fishers on the identification of threatened sawfish and river sharks. Objective 2: Reduce and, where possible, eliminate adverse impacts of recreational fishing on sawfish and river shark species Action Priority Performance Criteria Responsible agencies and potential partners Indicative costing Only Priority 1 actions are costed 2a Enhance the capabilities of enforcement and compliance agencies for sawfish and river shark species. 1 Compliance agencies aware of and using techniques (morphological and genetic) to identify sawfish and river shark species from part or whole specimens. Enforcement and compliance agencies are aware of current measures to manage sawfish and river shark species in Australian waters. Australian Government State and territory governments Relevant organisations (NGOs) A minimum of $25 000 across 2a, 2b, and 2c 2b Encourage and educate recreational fishers to identify sawfish and river shark species to species level and report any interactions, thus enabling an estimation of the level of interaction with, and mortality of, these species in recreational fisheries. 1 Practical identification materials provided to recreational fishers in hard copy form and via the web. Information provided to recreational fishers on protected species reporting requirements. Accidental recreational catch of sawfish and river shark species is monitored and reported annually. Australian Government and territory governments Recreational fishing groups Researchers Relevant organisations (NGOs) A minimum of $25 000 across 2a, 2b, and 2c 2c Promote cooperation and understanding between government agencies and recreational fishers to improve recovery efforts for sawfish and river sharks through, for example, strategic education processes and facilitation of collaborative research. 2 Educational materials up to date and provided to recreational fishers to improve understanding of the sawfish and river sharks recovery plan actions and objectives (related to Objective 10). Recreational fishers aware of and, where appropriate, involved in recovery plan actions (i.e. assisting scientific research projects). Australian Government State and territory governments Recreational fishing groups Researchers Relevant organisations (NGOs) A minimum of $25 000 across 2a, 2b, and 2c Objective 3: Reduce and, where possible, eliminate adverse impacts of Indigenous fishing on sawfish and river shark species Action Priority Performance Criteria Responsible agencies and potential partners Indicative costing Only Priority 1 actions are costed 3a In collaboration with Indigenous communities, develop and implement a community level program to promote sawfish and river shark conservation and 1 Program developed and implemented with Indigenous communities to promote sawfish and river shark conservation. Program should include: Advocacy of protection. Australian Government and territory governments Indigenous communities and Indigenous land and A minimum of $100,000 for program development and implementation
enhance cooperation and understanding between government agencies and Indigenous communities. A way to quantify the historical changes in abundance of the species using local knowledge. A way to quantify the current take of species at a community An exploration of the possibility of setting limits on take and gear. Consideration of how to develop links with research programs and communities. Best practice handling techniques for release of animals unharmed. sea management organisations Relevant organisations (NGOs) Objective 4: Reduce and, possible, eliminate the impact of illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing (IUU) on sawfish and river shark species Action Priority Performance Criteria Responsible agencies and potential partners Indicative costing Only Priority 1 actions are costed 4a Investigate and quantify the impact of illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing on sawfish and river shark species. 1 Desktop analysis undertaken to determine the extent of information available on the illegal, unregulated and unreported take of sawfish and river shark species in Australian waters. Experts consulted to estimate the extent and potential impacts of IUU interactions with sawfish and shark species. Report made available. Australian Government State and territory governments Indigenous communities and Indigenous land and sea management organisations Core government business 4b Enhance the capabilities of enforcement and compliance agencies for sawfish and river shark species. 1 Compliance agencies aware of and using techniques (morphological and genetic) to identify sawfish and river shark species from parts or whole specimens. Enforcement and compliance agencies aware of current measures to manage sawfish and river shark species in Australian waters. Australian Government and territory governments Relevant organisations (NGOs) Core government business 4c Refine and implement techniques (including genetic and morphological) to identify sawfish and river shark species’ products. 3 Genetic and morphological techniques to assist in the identification of sawfish and river shark species from both whole animals and from animal parts (e.g., fins) are refined and used by enforcement authorities. Researchers Australian Government State and territory governments 4d Investigate and quantify the extent of trade, both domestic and international, in product from protected sawfish and river shark species. 3 Desktop analysis undertaken to determine the extent of in product from protected sawfish and river shark species, utilising information available through agencies such as CITES, Customs and DoA. Report made available. Australian Government State and territory governments Relevant nongovernment organisations (NGOs)
