Response

Response: international and national strategies

Marine turtles are considered to be threatened species. Internationally, all of the turtle species found in the Great Barrier Reef are protected under Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Within Australia, all marine turtles are listed in the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act 1999). Within Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, marine turtles are listed as protected species under the Queensland Nature Conservation Act 1992, and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act (1975) which prohibits interference with these animals without a specific permit or an agreement for traditional use.

Collectively, these arrangements are aimed at reducing the pressure on turtles from harvest and trade, but also include provisions to reduce pressure on these species from a wide variety of human impacts such as bycatch in fisheries. Under CITES, international trade in turtle products (such as shells or items made from turtle shell) is heavily regulated and illegal without special permits. Commercial trade in turtle products within Australia also is prohibited under the EPBC Act 1999 and the Nature Conservation Act 1992. Under the EPBC Act 1999, the management of fishing activities such as trawling are being assessed for environmental sustainability including effects on bycatch species such as marine turtles.

In Australia, a national Marine Turtle Recovery Team has been formed with representatives from federal and state nature conservation and fisheries agencies, and other stakeholders. The Team recently finalised a Recovery Plan for Marine Turtles in Australia that identifies the objectives, criteria and actions to promote the recovery of these turtle species. In particular, the Plan identifies the loggerhead turtle as a species of particular concern and urges lead management and fisheries agencies to reduce loggerhead mortality to almost zero.

Because of long migrations between feeding and breeding grounds, some turtles swim through the waters of more than one country during their lives. Consequently, conservation efforts for turtles must be coordinated at an international level if they are to be successful. Australia is a signatory to the Convention on Migratory Species and the Convention on Conservation of Nature in the South Pacific, regional agreements that relate to turtle conservation in the South Pacific and Indian Ocean/South East Asian regions.

Response: boat strike

Fast moving boats may collide with turtles and cause serious injury. The GBRMPA is educating boaters about the threats boats pose to turtles and encouraging them to “go slow”.

The GBRMPA is working with other agencies to collect information about the risks and incidence of boat strikes on marine turtles. A tri-agency (Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, GBRMPA) program facilitates public reporting of marine wildlife strandings, recording of data and detailed examinations of turtle carcasses to identify causes of mortality. Data from the program are released in annual reports. The GBRMPA website enables the general public to subscribe to an E-mail Listserver that posts notices about each stranding soon after it is investigated.

The GBRMPA has also implemented an education program to educate Reef users about the risks boat traffic poses to marine turtles, particularly in inshore areas. This community education program includes television community service announcements, publications, stickers and signage at boat ramps to encourage boaters to ‘Go Slow’ in shallow waters and to follow Best Environmental Practices. Voluntary speed restrictions and vessel transit lanes are also being used in areas such as Missionary Bay off Hinchinbrook Island to reduce the incidence of boat strike in this area. Additionally, access to the waters surrounding critical nesting sites may be restricted under Great Barrier Reef Marine Park zoning plans (see Response: habitat degradation and disturbance).

Response: marine debris

One of the most common ways for litter to enter the Great Barrier Reef is from commercial ships and recreational vessels. Litter can accidentally fall, blow or wash off boats, or in some cases be dumped overboard on purpose. It is illegal to dump litter into the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and the disposal of plastics into the sea is prohibited anywhere in the world under the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships. This prohibits the dumping of garbage within 12 nautical miles from the nearest land. Offenders may be fined up to $1.3 million for companies and up to $260,000 for individuals. For more information about shipping and marine debris in the Great Barrier Reef, see Management status – shipping.

The dumping of litter in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is prohibited and in recent years some local councils have taken steps to reduce the amount of litter washing into the Great Barrier Reef from local waterways and storm water drains. The runoff of litter into the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park from the land is regulated by State and local government and is outside the jurisdiction of the GBRMPA. Nevertheless, the GBRMPA is working with State and local governments on a wide range of water quality issues specifically designed to minimise the impacts of pollution and runoff from the land on the marine environment (see Environmental status – water quality). The GBRMPA has also produced Best Environmental Practices to educate reef users about the correct disposal of waste, and has implemented education programs such as the Reef Guardians Program. These programs encourage students and communities to reduce the amount of litter and pollution entering the Great Barrier Reef from their local areas.

