A Strategy for the Conservation of Threatened Species and Threatened Ecological Communities in Kakadu National Park | 2014-2024
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A strategy for the conservation of threatened species and threatened ecological communities in Kakadu National Park | 2014-2024 By J.C.Z. Woinarski and S. Winderlich - October 2014 Vision: Kakadu National Park will be celebrated as a place in which management provides for the effective conservation of threatened species. Acknowledgements This strategy has been commissioned by Kakadu National Park. It responds to the interest and concerns of the Kakadu Board of Management, traditional owners, staff in Kakadu National Park and Parks Australia, and the Kakadu Research Advisory Committee. The strategy will be progressively implemented by Kakadu National Park over 10 years. Some recommendations are already being implemented, while others require further planning and consultation. This strategy was developed with the support of the North Australian Hub of the National Environmental Research Program. Michael Douglas oversaw the management and production of this strategy, and Jaana Dielenberg and Carli Piltz its layout and production. Vanessa Adams, Nick Dexter, Sam Flakus and Alaric Fisher provided helpful comments on earlier drafts. The strategy was initiated at a workshop held in Kakadu in March 2013, with the attendance and significant inputs from Alan Andersen, Roy Anderson, Frederick Baird, Mathias Baird, Josh Bean, Ryan Barrowei, Stuart Blanch, Mary Blyth, Roman Chaloupka, Peter Christophersen, Peter Cooke, Anthony Contarino, Ian Cowie, Samantha Deegan, Mark Ellis, Katie Elsley, Alaric Fisher, Stephen Garnett, Cherie Gellert, Graeme Gillespie, Louise Harrison, Michael Hammer, Fred Hunter, Jenny Hunter, Craig Ingram, Sarah Kerin, Peter Kyne, Violet Lawson, Jeff Lee, Sandra McGregor, Dan McIntyre, Andrew McPhee, Brendan Mee, Greg Miles, Ian Morris, Gleeson Nabulwad, Grant Nayinggul, Connie Nayinggul, Anne O’Dea, Gabrielle O’Loughlin, Margaret Rawlinson, Buck Salau, Ben Tyler, Berribob Watson, Sean Webster, Dion Wedd, Kathy Wilson and Dean Yibarbuk. Subsequent further advice was provided by Alan Andersen, Ian Cowie, Alaric Fisher, Stephen Garnett, Graeme Gillespie, Peter Kyne and Dion Wedd. For their participation in, and expert inputs to, the management prioritisation component background document, we thank Michael Braby, Andrew Burbidge, Josie Carwardine, Ian Cowie, Ron Firth, Alaric Fisher, Anke Frank, Stephen Garnett, Michael Hammer, Brydie Hill, Chris Humphrey, Michelle Ibbett, Sarah Kerin, Peter Kyne, Sarah Legge, Damian Milne, Ian Radford, Jeremy Russell-Smith, Simon Ward and Dion Wedd. Cover photo of Northern Quoll Dasyurus hallucatus by Jonathan Webb KakaduCover photo landscapes by Jo by Professor Michael Douglas ISBN 978-1-925167-07-8 1 Contents Summary ..............................................................................................................................3 1. The purpose and approach of this strategy ................................................................11 2. The opportunity and obligation ..................................................................................13 3. The values: threatened species considered .................................................................15 4. The challenge ................................................................................................................21 5. Objectives ......................................................................................................................25 6. Pathways to a solution ..................................................................................................27 6.1. Prioritisation of threatened species .......................................................................27 6.2. Management groupings of threatened species ....................................................28 6.3. Existing Recovery Plans: obligatory actions ..........................................................39 6.4. Strategic research program on threatened species ..............................................42 6.5. Strategic research program on threats and their control ....................................43 6.6. Prioritisation of management responses ..............................................................43 6.7. Access to, and use of, information ........................................................................45 6.8. Targets .....................................................................................................................46 6.9. Integrated monitoring and reporting program ...................................................47 6.10. Collaboration ........................................................................................................50 6.11. Captive breeding and staged reintroduction .....................................................50 6.12. Threatened Species Recovery Team .....................................................................52 6.13. Resourcing and management structure appropriate to meet the objectives ...52 7. Implementation .............................................................................................................55 8. Assessment and review .................................................................................................59 References .........................................................................................................................60 Appendices ........................................................................................................................64 Appendix 1 - Kakadu threatened species: dossiers on individual threatened species ..65 Appendix 2 - List of Data Deficient and Near Threatened species reported from Kakadu .............................................................................................................................228 Appendix 3 - A listing of threatened species found in areas adjacent to Kakadu but not yet reported from Kakadu .......................................................................................235 Appendix 4 - Summary of existing conservation actions in Kakadu for threatened species .............................................................................................................................236 Appendix 5 - Values attributed to Kakadu threatened species ...................................244 Appendix 6 - Threats to threatened species in Kakadu ................................................252 Appendix 7 - Key Threatening Processes listed under the EPBC Act ...........................261 Appendix 8 - Extent of current monitoring of threatened species in Kakadu ............266 Appendix 9 - A composite index for threatened species trends in Kakadu ................271 Appendix 10 - Standard Operating Procedures for a threatened species monitoring program ...........................................................................................................................274 Appendix 11 - Collation of priority actions ...................................................................276 2 A strategy for the conservation of threatened species and threatened ecological communities in Kakadu National Park | 2014-2024 Yellow Snouted Gecko - Lucasium occultum Photo:A strategy Anne for the O’Dea conservation of threatened species and threatened ecological communities in Kakadu National Park | 2014-2024 3 Summary This strategy underpins relevant components of the Kakadu National Park Management Plan 2014- 2024, particularly the theme (5.2) of Looking after Country, with its objective to: maintain the condition of the park’s natural values, and support the recovery of threatened species. This strategy aspires to the vision that: Kakadu National Park will be celebrated as a place in which management provides for the effective conservation of threatened species and the overall objective that: Population trends for all threatened species in Kakadu are demonstrably stable or increasing. This strategy has been developed in recognition that Kakadu holds important populations of very many species of threatened plants (15) and animals (60) – probably more than any other conservation reserve in Australia – and that this complement of threatened species is of international significance. Consequently the conservation of these threatened species represents a primary opportunity and responsibility for Park management. This recognition has been long-standing and has been considered in previous Plans of Management and planning documents for threatened species in Kakadu. Notwithstanding such consideration, the status of many threatened species in Kakadu is declining, and trends for many other threatened species are unknown. This strategy works from the assumption that substantial changes are required in order to improve on this situation. The challenge of this conservation management is profound. The range of threatened species is extremely varied, including, for example, highly localised fire-sensitive plants (and a threatened ecological community) in the Stone Country, endemic shrimps that may be susceptible to cane toads and that occur in only a few headwater pools, intercontinental migratory shorebirds, a set of rapidly declining woodland mammal species (including some species not recorded for Kakadu for many decades), an orchid known in Kakadu from only one rainforest patch, estuarine sharks and sawfish, and marine turtles. The range of threats is also extremely varied, including inappropriate fire regimes, predation by feral cats, invasive grassy weeds, predation and habitat degradation due to feral pigs, climate