Management Concern: High    

Adequacy of Information: Good

Summary extracts from Outlook Report 2009

• Five of the six species of marine turtle on the Great Barrier Reef have declined; the loggerhead, flatback and green turtle nesting populations appear to have stabilised or are now increasing.
• Current cumulative pressures on marine turtles in the Great Barrier Reef include incidental capture in some fishing gear, boat strike, ingestion and entanglement in marine debris, illegal hunting, unsustainable traditional hunting, coastal development impacting nesting beaches and hatching success, and disease. Future loss of habitat for nesting sites from predicted sea level rise poses an extreme risk to nesting species.
• Non-targeted catch (bycatch) in the commercial inshore net fishery includes a number of species of conservation concern that may be injured or killed in the nets, including marine turtles. Small marine turtles can drown in crab pots or may become entangled in pot float lines.
• Traditional use, mainly hunting, fishing and collecting, involves a range of marine species (some of conservation concern), but levels of take are unknown.  Poaching by non-Traditional Owners is a concern for Traditional Owners and management agencies.
• Most of the routine defence training activities carried out in the Great Barrier Reef have negligible impacts. Individual high impact activities are carefully managed and confined to specific localised areas, and limited to a few weeks per year.
• Most routine shipping activities have negligible consequences. Dredging and construction of port facilities can have significant but localised impacts.
• The impacts of recreation (not including fishing) are mainly localised in inshore areas. The projected increase in recreational use as a result of population growth is likely to result in greater localised effects on the ecosystem.
  
• Much of the research activity on the Great Barrier Reef is confined to areas surrounding the six island research stations. With ongoing management, any impacts of research are likely to be small and localised in the immediate area of study.
• Increasing coastal development is resulting in the loss of both coastal habitats that support the Great Barrier Reef and connectivity between habitats. Altered lighting along nesting beaches as a result of coastal development is also affecting hatchlings' ability to find the sea.
  
• The litter transported to the ocean by urban runoff may be ingested by wildlife such as marine turtles or cause entanglement. Debris on beaches can interfere with a marine turtle's ability to dig an egg chamber or may prevent hatchlings from reaching the sea.

What do we know?

Relevant pages from Outlook Online include:

• Vulnerability of marine reptiles in the Great Barrier Reef to climate change
  
• Sea level rise
  
• Marine wildlife and mortality stranding database annual report 2003: marine turtles (published in 2008)  [1.5 MB] 
  
• The southern oscillation regulates annual numbers of green turtles [235Kb]
  
• Population modelling of green turtle populations in the Great Barrier Reef region
  
• Population status of green turtles in the Northern Great Barrier Reef stock - Raine Island report 2003
  
• Population declines for green turtles nesting in the northern Great Barrier Reef
  
• Population of flatback turtles in the Great Barrier Reef
  
• Population decline of hawksbill turtles within the Great Barrier Reef
  
• Recovery of loggerhead turtles in Queensland
  
• Biological review of Australian marine turtle species. 1. Loggerhead turtle
  
• The use of internesting habitat off Mon Repos by Loggerhead turtles
  
• Leatherback turtle populations in the Great Barrier Reef region 
  
• Gazettal of Woongara Marine Park 1991
  
• Management arrangements for Raine Island restrict access to the island and surrounding waters
  
• Population status of Green turtles in the southern Great Barrier Reef stock
• Flatback turtles in the Great Barrier Reef
• Status of Hawksbill turtles in the Great Barrier Reef
• Population status of Loggerhead turtles in the Great Barrier Reef
• Recovery of Green turtles in the Great Barrier Reef region
• The national recreational and indigenous fishing survey
• 'Traditional use' utilises a range of marine resources
• Limited quantitative data for Indigenous harvest of marine species
• Perceived threat to the Reef from Indigenous use
• Indigenous cultural heritage in the Great Barrier Reef
  