Response: reducing incidental catch

With the commencement of the East Coast Trawl Fishery management Plan in 2000, it became mandatory to use Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) and Bycatch Reduction Devices (BRDs) throughout the east coast trawl fishery. This measure was introduced to reduce the incidence of turtle mortality through drowning in trawl nets. Initially there was some concern regarding the uptake and use of TEDs by the industry and concerns regarding compliance with TED and BRD requirements (For more information, see the Audit of the management of the Queensland East Coast Trawl Fishery in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park). However, in 2003 the Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (QDPI&F) amended the Trawl Plan to clarify the requirements relating to the use of TEDs and BRDs, and implemented tighter provisions on their use. No information is available yet on how well these new provisions have been adopted by the industry. Research suggests that TEDs are very effective in allowing turtles and other large marine fauna to escape trawl nets given that certain design standards are met. There are numerous TED designs, each with specific performance characteristics. Research into the effectiveness of TEDs and BRDs in reducing bycatch levels is currently underway (see Further Reading). More information on the Great Barrier Reef trawl fishery and its management can be found in Management Status - Fisheries and Environmental status – Inter-reefal and Lagoonal benthos.  

The trawl fishery has also been assessed under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and the Commonwealth Government’s Guidelines for the Ecologically Sustainable Management of Fisheries. This assessment considers the overall impacts of the fishery including impacts on bycatch species such as turtles. In December 2004, the fishery was declared as an approved Wildlife Trade Operation (WTO) until December 2007. This means that the fishery is currently considered to be consistent with the EPBC Act and is unlikely to have an unacceptable impact in the short term. Nevertheless, listing as a WTO signifies that uncertainties remain, and the Commonwealth assessment report contains a series of recommendations for the fishery. Further information about the management of trawling in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park can be found in Environmental status – inter-reefal and lagoonal benthos and Management status – fisheries.
 

How TEDs and BRDs work In the top diagram the trawl net has no BRD fitted. All animals that enter the net are caught in the cod end, including prawns, turtles and unwanted fish species. In the bottom diagram, the trawl net has two types of BRD fitted. The turtle excluder device stops turtles from entering the cod end and forces them out through a flap on the trawl net. Because fish have a tendency to swim against a current, the fish eye allows them to swim out through the top of the net and avoid capture in the cod end. Even with BRDs fitted, prawns are still caught in the cod end.

Since 1993, catches of marine turtles in Queensland Shark Control Program gear have been significantly reduced because of changes to the program, including the replacement of some nets with baited hooks (known as ‘drum lines’). Shark nets are now only deployed at six locations within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park near Cairns and Mackay. QDPI&F shark control contractors are provided with training to release live animals such as turtles taken by QSCP gear. However, there is little information on the post-release survival rates of released turtles.

Response: traditional hunting

The GBRMPA works collaboratively with Traditional Owners and other agencies to manage the traditional use of marine resources. In July 2004, a new system for managing traditional use of marine resources in the GBRMP came into effect as part of the new zoning provisions for the GBRMP. Under the new management system, some traditional use of marine resources will continue to be ‘as of right’. Other traditional use of marine resources may be conducted in accordance with a Traditional Owner-developed and GBRMPA-accredited ‘Traditional Use of Marine Resources Agreement’ (TUMRAs), or with a permit. A population model has also been developed that will provide better information about human-related mortality impacts, such as traditional hunting, on the southern Great Barrier Reef green turtle stock.

The GBRMPA is currently working closely with Traditional Owner groups to assist the implementation of the TUMRAs. It is thought that cooperation among the 70 tribal groups should lead to the implementation of about 27 TUMRAs. Staff are also ensuring collaboration and coordination with relevant Queensland and Australian Government organisations and better informing local communities about the program. For more information on TUMRAs, see Management status – Indigenous connections with the Great Barrier Reef.

Response: habitat degradation and disturbance

Marine turtle habitats such as seagrass meadows, coral reefs and the waters around islands lie within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and are managed under the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act (1975) and zoning plans. However, marine turtles nest in areas of the beach well above the mean low water mark and therefore, most nesting sites come under the jurisdiction of the Queensland Government. Critical turtle nesting sites have been designated as National Parks through the Queensland Nature Conservation Act 1992, and are managed by the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS). National Parks restrict the access and use of these areas to protect their natural values, including their value as turtle nesting sites.

