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Impact Assessment of Aquaculture on Seabird Communities of the Abrolhos Islands, to Support the Mid- West Aquaculture Development Zone Proposal

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Impact Assessment of Aquaculture on Seabird Communities of the Abrolhos Islands, to Support the Mid- West Aquaculture Development Zone Proposal Impact Assessment of aquaculture on seabird communities of the Abrolhos Islands, to support the Mid- West Aquaculture Development Zone proposal. DoF21/2013 Final Report August 2015 Prepared by: Prepared for: Dr Chris Surman and Dr JN Dunlop Director - Halfmoon Biosciences Government of Western 45 Heather Road, Ocean Beach, WA 6333 Australia Mob: 0429 099 090 Office: 08 98482926 Department of Fisheries [email protected] Level 3, The Atrium, 168 St Georges http://www.halfmoonbiosciences.com Terrace PERTH WA 6000 Halfmoon Biosciences (ABN 44 656 501 907) Final Report Impact Assessment of aquaculture on seabird communities Document Status Issue Version Purpose of Document Orig Review Review Date Date Rev 1 Draft for Internal Review CAS LWN, JND 23/06/2015 Rev 2 Draft for Issue CAS JND 8/07/2015 20/07/15 Rev 0 Issued to client CAS, JND JND, LWN 2/08/15 5/08/15 Disclaimer ©Copyright 2015 Halfmoon Biosciences This document and information contained in it has been prepared by Halfmoon Biosciences under the terms and conditions of their contract with their client. The document is for the client’s use only and may not be used, exploited, copied, duplicated or reproduced in any form or medium whatsoever without the prior written permission of Halfmoon Biosciences. i Final Report Impact Assessment of aquaculture on seabird communities Contents 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................. 4 1.1 Background ................................................................................................................................................ 4 1.2 Impact assessment of aquaculture on seabird communities .......................................................... 4 1.3 Review of breeding seabirds on potentially impacted islands of the Houtman Abrolhos ...... 6 1.3.1 Birds of the Houtman Abrolhos. ...................................................................................................... 6 1.3.2 Potential Increaser Seabird Species ................................................................................................. 6 1.3.3 Potential Adverse Interactions with Seabirds ............................................................................... 7 1.4 Assumptions about production systems utilized in fish-farming precincts ................................. 8 1.5 Threat Status ........................................................................................................................................... 10 2 Methods ............................................................................................................................................................. 11 2.1 Field surveys ............................................................................................................................................ 11 2.2 Timing of nesting .................................................................................................................................... 11 2.3 Collection and analysis of dietary data .............................................................................................. 12 2.4 Stable isotope analysis ........................................................................................................................... 12 2.4.1 Background .......................................................................................................................................... 12 2.4.2 Sample collection & processing ...................................................................................................... 13 2.4.3 Stable isotope analysis ...................................................................................................................... 13 3 Results ................................................................................................................................................................ 15 3.1 Distribution and abundance of seabirds ............................................................................................ 15 3.1.1 June 2014 ............................................................................................................................................. 15 3.1.2 October 2014 ..................................................................................................................................... 16 3.2 Historical seabird numbers .................................................................................................................. 19 3.3 Diet ............................................................................................................................................................ 37 3.4 Assessment of foraging behaviour - Stable Isotope Analysis ...................................................... 42 4 Prediction of behavioural and population responses .............................................................................. 44 4.1 Foraging behaviour and potential interactions with Houtman Abrolhos seabirds: Cause effect flow diagrams for key threats. ............................................................................................................... 44 4.1.1 Pied Cormorants ............................................................................................................................... 44 4.1.2 Silver Gulls ........................................................................................................................................... 46 4.1.3 Pacific Gulls ......................................................................................................................................... 48 4.1.4 Wedge-tailed Shearwaters. ............................................................................................................. 49 4.1.5 Neritic Terns ...................................................................................................................................... 51 4.1.6 Pelagic foraging terns and noddies ................................................................................................. 53 4.2 Risk & Mitigation Assessment.............................................................................................................. 54 4.3 Risk assessment of direct and indirect impacts of the MWADZ proposal on seabirds ....... 58 4.3.1 Context and scope ............................................................................................................................ 58 4.3.2 Hazard Pathway Analysis.................................................................................................................. 58 2 Final Report Impact Assessment of aquaculture on seabird communities 4.3.3 Hazard Analysis: Potential negative effects of aquaculture on Seabirds ................................... 61 5 Proposed Mitigation Measures ........................................................................................................................... 70 5.1 Risk and Mitigation recommendations ..................................................................................................... 70 5.1.2 Residual or Untreated Risks .......................................................................................................... 70 6 Monitoring seabird interactions with sea-cage aquaculture .................................................................. 71 6.1 Monitoring framework .......................................................................................................................... 71 6.1.1 Level 1 - Seabird interactions at the sea-cages ........................................................................... 71 6.1.2 Level 2 monitoring ............................................................................................................................. 72 6.1.3 Level 3 monitoring ............................................................................................................................. 72 6.2 Monitoring framework methodology ................................................................................................ 72 6.3 Summary of recommended monitoring proposed ......................................................................... 73 7 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................................ 75 8 References ......................................................................................................................................................... 77 3 Final Report Impact Assessment of aquaculture on seabird communities 1. Introduction 1.1 Background In June 2014 The Department of Fisheries (DoF) engaged Halfmoon Biosciences to undertake an environmental impact assessment (EIA) of potential interactions between proposed marine finfish aquaculture and seabird communities including their marine ecosystems and island habitats. The investigation focussed on breeding colonies found in the vicinity of the Pelsaert Group and Easter Group of the Houtman Abrolhos Islands adjacent to areas being assessed as designated finfish aquaculture zones. The EIA is required to inform a Public Environmental Review (PER) for the Department’s Mid-West Aquaculture Development Zone (MWADZ) proposal to be assessed by the WA Environmental Protection Authority. 1.2 Impact assessment of aquaculture on seabird communities The offshore production
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