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Ecological Assessment of the South Australian Beach-Cast Marine Algae Fishery REASSESSMENT REPORT

PREPARED FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF THE

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY (DotEE).

For the purposes of part 13 and 13(a) of the Environment Protection and

Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999

APRIL 2018

2 Objective ID: A3487147

Ecological Assessment of the South Australian Beach-Cast Marine Algae Fishery Information current as of 11 April 2018

© Government of South Australia 2018

Disclaimer

PIRSA and its employees do not warrant or make any representation regarding the use, or results of the use, of the information contained herein as regards to its correctness, accuracy, reliability and currency or otherwise. PIRSA and its employees expressly disclaim all liability or responsibility to any person using the information or advice.

All enquiries

Primary Industries and Regions SA (PIRSA) Level 14, 25 Grenfell Street GPO Box 1671, Adelaide SA 5001 T 08 82260900


TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 Purpose .................................................................................................................................................. 4 2 Level of assessment ............................................................................................................................... 4 3 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 5 4 Description of the Activity ....................................................................................................................... 5

4.1 Commercial Harvest ....................................................................................................................... 6 4.2 Recreational Harvest ...................................................................................................................... 7 4.3 Aboriginal Traditional Harvest ......................................................................................................... 8 4.4 Illegal Catch .................................................................................................................................... 8 4.5 Research and Monitoring ................................................................................................................ 8

5 Ecological Characteristics ...................................................................................................................... 9 5.1 Ecological Sustainable Development Risk Assessment ................................................................. 9 5.2 Macroalgae ..................................................................................................................................... 9 5.3 By-product and by-catch ................................................................................................................. 9 5.4 Nutrient Cycling and Food Webs ................................................................................................... 10

5.4.1 Coastal Geomorphology .......................................................................................................... 11 6 Management of the Fishing Activity ...................................................................................................... 12

6.1 Current Management Regime ....................................................................................................... 12 6.2 Management Arrangements ......................................................................................................... 12

7 Wildlife Interactions .............................................................................................................................. 15 7.1 Birds .............................................................................................................................................. 15

8 Conditions and Recommendation......................................................................................................... 17


1 Purpose

The purpose of this report is to provide the Department of the Environment and Energy (DotEE) with an assessment of the management arrangements in place for the South Australian Beach-Cast Marine Algae Fishery, against the ‘Guidelines for the Ecologically Sustainable Management of Fisheries 2nd Edition’, set out in the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (the EPBC Act). This report updates the assessment provided to (the then) Department of the Environment in 2014. The report particularly addresses the level of change that has occurred in the fishery since export approval was granted in 2015 and revised in 2016. For the purposes of this report, the activity assessed relates to commercial harvest of dead, beach-cast, non-attached marine algae from beaches in an area from a point 100 metres north of the northern breakwater at Cape Jaffa Marina to a point 8 km south east from the Lake George outlet at Beachport (Figure 1) under Miscellaneous Fishery Licence Y078. It is noted that the commercial harvest of beach-cast marine algae is not formally identified as a discrete fishery under the Fisheries Management Act 2007 (the Fisheries Act). Rather the activity forms part of the broader Miscellaneous Fishery and references to the Marine Algae Fishery in this reassessment report refer to the harvest activity.

2 Level of assessment

The South Australian Beach-cast Marine Algae Fishery was assessed for export approval in 2015

and the list of exempt native specimens amended to include species taken in that fishery for a

period of three years. Following this approval, an appeal of the decision was made by the Friends

of the Shorebirds SE (FOSSE) through the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT). The outcomes

of this appeal resulted in amendments to the conditions related to export approval of the fishery

gazetted on 3 June 2016.

Since the last assessment and revision to the conditions of the 2015 export approval there have

been limited changes in most areas of interest outlined in page 5 of the Guidelines for the

Ecologically Sustainable Management of Fisheries 2nd Edition (2007). The only change has been

changes to management arrangements for the fishery implemented in 2016 consistent with the

revised export approval conditions. These changes have been communicated to DotEE by PIRSA.

Table 1: Level of assessment required by South Australian Beach-cast Marine Algae Fishery

Issue Area of Interest Yes No

Fishery Has there been any change to management

arrangements, and/ or fishing practices? X

External Influences

Has there been any change to an environmental

issue/influence outside of the fishery management

agencies control?

X

Interaction with

protected species

Has there been any change in the nature, scale, intensity

of impact, and/or management response? X

Ecosystem impact

Has there been any change in the nature, scale or

intensity of impact, and/or subsequent management

response?

X


Target Stock Status Has there been any change in the target stock status? X

By-product/

bycatch status.

Has there been any change in the by-product and/or

bycatch stock status? X

Considering the above, the level of submission requirement for the South Australian Beach-cast

Marine Algae fishery is ‘Standard’ plus ancillary.

3 Introduction

Accumulations of dead, beach-cast seagrass and marine algae deposited onto beaches are referred to as ‘wracks’. Technically, wrack may consist of kelp or other detached macroalgae, seagrasses, animal carcases and other organic matter deposited from the sea onto a beach by waves or winds (Fairweather and Henry 2003; Duong 2008). Harvesting includes the removal, clearance, movement, re-location or disturbance of any part of a wrack. It is emphasised that this report addresses the collection of dead, beach-cast marine algae only and does not refer to flora attached to a substrate or drifting in the water column, which is not permitted to be harvested.

4 Description of the Activity

In South Australia the commercial harvesting of beach-cast seagrass and marine algae is a relatively small industry. Interest in harvesting has resulted from rising market demand for seagrass and algal products both locally and internationally. An authority to collect any marine flora for commercial purposes is required under the Fisheries Management Act 2007 (the Act). The commercial harvesting of wrack from any beach in South Australia is under the care, control and management of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Division of PIRSA on behalf of the community in accordance with the Act. The Act provides a broad statutory framework to ensure the ecologically sustainable management of South Australia’s aquatic resources. The regulations that govern the management of commercial harvest of beach-cast seagrass and marine algae in South Australia are the Fisheries Management (Miscellaneous Fishery) Regulations 2015 and the Fisheries Management (General) Regulations 2017. There are two non-transferrable Miscellaneous Fishery licences that permit the harvest of wrack in South Australia, both operating in the state’s southeast. One licence is held by a local government Council to allow for clearing of seagrass from local town beaches for amenities purposes. The other licence is held by a private company and the operations are commercial in nature. In the past the harvest of wrack for commercial purposes has also been granted to a small number of operators through Ministerial exemptions. Currently there are no active Ministerial exemptions. In December 2013 the Fisheries Management (Miscellaneous Developmental Fishery) Regulations 2013 came into effect. These regulations provide provisions for the issuing of permits for exploratory and developmental fishing activities for species not fished within an existing commercial fishery and undertaking fishing activities in new areas. The harvest of wrack in areas not currently allocated to the two Miscellaneous Fishery licence holders may meet the criteria of exploratory and developmental fishing permits. PIRSA has not issued any permits for exploratory and developmental wrack harvest, but is in the process of assessing two applications for this activity.


4.1 Commercial Harvest

The commercial harvest of beach-cast wrack began formally in early 1990 when two permits were issued. Interest in both algal and seagrass wrack harvesting intensified in 1993 when a number of applications were received by PIRSA for additional permits to operate in the southeast as well as in new areas such as Lady Bay, Port Parham and Port Adelaide (North Haven). These permits were issued (i) for the purposes of market research and development, to identify potential markets for seagrass and algal products and to determine if the industry could be viable, and (ii) to allow certain seaside councils to improve local beach access and amenity. In 1996 permits for the commercial harvest of wrack were replaced with Ministerial exemptions. In late 1996, in response to increased interest in wrack harvest from new and existing exemption holders, PIRSA declared a moratorium on any new exemptions in the fishery, pending the development of more formal management arrangements. Following a review of the fishery in 1993, three Ministerial exemption holders harvesting wrack for commercial purposes were offered a Miscellaneous Fishery Licence under the (then) Fisheries Management (Miscellaneous Fishery) Regulations 2000 to operate in the fishery. One of those licences lapsed in 2007 and has not been reinstated. Currently, commercial wrack harvesting is a small-scale 'developmental fishery' with the two

licence holders harvesting seagrass or algal material between Kingston and Beachport in the

southeast of South Australia on beaches around the shoreline of Lacepede and Rivoli Bays

(Figure 1). The area for which this reassessment is relevant is an area between Cape Jaffa and

approximately 8 kms south east of Beachport (Figure 1) where the resource is harvested for

commercial sale.

Licence holders are provided with access to a specified area of foreshore through a licence condition. However, within any area, harvesting generally takes place in areas where the largest wrack accumulations occur. Harvesting is sporadic, being carried out opportunistically whenever significant quantities of wrack are deposited on the foreshore. As a result, the majority of harvesting takes place during winter and spring when peak accumulations occur after storms or periods of strong wind (Kirkman and Kendrick 1997; Duong 2008). Fresh specimens of macroalgae are collected prior to the onset of any degradation or burial by wind-blown sand. The harvesting of macroalgae is species-specific; that is, the target species is selected specifically for its unique chemical properties. Target species may be collected by hand, with assistance from a mechanical winch if necessary to pick up individual (large) kelp plants whilst minimising sand disturbance. Non-target macroalgae species are required to be left undisturbed in the wrack. Beach-cast wracks have historically been harvested using machinery such as bulldozers, front-end loaders, excavators and forwarders, which load the material onto trucks or trailers for removal, offering an efficient alternative to hand harvesting. For the harvest activities related to this reassessment, the operation is restricted to vehicles (with a trailer) with a gross vehicle mass of less than 3.5 tonnes.


Figure 1: The harvest area for the commercial licence holder of beach-cast marine algae in South Australia for export approval.

4.2 Recreational Harvest

Members of the public often seek to obtain small amounts of beach-cast wrack, for use as 'mulch' or fertiliser on domestic gardens. Decisions relating to recreational (non-commercial) harvest of wrack are the responsibility of the relevant Local Government Authority, where enabled through regulation. In some cases, local by-laws prohibit this activity without Council permission. In the past these requests have generally been granted, provided the material is harvested by hand, only small quantities are collected, and is strictly a non-commercial activity.


In a few cases, where the Council believes it is detrimental to the shoreline, this activity is either discouraged or actively prohibited. The level of recreational harvest is not known, but is likely to be low.

4.3 Aboriginal Traditional Harvest

Although there are no known documented historical accounts of Aboriginal traditional use of wrack this does not preclude the traditional use of beach-cast algae by Aboriginal Peoples in the past. The State Government, Native Title parties and the commercial fishing industry are currently involved in negotiations of Indigenous Land Use Agreements (ILUAs) with a view to resolving native title claims. The future involvement in existing commercial fisheries by Aboriginal traditional fishers or communities may be considered in this process.

4.4 Illegal Catch

The illegal harvest of beach-cast seagrass and marine algae wrack has been identified as a substantial risk. South Australia has fisheries compliance resources to address any suspected illegal activities. To date there have been no prosecutions for offences in the fishery.

4.5 Research and Monitoring

Since 1997, commercial wrack harvesters have provided data on their fishing activities through monthly catch and effort returns. All information collected in catch and effort returns is entered and stored by the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) Aquatic Sciences. Fishers are required to provide information on species harvested, weight of each species harvested, exact location of the harvesting activity, method used to collect the resource, method used to process the resource, the end product, and volume of each product sold each month. Information about catch and effort for commercial harvest of marine algae in South Australia is considered to be confidential under the provisions of Section 124 of the Act which restrict the disclosure of confidential information i.e. information that may lead to the identification of an individual. A summary of fisheries data and biological parameters completed by SARDI in 2013 (Ivey et al. 2013) provided information on historical catch levels of marine algae. Harvest levels have fluctuated over the life of the fishery with variation in wrack availability dependant on storms and market requirements. Harvest levels of marine algae for commercial sale reported between 2015 and 2017 have been within the historical levels reported in Ivey et al. (2013). The risks related to over-exploitation of wrack apply not to the marine algae species itself but to the organisms and communities dependant upon it as a source of nutrients, food, shelter, and refuge. There are no historical records of wrack biomass, composition or turnover rates for beaches in South Australia. Moreover, any assessment of wrack abundance is problematic because of the highly patchy and mobile nature of the resource (McClary et al. 2005). Thus, averaged amounts of wrack calculated for a length of coastline are probably over-estimates as wrack is patchily distributed across sites and between seasons (Kendrick et al. 1995; Duong 2008). In the absence of scientific data and to address concerns regarding the possible impact on coastal fisheries and the environment from the removal of wrack accumulations, PIRSA has adopted a precautionary approach to the harvesting of wrack with implementation of exclusion zones where harvest is prohibited and restrictions on the gear that may be used to harvest.


5 Ecological Characteristics

5.1 Ecologically Sustainable Development Risk Assessment

An ecologically sustainable development (ESD) risk assessment was carried out on the marine harvest of marine algae in the southeast of South Australia in 2015 which has previously been provided to DOTEE. This risk assessment framework provides an objective and structured process for identifying and prioritising potential risks to the environment from the activity. A total of 40 potential risks were identified and assessed. One high risk related to potential impacts on migratory shorebirds, and one medium risk related to potential impact on older beach-cast wrack. The management arrangements for the activity relevant to this reassessment report which prohibit harvest in exclusion zones, prohibit activity within 100 m of nesting hooded plovers, restrict the gear that may be used to harvest wrack and restrict fishing effort at times important to normal behaviour of migratory shore-birds are considered to mitigate the medium and high risks identified in the ESD risk assessment.

5.2 Macroalgae

The marine macroalgal diversity of temperate Australia is one of the richest in the world, with approximately 123 species of Chlorophyta (green algae), 203 species of Phaeophyta (brown algae) and about 800 species of Rhodophyta (red algae) recorded within southern Australian waters (Womersley 1984). Many of these macroalgal species are endemic to the region. Robe (in the southeast of South Australia) is regarded as the westerly limit of a number of key taxa including the large kelp (Macrocystis angustifolia) and the bull kelp (Durvillaea potatorum). South Australia’s macroalgal flora is also characterised by a small number of subtropical species, which generally occur in sheltered waters and inlets where temperatures are high enough for the species to survive. Macroalgae grow on shallow rocky substrates and are common on the numerous inshore limestone reefs that dot the coastline of South Australia. Some species, particularly the kelps, grow to very large size and form dense subtidal beds. During storms and periods of strong winds, large numbers of these macroalgae are uprooted or fragmented by wave action and swell and later wash up on nearby beaches. The supply of cast algae, like seagrass, is highly variable over short time and spatial scales, but is again most predominant in winter when very large accumulations may occur. Various seaweed species are found within algal beach wracks; their abundance varies depending on location and the source of the material (Duong 2008). The species that are targeted for collection are primarily several large brown algae (e.g. Durvillaea potatorum and Ecklonia radiata) and some of the red algae such as Gracilaria.

5.3 By-product and by-catch

Collection of marine algae by harvesters is considered to be selective for target species given

the conditions on the licence limiting harvest to hand collection with assistance of a mechanical

winch, which are in place to avoid by-catch. The ESD risk assessment ranked the risk of these

harvest activities to by-catch species as Negligible.


5.4 Nutrient Cycling and Food Webs

Several studies, most notably in South Australia, Western Australia and South Africa, have highlighted the importance of beach-cast seagrass and macroalgal accumulations as sources of detritus and of particulate and dissolved nutrients. These form the basis of beach and inshore marine foodwebs (e.g. Griffiths and Stenton-Dozey 1981; Koop and Griffiths 1982; Lenanton et al. 1982; Robertson and Hansen 1982; Griffiths et al. 1983; Duong 2008). Wracks of dead seagrass and algal material are physically broken down by wave and sand abrasion and are biologically decomposed by the action of bacteria and small invertebrates. Decomposition by bacteria releases nitrogen and phosphorous - nutrients necessary for the growth of offshore seagrass meadows (Bell 1983). In Western Australia, substantially higher concentrations of dissolved nutrients were measured in waters adjacent to beaches covered in decaying wrack material compared with wrack-free beaches, where waters were relatively nutrient- deficient (Bell 1983). A rich community of detritivores, such as amphipods, isopods (sandflies), coleoptera (beetles) and diptera (flies) rapidly colonises and consumes the decaying vegetation, breaking it down into detritus and particulate carbon (e.g. Griffiths and Stenton-Dozey 1981; Marsden 1991; Duong 2008). Griffiths, Stenton-Dozey and Koop (1983) for example recorded 35 species (of which 22 were insects) amongst kelp wrack, which together amounted to more than 97% of the total intertidal faunal biomass. These organisms can reduce the biomass of dead macroalgae to 50% of its initial weight after 2 days and 20% after 14 days, mainly due to consumption by amphipods and dipteran (kelp fly) larvae (Griffiths and Stenton-Dozey 1981; Rieper-Kirchner 1990). Several species of beach flies complete their life cycles within seagrass/algal wrack (Blanche 1992 in Kendrick et al. 1995; Duong 2008). The herbivorous detritivores are in turn preyed upon by beach-dwelling macrofauna such as beetles, birds and isopods (Duong 2008). Griffiths et al. (1983) suggest that at some sites on the southwest coast of South Africa, approximately 95% of the food supply of beach macrofauna comes from the regular, enormous influxes of kelp. Duong (2008) found that algal wrack in South Australia, particularly brown algae including kelps, appeared to be a potential source of nutrition for beach and nearshore consumers such as amphipods and dipterans. Particulate and dissolved carbon and other organic matter released from wracks by bacteria may either remain in situ and enter the sand column as a source of nutrients to interstitial fauna, or leach back into the sea at high tide to support detrital-based benthic communities. Very high concentrations of dissolved organic matter have been recorded in sand below beach-cast kelp and this in turn supports a high biomass of interstitial meiofauna (Koop and Griffiths 1982; Rieper-Kirchner 1990). Peak numbers of nematodes and oligochaetes, for example, often occur beneath rotting seaweed (Koop and Griffiths 1982). Moreover, nutrients, detritus, particulate carbon, bacteria and prey organisms in wracks are often transported by wave action into the surf zone where they serve as an important food source for particulate suspension (filter) feeders, crustaceans, molluscs and fish (Kirkman and Kendrick 1997; Duong 2008). For example, work by Lenanton et al. (1982) demonstrated that the main prey item of the juveniles of many important commercial fish species such as school whiting (Sillago bassensis), yellow-eyed mullet (Aldrichetta forsteri) and tommy ruff (Arripis georgianus) is the amphipod Allorchestes compressa which lives exclusively on detached macrophytes on the beach and in the surf zone. Detritus from wracks can also be exported offshore to supply food to demersal and abyssal fauna (Suchanek et al. 1985 in Thresher et al. 1992; Joselyn et al. 1983 in Kendrick et al. 1995). In addition, work in Tasmania (Thresher et al. 1992) strongly suggests that "it might also constitute


a widespread and potentially important source of productivity for planktonic ecosystems as well". These authors found evidence that the food chain supporting first-feeding larvae of Tasmanian blue grenadier (Macruronus novaezelandiae) - the dominant nektonic (midwater) predator of the region - is based on microbial decomposition of seagrass detritus. First, feeding is often maintained to be a critical period for fish larval survival. Moreover, higher rates of larval growth were associated with periods of frequent winter storms, when offshore transport of seagrass detritus from coastal wrack accumulations is at a maximum (Thresher et al. 1992). Thus, the export of detrital material from wracks may significantly affect the reproductive success of one of temperate Australia's dominant fish predators (Thresher et al. 1992). The wrack community, therefore, constitutes a significant food resource consisting of fragments of seaweed and seagrasses, bacteria, meiofauna and beach macrofauna. It may remain in situ, providing food for terrestrial detritivores and consumers (including insects and birds) or it may be washed back into the sea during storm or high tide events, where it provides food for benthic coastal communities and important feeding sites for shallow water fish species. Particulate matter from the breakdown of wracks also appears to have a direct effect on offshore secondary production. It is unclear at this time as to whether any particular species plays a more important ecological role in beach-cast seagrass and macroalgae wrack (Orr 2013). As a result, licence conditions require the harvest of macroalgae wrack to be limited to hand collection with the assistance of a mechanical winch and in less than 50% of the licensed area through implementation of ‘non-harvest’ and 'exclusion zones' interspersed over the extent of the licence. Non-harvest areas and exclusion zones are areas in which no harvesting activity is conducted, which run continuously from the low water mark to the foredune or scrub within the area. While there is no quantitative estimate of the amount of any particular species of macroalgae deposited on beaches in the harvest area, due to the very large size of wrack accumulations and the high turn-over rate of that wrack through natural processes, it is likely that the percentage of any one species harvested is quite low. It is therefore considered the management arrangements in place are likely to mitigate possible risks of the harvest activity to the ecological role marine algae play in the local ecosystem. 5.4.1 Coastal Geomorphology

In contrast to macroalgae, which are subject to very rapid deterioration, seagrasses are composed primarily of cellulose fibre with characteristics that inhibit breakdown of the vegetative matter. Beach-cast seagrass accumulations are therefore typically long-lived, taking as many as 3 - 5 years to fully decompose into detrital matter. As a result, seagrass wrack may accumulate to a height of several metres and serve as a physical barrier between the sea and the dune system, reducing wave energy and providing a degree of protection to the foreshore. Seagrass wracks also enhance the formation and stabilisation of coastal sand dunes and beaches, their fibrous composition acting as a trap to bind drifting sands and reduce sand erosion in winter. They may also contribute to the fertility and stability of substrates behind the foredunes. Management arrangements implemented in the area of the fishery to protect coastal geomorphology include prohibition of harvest within four metres of foredunes and the requirement to avoid the removal of sand. Access to and from harvest areas must be via existing access routes only. Normal road rules apply on the beach and vehicles must be registered. In addition, whilst undertaking the harvesting activity the removal of any sand must be avoided. Any sand taken incidentally during the harvesting activity must be returned to the foreshore.


6 Management of the Fishing Activity

6.1 Current Management Regime

The Fisheries Management Act 2007 provides the broad statutory framework to ensure the management and ecologically sustainable development of South Australia’s marine and freshwater aquatic resources. South Australia has management jurisdiction for beach-cast seagrass and marine algae from the toe of the fore-dune to the low water mark and for seagrass and marine algae out to 200 nautical miles, in the waters adjacent to South Australia, under an Offshore Constitutional Agreement between the South Australian and Commonwealth governments. The regulations that govern the management of commercial harvest of beach-cast seagrass and marine algae are established in the Fisheries Management (Miscellaneous Fishery) Regulations 2015 and the Fisheries Management (General) Regulations 2017. The granting of exploratory and developmental fishing permits for the harvest of beach-cast seagrass and marine algae in areas not already assigned to either of the existing two Miscellaneous Fishery licences may be considered. Any such permits would additionally be governed through the recently implemented Fisheries Management (Miscellaneous Developmental Fishery) Regulations 2013. PIRSA has not issued any permits for exploratory and developmental wrack harvest, but is currently assessing two applications for collection of beach-cast algae and seagrass.

6.2 Management Arrangements

Commercial harvest of beach-cast seagrass and marine algae is managed by a series of input controls, such as spatial closures (non-harvest and exclusion zones), temporal arrangements reducing fishing effort at times important to normal behaviour of migratory shore-birds, and specific methods of harvesting. Licence conditions specify methods of access and harvesting and any relevant restrictions on harvesting activities considered necessary by PIRSA developed in consultation with other agencies such as the Department of Environment and Water (DEW), Department of State Development (DSD), and the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure (DPTI). The Miscellaneous Fishery licence for which this reassessment is relevant, Y078, is subject to the following conditions as the result of the assessment process for export approval conducted in 2015 and amendments in 2016:

1. Within the areas where harvesting is permitted all beachcast material of the Divisions: Chlorophyta (green algae); Phaeophyta (brown algae); or Rhodophyta (red algae) may be taken.

2. The licence holder may only take beachcast marine algae within the area outlined in schedule 1. Only fresh, unattached beachcast marine algae may be disturbed during the harvesting activity.

3. The take of any beachcast marine algae is prohibited within an exclusion zone described in schedule 2 to this licence.

