Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2022L01285:reg:13:p97
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2022L01285
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 13 (pt 97/98)
Character Range: 510144–513247

giant petrel populations were exploited for food throughout this period (Downes 2002). In 1947, jurisdiction over Heard Island and the McDonald Islands was transferred from the United Kingdom to Australia. Australia used Heard Island as a meteorological base until 1954. Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions occurred in the summers of 1985-1989, with an over-wintering expedition in 1992. Other visits to the island have been of a short duration, and include carefully administered tourism visits. All visits to Heard Island require prior permission from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (the administering authority), and visitors are not permitted to disturb seabirds or other animals. The McDonald Islands have been visited twice, in 1971 and 1980. Visits to McDonald Islands are now not permitted, as the location is subject to intermittent volcanic activity (Stephenson et al. 2005, Commonwealth of Australia 2014).

Global warming is having a dramatic impact on the island group including changes in weather patterns and glacial retreat, with vegetation and lagoons now existing where once there were sea-front, glacier snouts (Thost & Allison 2005, Thost & Truffer 2008).

Australian Antarctic Territory: Frazier Islands 66°13'S, 110°10'E; Giganteus Island 67°34'S, 62°29'E; Hawker Island 68°39'S, 77°51'E
Species
The following petrel species covered by this recovery plan breeds in the AAT:
    * Southern Giant Petrel.
Protection status
    * Antarctic Treaty done in 1961
    * Agreed Measures for the Conservation of Fauna and Flora done in 1964, no longer in effect
    * Antarctic Specially Protected Area No. 102, Rookery Islands, Home Bay, Mac.Robertson Land designated in 1966
    * Antarctic Marine Living Resources Conservation Act 1981
    * Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty done in 1991
    * Antarctic Specially Protected Area No 160, Frazier Islands, Windmill Islands, Wilkes Land,
    * East Antarctica designated in 2003
    * Antarctic Specially Protected Area No. 167, Hawker Island, Princess Elizabeth Land designated in 2006
Geography
The AAT covers about 5.9 million km2 (42% of Antarctica). Less than 0.2% of the continent is permanently ice-free. It is the driest, coldest and windiest continent on earth. It is also the highest continent on earth, with an average elevation of 2300 m.
Flora
Over 500 species of algae have been found in continental Antarctica, along with 125 lichen species and 30 mosses (Soper 2004).
Fauna
In the Antarctic region Crabeater Seal (Lobodon carcinophagus) and Southern Elephant Seal breed along the Antarctic coastline and on offshore islands. Antarctic Fur, Weddell (Leptonychotes wedellii), Ross (Ommatophoca rossii) and Leopard (Hydrurga leptonyx) seals also breed in the region. Ten seabird species breed within the Antarctic region: Southern Giant Petrel, Southern Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialoides), South Polar Skua (Catharacta maccormicki), Antarctic Prion (Pachyptila desolata), Adélie Penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae), Emperor Penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri),