Western AustraliaWestern Australia

Western Australia

Under the Western Australian Wildlife Conservation Act 1950 the loggerhead and leatherback turtle are listed as threatened species. All other turtles are protected as native fauna. Provision is made in this Act for the take by indigenous people. The Western Australian Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM) is involved in marine turtle conservation and the Western Australian Marine Turtle Program has been operational since 1985.

Most significant rookeries are on island nature reserves but there is a need to develop protocols for the management and use of these sites. A wildlife management program is currently being prepared for marine turtles in Western Australian waters. Research and monitoring activities include:

 long-term monitoring of most major rookeries;
 migration studies;
 estimates of inshore numbers at feeding grounds;
 management of oil field lighting and seismic activities to minimise impact on marine turtles;
 diseases in marine turtles (the petroleum industry has provided support);
 development of interaction with indigenous groups in monitoring programs; and
 salvage of leatherback and other turtles entangled in crayfish pot floatlines in summer.

No reliable figures are available on the bycatch of marine turtles from Western Australian trawl fisheries. Fisheries WA have developed a program and timeframe for the implementation of the Western Australian Policy on Fisheries Bycatch. Development of action plans for the Shark Bay Trawl Fisheries and the Pilbara Trawl Fishery has commenced. Marine turtle bycatch will be addressed with these action plans.

The development of bycatch action plans takes account of potential bycatch issues by separating fisheries into three groups on the basis of the nature and degree of significance of bycatch issues.

 Priority A includes all trawl fisheries. This group has been given priority due to the comparatively nonselective nature of this gear type. Fisheries specific bycatch action plans for these will be completed by end of 2001. It is anticipated that the use of TEDs will become compulsory in all prawn trawl fisheries within one year of the completion of the bycatch action plans.



 Priority B consists of net and trap fisheries with potentially significant bycatch issues, which may or may not occur in sensitive or socially important environments. These fisheries are to be addressed over two years commencing in early 2002.
 Priority C fisheries have been identified as having only minor bycatch issues. Bycatch issues in these fisheries will be addressed through the Fisheries Environmental Management Review (FEMR) process currently being undertaken by Fisheries WA.