Indicator: CO-33 Number of species legislatively protected, number with management plans or where management actions have been taken
Data
A detailed list of species protected nationally under the EPBC Act can be found on the Department of the Environment and Heritage (DEH) website at: Species protected nationally
- Listings since commencement of EPBC Act (Word - 265 KB) , list as at May 2006
This list does not disaggregate coastal and marine species from inland species.
Action plans and/or conservation overviews are developed for families of species, or even larger groupings, rather than for individual species.
A detailed list of 227 coastal and marine species protected under legislation in one state alone (Queensland), along with various aspects of their status, gives some idea of the number of species being afforded some level of legislative protection.
Source: DEH unpublished
Up to mid-2005, the populations of 18 marine species have been declared as threatened under the EPBC Act - five birds, five sharks, two seals, the Australian Sea Lion, four species of handfish, and the Port Davey Skate. Some 12 recovery plans were in place at mid-2005. No marine communities have been declared as threatened. Two marine Key Threatening Processes have been declared - ‘Incidental catch (bycatch) of Sea Turtle during coastal otter-trawling operations within Australian waters north of 28 degrees South’, and ‘Injury and fatality to vertebrate marine life caused by ingestion of, or entanglement in, harmful marine debris’
Source: Department of the Environment and Heritage 2006, Threatened Species and Threatened Ecological Communities, Recovery Plans Made or Adopted under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, viewed 26 May 2006, http://www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/recovery/list-common.html
What the data mean
Sixteen action plans for species listed under the EPBC Act had been developed as at 2002, ranging from plans for groupings as broad and inclusive as “marine invertebrates” to family groupings such as bats or rodents. Other than cetaceans, seals, marine and estuarine fishes, and marine invertebrates, most of these plans relate to terrestrial animals, although the action plans for birds would include seabirds, shore birds, coastal water birds and island birds, and the plan for reptiles would include sea turtles and sea snakes.
Data Limitations
There are well established processes in place for affording threatened species legislative protection, and for developing strategies for ensuring that protection is implemented. However, it is not clear to what extent this indicates that the societal response is getting better, or that the problem to which we are responding is getting worse, or simply that understanding of the extent of the problem is increasing.
It should be noted that threatened species that are listed for any form of legislative protection is also suggested, with a degree of caution, an indicator for environmental condition. This means our understanding of the problem is in part dependent on our response, which is, in turn, dependent on our understanding of the problem.
Issues for which this is an indicator and why
Coasts and Oceans — Societal responses to direct pressures of human activities on coasts and oceans - Protection of coasts, oceans and marine and coastal biodiversity
Degradation of ecosystems is characterised by declines in population and distribution of species comprising, inhabiting and interacting in a habitat. Legislative protection of species and management processes flowing out of that protection are important responses to species decline.
Number of species under protection is one way of measuring this but needs to be treated with caution since legislative protection does not protect all species that are actually threatened.
Other indicators for this issue:
- CO-34 Number and extent of Marine Protected Areas
- BD-05 Alignment of State/Territory and Australian Government listing processes
- BD-04 Listed threatened species or ecological communities for which recovery action is showing stable or increasing populations
- CO-02 Number of marine species that are endangered or threatened and changes in population/ distribution of selected threatened species
Biodiversity — Species, habitats and ecological communities - Government action on species and ecological communities
Changes in number of species under government protection is an indicator for government action on this issue.
Other indicators for this issue:
- BD-02 Conservation status of nationally significant species and ecological communities, compared with previous years
- BD-03 Summary of measures being implemented to respond to threats to biodiversity from invasive species
- BD-04 Listed threatened species or ecological communities for which recovery action is showing stable or increasing populations
- BD-05 Alignment of State/Territory and Australian Government listing processes
- BD-24 Government investments to protect biodiversity for public good purposes
- CO-02 Number of marine species that are endangered or threatened and changes in population/ distribution of selected threatened species
- CO-34 Number and extent of Marine Protected Areas
Further Information
Key
Links to another web site
Links to data in the DRS
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