Part 4 Appendices

Part 4 Appendices HEARD ISLAND AND MCDONALD ISLANDS MARINE RESERVE 139 Appendix 1. Proclamation of Heard Island and McDonald Islands Marine Reserve 140 MANAGEMENT PLAN HEARD ISLAND AND MCDONALD ISLANDS MARINE RESERVE 141 142 MANAGEMENT PLAN Appendix 2. Native Fauna of the HIMI Marine Reserve Listed Under the EPBC Act Scientific Name Common Name Birds recorded as breeding Aptenodytes patagonicus king penguin S Catharacta lonnbergi subantarctic skua S Daption capense cape petrel S Diomeda exulans wandering albatross V S M B J A Diomeda melanophrys black–browed albatross S M B A Eudyptes chrysocome southern rockhopper penguin S Eudyptes chrysolophus macaroni penguin S Larus dominicanus kelp gull S Macronectes giganteus southern giant petrel E S M B A Oceanites oceanicus Wilson’s storm petrel S M J Pachyptila crassirostris fulmar prion S Pachyptila desolata Antarctic prion S Pelecanoides georgicus South Georgian diving petrel S Pelecanoides urinatrix common diving petrel S Phalacrocorax atriceps (e) Heard Island cormorant V S Phoebetria palpebrata light mantled sooty albatross S M B A Pygoscelis papua gentoo penguin S Sterna vittata Antarctic tern V S Non–breeding birds Catharacta maccormicki south polar skua S M J Diomedea epomophora southern royal albatross V S M B A Fregetta grallaria white–bellied storm petrel S Fregetta tropica black–bellied storm petrel S Fulmarus glacialoides southern fulmar S Garrodia nereis grey–backed storm petrel S Halobaena caerulea blue petrel V S Macronectes halli northern giant petrel V S M B A Pachyptila belcheri narrow–billed petrel S Pachyptila vittata broad–billed petrel S Pagodroma nivea snow petrel S Phoebetria fusca sooty albatross V S M B A Procellaria aequinoctialis white chinned petrel S M B A Procellaria cinerea grey petrel S M B Pterodroma baraui Barau's petrel S Pterodroma brevirostris Kerguelen petrel S Pterodroma inexpectata mottled petrel S Pterodroma lessonii white–headed petrel S Pterodroma macroptera great–winged petrel S Pterodroma mollis soft–plumaged petrel V S Pygoscelis adeliae Adelie penguin S HEARD ISLAND AND MCDONALD ISLANDS MARINE RESERVE 143 Scientific Name Common Name Non–breeding birds Pygoscelis antarctica chinstrap penguin S Sterna paradisaea Arctic tern S Thalassarche chlororhynchos yellow–nosed albatross S M B Thalassarche chrysostoma grey–headed albatross V S M B Thalassoica antarctica Antarctic petrel S Tringa nebularia greenshank S M B J C Seals Arctocephalus gazella Antarctic fur seal S Arctocephalus tropicalis subantarctic fur seal V S Hydrurga leptonyx leopard seal S Leptonychotes weddelli Weddell seal S Lobodon carcinophagus crabeater seal S Mirounga leonina southern elephant seal V S Ommatophoca rossi Ross seal S Cetaceans Balaena australis southern right whale E W M B Balaenoptera acutorostrata Minke whale W Balaenoptera bonaerensis Antarctic Minke whale W Balaenoptera borealis Sei whale V W Balaenoptera musculus blue whale E W M B Balaenoptera physalus fin whale V W Berardius arnuxii Arnoux’s beaked whale W Globicephala melas long–finned pilot whale W Hyperoodon planifrons southern bottlenose whale W M B Lagenorhynchus cruciger hourglass dolphin W Lagenorhynchus obscurus dusky dolphin W M B Megaptera noveangliae humpback whale V W M B Mesoplodon layardii strap–toothed beaked whale W Orcinas orca killer whale W M B Phocoena dioptrica spectacled porpoise W M B Physeter macrocephalus sperm whale W KEY TO CODES (e) Taxon endemic to the HIMI A Listed under ACAP B Species listed under the Bonn Convention C Listed under CAMBA E Listed under the EPBC Act as endangered F In a family listed under the Bonn Convention J Listed under JAMBA M Listed under the EPBC Act as migratory species (listed under the Bonn Convention, and/or CAMBA and/or JAMBA) S Listed marine species under the EPBC Act V Listed under the EPBC Act as vulnerable W Whales and other cetaceans under the EPBC Act 144 MANAGEMENT PLAN Appendix 3. HIMI World Heritage Values The HIMI Territory was inscribed on the World Heritage List during the twenty–first session of the World Heritage Committee in 1997, on the basis of its outstanding natural universal values. In inscribing HIMI on the World Heritage list, the Committee noted that the site is the only volcanically active sub–Antarctic island and illustrates the ongoing geomorphic processes and glacial dynamics in the coastal and submarine environment and subantarctic flora and fauna, with no record of alien species. The site was considered to meet two of the criteria for listing as a natural World Heritage: i. an outstanding example representing major stages of earth’s history, including the record of life, significant on–going geological processes in the development of land forms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features Heard Island