7c Facilitate research into long-term captive breeding opportunities by encouraging the development of stud book processes. 3 Stud book processes have been initiated. Public aquaria Association of Zoos and Aquariums 7d Develop and contribute to a education program in those public aquaria with captive sawfish and river sharks. 3 Conservation oriented education program developed and in place in aquaria that have sawfish and river shark species (related to Objective 10). Public aquaria Australian Government Objective 8: Improve the information base to the development of a quantitative framework to assess the recovery of, and inform management options for, sawfish and river shark species. (Research and data collection actions under other objectives of this Plan will contribute to this objective). Action Priority Performance Criteria Responsible agencies and potential partners Indicative costing Only Priority 1 actions are costed 8a Design and implement a cost-effective monitoring program for sawfish and river shark species that takes account of their biology and population structure. 1 A monitoring program aimed at establishing medium to long-term population trends is designed and implemented. Monitoring program also considers the fundamental research needs, as set out in Objective 9. Australian Government State and territory governments Indigenous communities and Indigenous land and sea management organisations Researchers A minimum of $200,000 per annum (for all species) 8b Develop a portal for the synthesis of information on sawfish and river shark species to ensure that decision-makers and resource managers have the best and most up-to-date information available. 1 Sawfish and River Shark Recovery Plan Portal is used as a key communication tool. The Department of the Environment sawfish and river sharks website is regularly updated with the latest research developments, including any reports of entanglement with marine debris. Australian Government and territory governments Researchers Relevant organisations (NGOs) Indigenous communities and Indigenous land and sea management organisations Core government business 8c Update and refine information on existing biologically important areas (BIAs) identified as part of DoE’s marine bioregional plans, and seek to identify new BIAs as information from research and other 2 Scientific information on sawfish and river sharks behaviour and distribution is improved to allow new biologically important areas to be defined, particularly habitat critical to the survival of sawfish and river sharks. Currency of BIA maps in the Conservation Atlas is maintained. Australian Government Core government business
9c Investigate the effects of capture and release on the health and survival of sawfish and river shark species. 1 Improved understanding of the effects of capture and release on sawfish and shark species. Information on effects of capture and release used when considering management Australian Government State and territory governments Researchers Commercial, recreational and Indigenous fishers Indigenous communities and Indigenous land and sea management organisations A minimum of $80,000 9d Determine how sawfish and sharks respond to environmental conditions in habitats in which they occur and develop tools to predict the species’ response to changes in environmental conditions. 1 Research undertaken into effects of habitat disturbance. developed to predict responses to changes in environmental conditions. Australian Government State and territory governments Researchers A minimum of $50,000 9e Regularly review research needs to achieve desired conservation outcomes for sawfish and river shark species and develop and distribute a list of research priorities to research providers and research funders. 1 Sawfish and Shark Recovery Team review, through workshops or teleconferences held on at least an annual basis, the research needed to achieve desired conservation outcomes. Identified conservation priorities and research needs communicated to research providers and funders. Australian Government State and territory governments Researchers Relevant nongovernment organisations (NGOs) Core government business 9f Disseminate outcomes of research projects on sawfish and shark species (refer to 8b). 2 Outcomes of research projects quickly and effectively disseminated through such sources as the recovery team, the internet and scientific journals and conferences. Australian Government State and territory governments Researchers Relevant non-government organisations (NGOs) Indigenous communities 9g Facilitate coordination of research and collaborative research on sawfish and river shark species, including the storage and sharing of genetic and life history samples, data and research outputs. 2 Sawfish and Shark Recovery Team manage and coordinate research and collaboration, meeting on an annual basis. Protocols developed for the storage and sharing of genetic material. Australian Government State and territory governments Researchers Commercial, recreational and Indigenous fishers Indigenous communities and Indigenous land and sea management organisations Objective 10: Improve community understanding and awareness in relation to sawfish and river shark conservation and management* Action Priority Performance Criteria Responsible agencies and potential partners Indicative costing Only Priority 1 actions are costed