4. The licence holder may nominate a maximum of two (2) agents. The licence holder or nominated agent may be assisted by up to two other people on any one day who may conduct harvesting activity pursuant to this licence. The licence holder and nominated agents may use up to two vehicles (4-wheel drive utility, or similar, with a trailer with a gross vehicle mass of up to 3.5 tonnes) with no more than three persons operating from


each vehicle. Any nomination for an agent must be made in writing to the Director, Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy in the manner directed. Confirmation of receipt of that nomination must be acknowledged by the Director, Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy prior to a nominated agent conducting any harvesting activity. Changes to nominations may only occur in writing to the Director, Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy.

5. The take of marine algae may be assisted by a mechanical winch.

6. The take of beachcast marine algae is permitted on sandy beaches along Wrights Bay, Nora Creina, Stinky Beach and Rivoli Bay area from approximately one kilometre north of Blowhole Road to the southern extent of the licence (described in schedule 3):

a. from 1 September to 30 April (inclusive) in any calendar year on a maximum of eight (8) calendar days (or any part thereof) per calendar month.

b. from 1 May to 15 May (inclusive) for a maximum of four (4) calendar days (or any part thereof) per calendar month.

7. No fishing activity can occur within 100 metres either side of any nesting areas where Thinornis rubricollis (hooded plovers) are currently nesting and/or caring for dependent young.

8. Harvesting activity undertaken pursuant to this licence must be designed to avoid the removal of sand and minimise any incidental disturbance to marine fauna and infauna. Where possible, sand taken incidentally to the harvesting activity is to be returned to the foreshore.

9. Harvesting activity is prohibited within four metres of the base of the foredune of any sand dunes within the harvest area.

10. The area of the licence must only be accessed via existing access routes.

11. Vehicles may transit through exclusion zones in order to transport material or equipment to and from areas where the take of beachcast material is permitted.

12. The licence holder or registered agent must notify the Minister at least one (1) hour prior to engaging in any fishing activity pursuant to this licence on any one day, the following information in the manner directed:

The name of the person making the call; and

The name of the nominated agent and licence number, and

The time and date the activity will commence, and The location/s (latitude and longitude) of the activity.

13. The licence holder must submit a return recording the daily catch and harvest activities in respect of each calendar month within 15 days of the end of the month to which it relates. Information to be recorded includes:

Date of fishing activity

Licence/permit number

Name of person recording data

Key marine algal types taken

The volume of harvested marine algae

The exact location (latitude and longitude) of the harvest activity

The estimated area of beach within which harvesting occurred, including the length and width of the beach (in metres)

The method used to take marine algae

Photographic images taken immediately prior to and immediately after each harvest activity. Images are to be taken from a point at one end of the harvested area that clearly includes all of the area of marine algae taken. Images are to be dated and geo-referenced

The volume of product sold each month and the form of that product.


14. The licence holder is required to complete records of any interactions with threatened, endangered or protected species (listed under State and/or Commonwealth legislation), including shorebirds in the Wildlife Interaction Logbook. For the benefit of monitoring migratory bird activity this will include bird sightings and alarm flights as well as negative bird interactions.

15. For the purposes of this licence: "harvesting activity" means the act of taking beachcast marine algae, or an act preparatory to, or involved in, the taking of beachcast marine algae.

Schedule 1: Harvesting area for beachcast marine algae for Y078

The licence holder may take beachcast marine algae pursuant to this licence from the

foreshore between the high water mark and the low water mark of coastal beaches in the area

between a point on the shore 100 metres north of the northern breakwater at Cape Jaffa

Marina and a point eight (8) kilometres in a south easterly direction along the beach from the

Lake George outlet at or near 37° 30' 38.59" S, 140° 05' 29.29" E, except for the areas

described as exclusion zones as geo-referenced in schedule 2.

Schedule 2: Exclusion Zones

Exclusion zones are the areas which extends continuously from the low water mark to the

foredune or scrub within the area between the following points:

1. 36° 56' 47.60" S, 139° 40' 25.88" E and 36° 59' 44.61" S, 139° 42' 52.83" E

2. 37° 02' 26.49" S, 139° 44' 34.09" E and 37° 02' 27.87" S, 139° 44' 31.96" E

3. 37° 02' 32.64" S, 139° 44' 30.27" E and 37° 02' 33.72" S, 139° 44' 28.64" E

4. 37° 02' 45.58" S, 139° 44' 23.38" E and 37° 02' 46.51" S, 139° 44' 22.43" E

5. 37° 04' 38.51" S, 139° 45' 31.94" E and 37° 06' 21.01" S, 139° 47' 18.46" E

6. 37° 04' 41.27" S, 139° 45' 24.29" E and 37° 04' 38.51" S, 139° 45' 31.94" E

7. 37° 09' 52.99" S, 139° 46' 46.42" E and 37° 09' 44.54" S, 139° 45' 57.53" E

8. 37° 09' 45.28" S, 139° 45' 50.38" E and 37° 09' 43.40" S, 139° 45' 36.60" E

9. 37° 09' 44.37" S, 139° 45' 24.90" E and 37° 09' 37.94" S, 139° 45' 05.24" E

10. 37° 09' 37.05" S, 139° 45' 04.48" E and 37° 10' 04.45" S, 139° 44' 38.93" E

11. 37° 10' 47.69" S, 139° 44' 24.97" E and 37° 16' 55.09" S, 139° 48' 47.84" E

12. 37° 16' 55.90" S, 139° 48' 47.84" E and 37° 17' 01.46" S, 139° 48' 57.36" E

13. 37° 17' 26.77" S, 139° 49' 14.44" E and 37° 17' 39.50" S, 139° 49' 23.90" E

14. 37° 19' 03.18" S, 139° 50' 36.08" E and 37° 19' 15.75" S, 139° 50' 41.41" E

15. 37° 19' 39.41" S, 139° 50' 54.30" E and 37° 19' 47.93" S, 139° 51' 00.23" E

16. 37° 23' 08.71" S, 139° 54' 16.80" E and 37° 25' 27.45" S, 139° 56' 27.76" E

17. 37° 25' 27.45" S, 139° 56' 27.76" E and 37° 27' 57.64" S, 139° 58' 52.72" E

18. 37° 27' 57.64" S, 139° 58' 52.72" E and 37° 28' 40.81" S, 140° 02' 43.82” E

Schedule 3: Effort restrictions on take of beachcast marine algae

For the purposes of conditions 6 the areas are described as follows:

a. Wrights Bay - means the area between 37° 02' 26.49" S, 139° 44' 34.09" E and 37° 01'

10.87" S, 139° 44' 22.48" E

b. Nora Creina - means the area between 37° 19' 15.76" S, 139° 50' 41.40" E and 37° 19'

39.41" S, 139° 50' 54.30" E

c. Stinky Beach - means the area between 37° 19' 47.93" S, 139° 51' 00.23" E and 37° 20'

48.83" S, 139° 52' 15.87" E


d. Rivoli Bay - means the area between a point 1 km north east of Blowhole Rd at or near

37° 28' 40.81" S, 140° 02' 43.82" E and a point eight (8) kilometres south east along the

beach from the Lake George outlet at or near 37° 30' 38.59" S, 140° 05' 29.29" E

7 Wildlife Interactions

As part of the EPBC Act requirements commercial fishers must report any wildlife interactions

to PIRSA Fisheries and Aquaculture in a wildlife interaction logbook. Interactions reported in this

format are any physical contact a fisher, boat or fishing gear has with a wildlife and protected

species. The information in these logbooks is collated annually and a report published by SARDI.

These reports are provided to DotEE annually. No interactions with protected species has been

reported during harvest activities for commercial harvest of marine algae since this reporting

began (Mackay 2017).

7.1 Birds

Wrack accumulations provide habitat and nursery areas for many birds species. They provide

protection and camouflage for nest-sites, eggs, chicks and adults alike (McCulloch 1996;

Campbell and Anderson 2007). A large number of shorebirds also prey upon wrack-inhabiting

organisms and constitute an important food resource. Wrack thus constitutes a valuable

component of bird habitat (McCulloch 1996). In South Australia, a total of 40 species of birds

have been recorded utilising beach-cast wrack in some way (McCulloch 1996) including: hooded

plover (Thinornis rubricollis), Curlew Sandpiper (Caliddris ferruginea) and Orange-bellied

Parrots. This includes long-distance migratory birds as well as many resident species.

Hooded Plover (Thinornis rubricollis rubricollis) occurs in the harvest area feeding on wrack-inhabiting crustaceans, insects and polychaetes (Kendrick et al. 1995). This species is listed as Vulnerable under the EPBC Act; however, the harvest area relevant to this reassessment is not listed as an important area for the species in the Conservation Advice approved on 6 November 20141. Hooded plover is not listed in South Australia’s National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972. The impact of the harvest of marine algae on Hooded Plover is mitigated through a range of management arrangements including the prohibition of harvest activity within 100 metres of nesting hooded plovers and restrictions on harvest within four metres of foredunes. Curlew Sandpiper (Caliddris ferruginea) is listed as Critically Endangered under the EPBC Act but is not listed under the South Australian National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972. A Recovery Plan for this species not required as the approved Conservation Advice for the species provides sufficient direction to implement priority actions and mitigate against key threats and no threat abatement plan has been identified as being relevant for this species. Lake George, near Beachport is listed as an internationally important area for this species (Bamford et al. 2008). The beach area adjacent to Lake George is protected through exclusion zones and seasonal effort restrictions on the harvest activity in that area through licence condition. The Orange-bellied Parrot migrates from breeding grounds in Tasmania to coastal areas in Victoria and south east South Australia during summer periods. It usually inhabits salt marshes, coastal dunes, pastures and shrub lands along the coast, feeding on seeds and fruit mainly of sedges and salt marsh plants (Brown and Wilson 1984). This bird is classified as Critically

1 Conservation Advice - Thinornis rubricollis rubricollis - hooded plover (eastern)

http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/species/pubs/66726-conservation-advice.pdf


Endangered under the EPBC Act, Threatened under the Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988, Endangered under the Tasmanian Threatened Species Protection Act 1995, Endangered under the South Australian National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972, and Critically Endangered under the New South Wales Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995. A Recovery Plan jointly managed by the Commonwealth, Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales and Tasmania has been developed (Orange-bellied Parrot Recovery Team 2006). Management arrangements prohibiting harvest of beach-cast marine algae within four metres of the base of sand dunes and restricting beach access to existing access tracks mitigates the risk of the harvesting activity interacting with this bird species.


