Key Threatening Process Nomination Form

Provide a summary of ecological communities listed as threatened under the EPBC Act that are considered to be adversely affected by the threatening process. For each ecological community please provide:

a. the complete title (exactly as listed) and category of listing under the EPBC Act; and

b. justification for each ecological community that is claimed to be affected adversely by the threatening process. The nominator it not aware of any ecological communities listed under the EPBC Act that are adversely impacted upon by the nominated key threatening process. However, 'Posidonia australis complex seagrass meadows' is an ecological community currently under assessment that is utilised for foraging by several of the species detailed in this nomination, such as dugongs and green turtles.

Give an overview of how threats posed by this process are being abated by current (or proposed) activities. Identify who is undertaking these activities and how successful the activities have been to date.

Thiele (2010) lists conservation strategies required to protect Australian snubfin dolphins throughout their distribution across northern tropical Australia including: rapid population assessment and spatial habitat modelling as recommended by the Conservation on Migratory Species (CMS) to identify all critical habitat areas; protection of the areas identified through the appropriate designation of sanctuaries, Indigenous Protected Areas or other management frameworks; simple behavioural changes such as reduced boat speeds and minimising sudden changes of direction in critical areas; and uplisting current conservation status of the species to Threatened under the EPBC Act.

The Recovery Plan for the conservation of the Dugong (D. dugon) in Queensland 1999-2004 proposes three main management approaches. These include prohibiting high speed boat races in areas which coincide with dugong habitat; restricting vessel operation in particular regions such as Moreton Bay Marine Park; and monitoring boat traffic in areas such as these and restricting vessel speed limits where necessary in conjunction with the Department of Transport. The plan also identifies boat strike as a significant threat to the species, particularly in shallow waters and where fast boats are used (Queensland EPA, 1999).

Actions to mitigate incidental mortality and monitor the boat strike of marine turtles recommended in the Federal Recovery Plan for Marine Turtles in Australia (Marine Species Section, 2003) can be found in Figure 2. Hazel et al. (2007) state that “Management authorities have sought to mitigate vessel-related injuries to wildlife by identifying locations of particular importance for vulnerable species. Vessel operators are urged to increase vigilance within these areas, where recommended or obligatory routes and speed restrictions may apply. Other protective measures such as acoustic warning devices have been proposed (e.g. Gerstein, 2002) but their utility in the wild remains uncertain.”

Would the development of a threat abatement plan be a feasible, effective and efficient way to abate the process? What other measures could be undertaken?

Yes, lower boat speeds and avoidance of known ‘hot-spots’ of impacted species, see section 18 for more details.
However, with regard to green turtles, Hazel et al. (2007) identified the trade-off between minimising potential inconvenience to vessel operators and optimal protection for marine wildlife as a management challenge, reinforced by results which indicated a very slow speed (around 4km/h) is necessary to assure ‘turtle-safe’ transit across shallow foraging sites.

14. ELEMENTS TO BE INCLUDED IN A THREAT ABATEMENT PLAN

If the threatening process is recommended for listing under the EPBC Act, what elements could a threat abatement plan include?

A Threat Abatement Plan (TAP) is an essential and effective means by which to administer a dedicated response to the threat of boat strikes on marine species. The ultimate goal of the TAP should be to minimise boat strike to marine animals along the eastern coast of Australia, by public awareness, legislation and a comprehensive system of enforceable speed limits along the coast.
Alternatives to speed reduction such as propeller guards are likely to be ineffective without speed limits, serving to limit damage to the boat but not reducing the sheer force of impact on the hit animal. Whether by a turning propeller or a stationary propeller guard, the issue causing injury is simply the speed of the vessel. Designating ‘go-slow’ zones has limited effect, as shown by the continued high levels of turtle boat strike in Moreton Bay.
This also illustrates that effective enforcement of speed restrictions is necessary. A TAP is needed to assess speed limits, formulating a system on water such as exists effectively and safely on our roads – with areas of high, moderate and slow speeds depending on the extent of marine life in danger of boat strike and general disturbance in the area. It has

^{proven politically difficult to impose speed limits on water, despite wildlife experts and authorities calling for them.}

Listing boat strike as a KTP will help to strengthen arguments by state wildlife authorities that such limits are necessary, and a TAP would help to introduce them. With modern technology it will also be possible to enforce these limits as it has not been in the past – there are speed guns which work on water, GPS tracking systems and most boats have speedometers on them.

Is there other information that relates to threat abatement that you would like to provide?

Volunteer organisation Dolphin Watch/River Guardians publish photo identikit manuals for Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins in the Swan Canning Riverpark. Dolphins are identified by a combination of dorsal fin profile and visible scars/injuries. Despite a lack of data it is thought that dolphins which interact with humans for food suffer more boat strikes and entanglements than other dolphins (Coastal and Estuarine Dolphin Project, Murdoch University). There are similar concerns about the whale watching Industry.

Reviewers and Further Information
16. REVIEWER(S)

Has this nomination been reviewed? Have relevant experts been consulted on this nomination? If so, please include their names and current professional positions.

This nomination has been prepared and reviewed by Humane Society International staff, with research support voluntarily provided by Virginia Rimes.

17. MAJOR STUDIES

Identify major studies that might assist in the assessment of the nominated threatening process.

Groom, R.A. (2003) The efficacy of the voluntary vessel transit lanes in Missionary Bay, Hinchinbrook Island for dugong conservation management. Honours thesis, School of Tropical Environment Studies and Geography. James Cook University, Townsville.
Hazel, J., Lawler, I.R., Marsh, H. & Robson, S. (2007) Vessel speed increases collision risk for the green turtle Chelonia mydas. Endangered Species Research 3: 105-113.
Hodgson, A.J. (2004) Dugong behaviour and responses to human influences. PhD thesis, School of Tropical Environment Studies and

Geography. James Cook University, Townsville.

Australia. MSc Thesis, Murdoch University, 115 pp.

Identify relevant studies or management documentation that might relate to the species (e.g. research projects, national park management plans, recovery plans, conservation plans, threat abatement plans, etc.).

Federal recovery plans developed by the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and

Communities are available for the humpback whale, whale shark, and all marine turtle species.

Please list key references/documentation you have referred to in your nomination.

Baker, C.S., Florez-Gonzalez, L., Abernethy, B., Rosenbaum, H.C., Slade, R.W., Capella, J. & Bannister, J.L. (1998) Mitochondrial DNA

variation and maternal gene flow among humpback whales of the Southern Hemisphere. Marine Mammal Science 14 : 721-737

Greenland, J.A., Limpus, C.J., Currie, K.J. & Brieze, I. (2005) Marine Wildlife Stranding and Mortality Database Annual Report 2003, II. Cetacian and Pinniped. Queensland Environment Protection Agency.

Research Centre Technical Report No 46. Cooperative Research Centre Reef, Townsville.

Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 371 (2009) 84-92.

Geography. James Cook University, Townsville.

144:65.
Jensen, A.S. & Silber, G.K. (2003) Large Whale Ship Strike Database. U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA Technical Memorandum. NMFS-OPR-, 37 pp.

Pinniped. Queensland Environment Protection Agency.

Marine Species Section. (2003) Recovery Plan for Marine Turtles in Australia. Approvals and Wildlife Division, Environment Australia. Marsh H., Heinshon, G.E. & Marsh L.M. (1984) Breeding cycle, life history and population dynamics of the Dugong, Dugong dugon

(Sirenia: Dugongidae). Australian Journal of Zoology 32: 767-88.
Marsh, H., Penrose, H., Eros, C. & Hugues, J. (2002) Dugong Status Report and Action Plans for Countries and Territories. United

Nations Environment Programme, Nairobi.

Environment and Conservation. 2^nd International Wildlife Tourism Conference, Freemantle, Western Australia.

MSIAR - Marine Safety Incident Annual Report. (2003) Published for Maritime Safety Queensland. NSW Scientific Committee. (2001) Loggerhead turtle – endangered species listing final determination.

http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/determinations/LoggerheadTurtleEndSpListing.htm
Norman, B. M. (1999) Aspects of the biology and ecotourism industry of the whale shark (Rhincodon typus) in north-western

Australia. MSc Thesis, Murdoch University, 115 pp.

Australian waters. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 10: 141-154.

25.
Science Daily. (2004) Pacific Leatherback Turtle could go extinct tin 10 years.

4-9.
Thiele, D. (2010) Collision course: Snubfin dolhpin injuries in Roebuck Bay. World Wildlife Fund Australia. Tubb, J.A. (1948) Whale sharks and Devil rays in North Borneo. Copeia 3, 222.

Work, P. A., Sapp, A.L., Scott, D.W. & Dodd, M.G. “Influence of small vessel operation and propulsion system on loggerhead sea turtle injuries.” Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 393 (2010) 168-175.
20. APPENDIX

Please place here any figures, tables or maps that you have referred to within your nomination. Alternatively, you can provide them as an attachment.

1996-2010 (Biddle et al., 2011)

2003).

Green turtle (http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicspecies.pl?taxon_id=1765)

Loggerhead turtle (http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicspecies.pl?taxon_id=1763)

Leatherback turtle (http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicspecies.pl?taxon_id=1768)

Humpback whale (http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicspecies.pl?taxon_id=38)

Whale shark (http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicspecies.pl?taxon_id=66680)