010, Reid et al. 2013b). These rates are sufficient to drive a slow population decrease (Reid et al. 2013b).

Areas of Flesh-footed Shearwater habitat have been cleared for residential developments up to the recent past. As a result, the extent of suitable habitat on Lord Howe Island was reduced (down 35 per cent from 37.8 ha in 1978 to 24.3 ha in 2002, Priddel et al. 2006), but recent restrictions have halted further conversion, despite an apparent continued decrease in burrow density (Reid et al. 2013a).

76 Wildlife Conservation Plan for Seabirds

Species profiles

Recommended Management Actions
        Maintain bycatch mitigation strategies in the ETBF

      Assess the impact of bycatch from gill-nets, purse-seines, longlines and inshore trawl across the range (Japan, Australia, Russia and New Zealand)
      Investigate potential impacts of the WA fisheries and apply appropriate mitigation techniques if required

        Regularly monitor breeding populations at index locations

        Determine non-breeding areas, migration routes and at sea distribution

        Measure contaminant levels in all relevant life stages

        Work with range states to control, or eradicate invasive species on breeding islands
      Implement best practice quarantine measures at breeding colonies to reduce the risk of any invasive species (re)establishing on islands

        Develop mitigation measure to reduce roadkill on Lord Howe Island

Wildlife Conservation Plan for Seabirds 77
Species profiles

Sooty Shearwater (Ardenna grisea)

  Life History and Distribution
  The Sooty Shearwater (Ardenna grisea) is a large solid-bodied shearwater,
  closely resembling the slightly smaller Short-tailed Shearwater (A. tenuirostris). Sooty Shearwaters are entirely dark brown-grey with a broad pale streak down the centre of the underwing. The species is abundant in the Southern Ocean during summer months, particularly around New Zealand. The species nests on islands and headlands in large colonies on islands off New Zealand, Australia and Chile, and the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas). In Australia, there are colonies on 17 islands, all of which contain fewer than 1,000 pairs. Burrows are dug under tussock grass, low scrub and on the Snares Islands under Olearia forest. Birds typically do not return to their natal colonies until the age of four years. They feed on fish, crustacea and cephalopods, which are caught while diving. Short (1-3 days) and long (5-15 days) provisioning trips are made by parents; longer trips allow foraging along the Antarctic Polar Front, reducing competition close to breeding grounds and allowing vast colonies to persist (Weimerskirch
  1998). The species migrates to the Northern Hemisphere during the Austral winter (Shaffer et al. 2006, Hedd et al. 2012), and in the California Current, Sooty Shearwater numbers have decreased