8 Conditions and Recommendation

The activities in fulfilment of the conditions and recommendations for the South Australian Beach-cast Marine Algae Fishery are addressed in Table 2 and

Table 3.

Table 2: Summary of activity in fulfilment of the conditions for the South Australian Beach-cast Marine Algae Fishery. No Conditions Actions Progress

1 Operation of the South Australia Beach Cast Marine Algae Fishery will be carried out in accordance with the

South Australian Fisheries Management (Miscellaneous Fishery) Regulations 2000 and the South Australian

Fisheries Management (General) Regulations 2007 in force under the Fisheries Management Act 2007.

The harvest activity has been carried out in

accordance with the Fisheries Management

Act 2007 and subordinate legislation.

Ongoing

2 The Department of Primary Industries and Regions South Australia (PIRSA) to inform the Department of the

Environment of any intended material changes to the South Australia Beach Cast Marine Algae Fishery

management arrangements that may affect the assessment against which Environment Protection and

Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 decisions are made

DotEE has been informed of all changes to

licence conditions for the relevant

Miscellaneous Fishery licence (Y078)

implemented following amendments to the

export approval in 2016.

Ongoing

3 PIRSA to produce and present reports to DotEE annually as per Appendix B to the Guidelines for the Ecologically Sustainable Management of Fisheries - 2nd Edition.

DotEE has been informed of all changes to management arrangements for the fishery.

Ongoing

4

PIRSA to take all reasonable steps to mitigate adverse impacts on migratory shorebirds by the South Australian Beach-Cast Marine Algae Fishery operations (harvesting and/or transporting of beach-cast wrack), including through:

(i) Implementing a management strategy that ensures at least 50% of the licence area is excluded from

the fishery operations at all times, including closing the area from the Beachport Conservation Park to

approximately one kilometre north of Blowhole Road;(

(ii) Avoiding the removal of all non-target species from the harvest area;

(iii) imposing additional requirements in the period from 1 September to 15 May (inclusive) each year, on

sandy beaches along Wrights Bay, Nora Creina, Stinky Beach and the Rivoli Bay area from

approximately one kilometre north of Blowhole Road to the southern end of the Fishery, including only

permitting harvesting to occur:

a. by way of hand harvesting (assisted by mechanical winch if required;

The required management arrangements

have been implemented through licence

conditions on Miscellaneous Fishery licence

Y078 (see licence conditions provided at

section 6.2 .

Complete


b. on a maximum of 8 calendar days (or any part thereof) per calendar month, and a maximum of 4

calendar days (or any part thereof) between 1 May and 15 May, with each harvesting day to be

advised to PIRSA prior to the commencement of harvesting; and

c. through the use of up to two vehicles (4 wheel drive utility, or similar, with a trailer with a gross vehicle

mass of 3.5 tonne), with up to three people per vehicle, on any one day; and

(iv) prohibiting harvest operations within 100 metres either side of any nesting areas where Thinornis

rubricollis (hooded plovers) are currently nesting and/or caring for dependent young, in all areas at all

times

5

PIRSA, in collaboration with the South Australian Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources,

industry and where possible, the community to:

(i) implement a monitoring program to annually assess the impact of the South Australian Beach-Cast

Marine Algae Fishery on migratory shorebirds; and

(ii) continue to support research with the aim of understanding and effectively managing the ecological

risk posed by the Fishery to shorebirds and all relevant terrestrial and coastal ecosystems.

Monitoring of interactions with Threatened, Endangered and Protected species reported annually. No interactions reported for the South Australian Marine Algae Fishery since granting of the last export approval.

Ongoing

6 Any data obtained from the monitoring program (excluding commercial in confidence data) must be included

in the annual report sent to the Department of the Environment and should be available to the South

Australian Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources.

Wildlife Interactions with Threatened, Endangered and Protected species reported provided to DotEE annually.

Ongoing

Table 3: Summary of activity in fulfilment of the recommendations for the South Australian Beach-cast Marine Algae Fishery.

No Proposed Strategies Actions Progress

1

PIRSA to work to develop new management arrangements to be implemented before any new exploratory

and developmental licence for the harvesting of wrack is permitted. New management arrangements should

address Conditions 4 and 5 and include precautionary management strategies to control the level of harvest

and latent effort in the fishery and ensure appropriate compliance. The management arrangements should

include a description of:

a. the fishery, b. biology of key species, c. ecosystem, d. objectives and goals for management, e. management arrangements; f. research; g. compliance and monitoring

No Exploratory Fishing permits for harvest of

marine algae have been issued at this time.

The required management arrangements

have been implemented through licence

conditions on Miscellaneous Fishery licence

Y078 (see licence conditions provided at

section 6.2 .

Complete


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