12Wildlife Conservation Plan for Seabirds

12 Wildlife Conservation Plan for Seabirds

CCAMLR applies to all Antarctic populations of finfish, molluscs, crustacean and seabirds found south of the Antarctic Convergence, however, there are some species which do move beyond the Convergence to Australian waters which may rely on Antarctic resources, additionally there are some complementary CCAMLR measures around international actions to reduce the incidental mortality of seabirds arising from fishing. Further information on the Convention is available here: https://www.ccamlr.org/en.

Convention on Biological Diversity

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was inspired by the world community's growing commitment to sustainable development. It represents a step forward in the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic resources.

Australia is one of 196 Parties to CBD who are committed to implementing provisions of the Convention through National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAP). NBSAPs are the principal instruments for implementing the Convention at the national level (Article 6). The Convention requires countries to prepare a national biodiversity strategy (or equivalent instrument) and to ensure that this strategy is mainstreamed into the planning and activities of all those sectors whose activities can have an impact (positive and negative) on biodiversity. Further information on Australia’s biodiversity strategy is available here: http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/conservation/strategy.

Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

Australia is a signatory to the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (see www.ramsar.org). The Ramsar Convention, as it is commonly known, is an intergovernmental treaty dedicated to the conservation and ‘wise use’ of wetlands.

The Ramsar Convention focuses on conservation of important habitats rather than species. Parties are committed to identifying wetlands that qualify as internationally significant against a set of criteria, nominating these wetlands to the List of Wetlands of International Importance (the Ramsar List) and ensuring the maintenance of the ecological character of each listed Ramsar site.

As at June 2020, Australia has 66 Wetlands of International Importance that cover a total of approximately 8.1 million hectares. Many of Australia’s Ramsar sites were nominated and listed using waterbird-based criteria, and in some of these cases seabirds are a major component of the waterbird numbers (e.g. Ramsar sites in the Coral Sea Marine Park, Ashmore Reef Marine Park and Pulu Keeling National Park). Some Ramsar sites that may not have been specifically listed for their waterbird-related values however contain critical components that are used by waterbirds. This includes use as migratory and localised feeding or roosting areas.