and McDonald Islands contains outstanding examples of physical and biological processes continuing in an essentially undisturbed environment, particularly physical processes which provide an understanding of the role of crustal plates in the formation of ocean basins and continents and of atmospheric and oceanic warming, and biological processes including colonisation and speciation. Examples of these World Heritage values include: – an active example of plume volcanism, and direct geological evidence of the action of the longest operational plume system known (plumes are the unseen, upward movements of relatively warm parts of the earth’s mantle); – geological evidence of plume interaction with overlying crustal plates; – a uniquely wide range of isotopic compositions of elements in volcanic rocks, providing insight into mantle plume composition; – the only known continuously active volcano on a subantarctic island; – fast–flowing glaciers that retreat and advance quickly in response to changes in temperature and precipitation; – evidence of dramatic fluctuation in glacier extent in recent decades, and consequent changes in the total glaciated area; and – formation of newly deglaciated areas. HEARD ISLAND AND MCDONALD ISLANDS MARINE RESERVE 145 ii. an outstanding example representing significant on–going ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, fresh water, coastal and marine ecosystems and communities of plants and animals Heard Island and McDonald Islands, the only subantarctic islands free of introduced species and with negligible modification by humans, provide a classic example of a subantarctic island group with low species diversity and large populations of certain species. Examples of the World Heritage values include: – the unmodified status of the Islands and intact ecosystems, providing opportunities for ecological research investigating population dynamics, species interactions, propagule immigration, plant colonisation, species recolonisation, and monitoring of the health and stability of the larger Southern Ocean ecosystem; – crucial habitat and breeding grounds for large numbers of marine birds and mammals; – areas of newly deglaciated land providing habitat for plants and animals and an outstanding location for researching plant colonisation; – ice–free areas of land isolated from each other by glaciers which provide unparalleled opportunities for study of dispersal and establishment of plants; – absence of human disturbance, providing unique opportunities for research into population dynamics of plant and animal species; – important breeding location for burrowing birds due to the absence of introduced mammals; – large breeding populations of flying birds and penguins; – species of conservation significance (such as the endemic Heard shag Phalacrocorax nivalis and the endemic sub–species Heard Island sheathbill Chionis minor nasicornis); – bird predator populations unaffected by the presence of introduced predators; – populations of invertebrate species, some endemic to Heard and McDonald Islands, and some endemic to the Heard and McDonald Islands/ Kerguelen region; – populations of seal species, including breeding southern elephant seals, Antarctic fur seals, and subantarctic fur seals; and – the diversity of plant and animal species. 146 MANAGEMENT PLAN Appendix 4. Extract from Draft HIMI Ramsar Information Sheet 5. Map of site included: a) hard copy: Preliminary map included – see Attachment A (see Figure 2) and Attachment B b) digital (electronic) format: Preliminary map included – see Attachment A (see Figure 2) and Attachment B 9. Area: The Heard Island and McDonald Islands Ramsar site is composed of the islands, the offshore rocks and shoals and the territorial sea extending to 12 nautical miles offshore (see Figure 2). The site boundary corresponds to that of the Australian Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands, which is also the boundary for the Heard Island and McDonald Islands World Heritage Property. The site area totals 636 400 ha, with Heard Island comprising 36 800 ha and McDonald Islands approximately 245 ha. The wetlands on Heard Island are comprised of approximately 1103 ha of glacial lagoons, 97 ha of non–glacial lagoons5, and 360 hectares of vegetated landscape49,58,121. The size of the wetland areas on McDonald Islands is not clear. The areal estimates above were made from the late 1980s and early 1990s satellite imagery and are likely to need periodic revision due to ongoing environmental changes such as deglaciation, climatic warming and volcanic activity. 10. Overview: Heard Island and McDonald Islands provide important breeding and feeding habitat for a number of Antarctic and subantarctic wetland animals. These

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