• Population status of Green turtles in the southern Great Barrier Reef stock
• Incorporating turtle habitats into Marine Protected Area design for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park 
• Defence - Outlook Report 2009 supporting information
• Outlook Report 2009 Information Sheet - Defence [184KB]
• Impact of bycatch reduction devices in the Queensland trawl fishery
• Use of bycatch reduction devices (BRD's) 
• Impact of commercial net fisheries on dugong, dolphin and turtle populations
• Fisheries: gear type and impacts on habitats and protected species
• Impacts of marine debris, fishing lines and hooks on marine turtles
• Impact of entanglement in crab pots on marine turtles
• Impact of ghost nets derived from commercial fisheries
• Exploiting marine wildlife in Queensland: the commercial dugong and marine turtle fisheries 1847-1969 
• Green turtle population recovery post fishery in the Capricorn Bunkers
• Shipping voyages in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park 
• Gladstone Port 50 year strategic plan 
• Impact of dredging on marine turtles
• Impacts of boat strike on marine turtles
• Population and urban growth in the GBR catchment
• Population centres in Queensland and Great Barrier Reef catchment 
• Population projections 
  
• Effects of pollution on marine turtles: a Greenpeace ecotoxicology project
• Impact of beach lighting on flatback turtle nesting
• Impacts of artificial lighting on sea turtle survival
• Impact of development on nesting beaches at Mackay
• Scientific consensus statement on water quality in the Great Barrier Reef
  
• Synthesis of evidence to support the Scientific Consensus Statement on Water Quality in the Great Barrier Reef 
• Reef exposure to river contaminants ecosystem risk index 
• Catchment influence on the Great Barrier Reef 

Existing policies and management actions

• Site specific management - Raine Island, Moulter Cay and MacLennan Cay
• Conservation status of marine turtles in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area
• Code of Practice for the sustainable management of dugong and marine turtle tourism in Australia
• Marine turtles in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area
  
• Australian Government policy on climate change 
• Queensland Government climate change policies and strategies 
• Climate Change Action Plan 2007-2012
• Management of fox predation on turtle nests
  
• Traditional Use of Marine Resources Agreements
• Sustainable Traditional Use of marine resources
• 'Traditional use', management and contemporary relationships
  
• A Reef-wide framework for managing traditional use of marine resources in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park [368KB]
• Cape York rangers  
• Management of 'Traditional use'
• Management of 'Traditional use' 2
• Queensland Fisheries Strategy 2009-2014 
• Queensland Fisheries Policies and Legislation 
• Permit conditions for specific activities
  
• Fisheries: legislative management arrangements
  
• Queensland Fisheries monitoring
  
• Queensland Management of Commercial Fisheries
  
• Queensland Management of Recreational Fisheries
  
• Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Zoning Plan
• Memorandum of Understanding between GBRMPA and Queensland Ports [1.34MB]
  
• Cruise Shipping Policy for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park [113KB]
  
• Dredging and Spoil Disposal Policy [525KB]
  
• Environmental Impact Management Policy [900KB]
• Scientific Research Stations
• Major research and information programs
• Research permits
• State Coastal Management Plan 2002 
• GBRMPA involvement in coastal development planning and assessment
• Reef Guardian Councils
  
• Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
  
• State Development and Public Works Organisation Act 1971
  
• Department of Infrastructure and Planning
  
• Regional coastal management plans
• Improving water quality
• Coastal ecosystem protection
• Water Quality Guidelines for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
• Regional water quality improvement plans

Future management requirements

• Biodiversity strategy
• Draft Queensland Coastal Management Plan 
• Planned review of the Dredging and Spoil Disposal policy
• Great Barrier Reef Recreation Strategy

Defined research questions

• What impact is climate change having – and will have – on Great Barrier Reef reptiles, especially turtles, and to what extent can marine reptiles exhibit adaptive responses to climate change?
  
• What is the sensitivity of key habitats used by turtles and crocodiles to climate events, and which areas can be used as functional habitats under predicted climate change impacts?
  
• What is the adaptation potential of marine reptiles to the predicted impacts of climate change?

Related information

• Current Research and Monitoring