Within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, the importance of turtle habitats is reflected through zoning provisions established through the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act (1975). The zoning plans ensure protection of important turtle habitats by prohibiting activities that could degrade these habitats (see Environmental status –seagrasses, and Environmental status- corals). Additionally, many seagrass beds are also protected as Fish Habitat Areas under the Queensland Fisheries Act (1994). These areas allow for multiple use and entry but prohibit activities that may disturb or degrade the seagrass habitat. There are currently 68 Fish Habitat Areas in Queensland covering 7,210 km².

Critical turtle nesting sites are included in National Parks, and the waters surrounding these sites managed through the zoning provisions of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

In July 2004, the new Zoning Plan for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park came into effect to better protect the biodiversity and ecological functions of the Great Barrier Reef ecosystem. The Zoning Plan also provides protection for the waters around key turtle foraging and nesting sites, including restrictions on access to, and the types of activities that may occur in these areas. For example, the waters around critical nesting sites such as Wreck Island and Milman Island are designated as Preservation Zones, which generally prohibit all access. The reefs around Raine Island, Moulter Cay and MacLennan Cay are listed as Special Management Areas that also restrict access to these areas. Collectively, the new Zoning Plan includes some 2087 km²of identified nesting and mating habitat, and some 12,603 km² of identified turtle foraging habitat, as highly protected Marine National Park and Preservation Zones.

To address the issue of declining water quality in the Great Barrier Reef, the Commonwealth and Queensland Governments released the final Reef Water Quality Protection Plan in October 2003 with the aim to halt and reverse declining water quality within ten years. Regional Natural Resource Management Boards throughout Queensland will work to establish catchment specific water quality targets and address land use practices to reduce the runoff of sediments, nutrients and pesticides. Progress on the Plan’s implementation will be reported to the Prime Minister and Queensland Premier in 2005, with a follow up report in 2010. For more information about the Plan and the GBRMPA’s actions to address water quality issues, see Environmental Status - water quality.

Response: climate change

Climate change is a global issue that is beyond the scope of the GBRMPA to manage directly, nevertheless the GBRMPA is committed to addressing climate change issues as they relate to the Great Barrier Reef. The GBRMPA has developed a Climate Change Response Program to investigate the potential impacts of climate change on the animals, plants and habitats of the Great Barrier Reef, and to identify strategies to mitigate these impacts. Maintaining the Great Barrier Reef ecosystem’s resilience to climate change is the focal point of the GBRMPA’s response to climate change. Maintaining the resilience of key habitats will be vital to maintaining the capacity of the organisms such as marine turtles, to cope with pressure from climate change.

In July 2004 the GBRMPA rezoned the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park to ensure that there is adequate protection for the Great Barrier Reef ecosystem. The new zoning plan increased the area of ‘no-take’ zones from less that 5% to some 33% of the area of the Marine Park and in line with the best available scientific advice, has ensured that at least 20% of the area of every region of biodiversity (or bioregions) is zoned as a ‘no-take’ area. By preserving an adequate portion of the Great Barrier Reef ecosystem in a network of protected areas, the new zoning plan will help maintain the biodiversity, ecological functions and biological connections between habitats of the Great Barrier Reef. In doing so, the new zoning plan will help to maintain the resilience of the larger Great Barrier Reef ecosystem in coping with the pressure from climate change. The GBRMPA is also working to reduce pressure from declining water quality through the Reef Water Quality Protection Plan and to improve fisheries management. Efforts to reduce direct pressures on marine turtles by reducing bycatch in fisheries, boat strike and improving water quality will help to maintain the resilience of marine turtle populations to cope with the effects of climate change.

Response: research and monitoring

Monitoring the number of nesting turtles provides important information on the status of marine turtle populations.

The long-term monitoring of turtle populations is critical to providing scientific data that can be used to develop management strategies and inform management decisions. Annual monitoring of some green, loggerhead, flatback and hawksbill turtle nesting and/or foraging populations is carried out principally by the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, but with assistance from the GBRMPA and local community turtle conservation groups. The GBRMPA has developed a list of research priorities to identify management information needs, and a variety of marine turtle research programs are undertaken by the Cooperative Research Centre for Reef Research (CRC Reef).
 

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