Territory Stories

Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve and Cartier Island Marine Reserve : marine and terrestrial introduced species prevention and management strategy : report for Department of Environment and Heritage

Details:

Title

Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve and Cartier Island Marine Reserve : marine and terrestrial introduced species prevention and management strategy : report for Department of Environment and Heritage,

Other title

Marine and terrestrial introduced species prevention and management strategy : report for Department of Environment and Heritage,

Creator

Hilliard, Robert, Neil, Kerry, Russell, Barry C, Australia. Department of Environment and Heritage,

Collection

E-Publications, E-Books, PublicationNT,

Date

2004,

Description

This report is an assessment of the current status and potential risks of introduction of non-indigenous terrestrial and marine species at Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve and Cartier Island Marine Reserve (the Reserves). The project scope and objectives were to: Identify and assess risks associated with the potential introduction of terrestrial and marine species into the Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve and Cartier Island Marine Reserve; Provide a range of recommendations for managing these risks including actions to prevent or minimise, monitor and respond to incursions; Develop a marine and terrestrial introduced species prevention and management strategy, which could be implemented by the Department of Environment and Heritage's Marine Protected Areas Section. The report includes: Background information on the Reserves, relevant to the introduction of non-indigenous species (NIS), including location, climate and oceanography, history of human visits and uses, present day management, other activities, and marine and coastal habitats; The results of field surveys of the marine and terrestrial environments of the Reserves, and describes which NIS are currently present, their invasive characteristics and which habitats may be prone to future capability; A risk assessment of species introductions; An introduced species prevention and management strategy, and provides recommendations for: Specific objectives, performance targets and review mechanism; Management of risk and introduced species prevention; Monitoring and data collection; Management of established terrestrial NIS. The report also identifies further research and regional cooperation needs. Recommendations of the introduced species prevention and management strategy are: Continued management presence by ACV personnel at Ashmore Reef to enforce access restrictions; Adoption of strict quarantine standards and procedures for all equipment and materials transported to and from Reserves; Avoidance of vessel ballast or trim water discharge and hull cleaning within the Reserves; Risk assessment of all vessels for fouling organisms, with hull inspection of suspect vessels using recommended protocols developed for the Port of Darwin, and collection and reporting of suspect material; Establishment of permanent moorings at Ashmore Reef outside of West Lagoon, and the interception and/or removal of 'high risk' vessels such as SIEVs from the lagoon to these moorings to minimise the risk of inoculation of lagoon waters by eggs and larvae of non-indigenous marine species; Improved data collection for all vessel arrivals; Monitoring of marine debris, including removal and destruction of boat timbers and suspect driftwood, with collection and reporting of suspect material; Regular monitoring for marine NIS, especially on artificial substrates such as mooring blocks and buoys, with review of the status of NIS and scientific re-survey every 3-5 years, or sooner if a NIS incursion is suspected; regular monitoring for potential invasive terrestrial NIS, with scientific re-survey of plant and terrestrial animals undertaken every 3-5 years on all three Ashmore islands and at Cartier Island, to monitor changes in population and NIS impacts, and to detect the presence of new NIS; Development of a long-term eradication program for 'high risk' weed species, with urgent eradication of feather grass, Cenchrus cillaris, and feather grass, Pennisetim pedicellatum; Urgent survey of Ashmore islands to determine the extent and impacts of ginger ants, Solenopsis geminata, especially on bird and turtle nesting sites, with a view to the possible eradication of this species; Research and monitoring of populations of the Asian house gecko, Hemidactylus frenatus, and assessment of its ecological impact on West Island; Intensive annual trapping program to monitor for rodents of the Ashmore islands., Made available via the Publications (Legal Deposit) Act 2004 (NT).,

Table of contents

1. Introduction -- 2. Description of the Ashmore Reef and Cartier Island Reserves -- 3. Marine Field Survey -- 4. Terrestrial Field Survey -- 5. Appraisal of possible vectors for marine and terrestrial introduced species -- 6. Risk assessment of species introductions -- 7. Introduced species prevention and management strategy -- 8. Research needs and regional cooperation.,

Language

English,

Subject

Weeds, Ecological risk assessment, Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Marine parks and reserves, National parks and reserves -- Northern Territory -- Ashmore Reef -- Management, Northern Territory, Ants -- Ecology -- Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Weeds -- Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Marine animals, Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve, Rodents, Ants, Cartier Island Marine Reserve, Ecology, Marine parks and reserves -- Ashmore and Cartier Islands -- Management, Marine animals -- Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Management, Ants -- Control -- Northern Territory -- Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Control, Rodents -- Control -- Northern Territory -- Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Ashmore Reef, Ecological risk assessment -- Ashmore and Cartier Islands, National parks and reserves,

Publisher name

Department of Environment and Heritage,

Place of publication

Canberra (A.C.T.),

Format

ix, 136 pages : illustration ; 30 cm.,

File type

application/pdf.,

Copyright owner

Check within Publication or with content Publisher.,

Parent handle

https://hdl.handle.net/10070/212887,

Citation address

https://hdl.handle.net/10070/212887

Related items

https://hdl.handle.net/10070/715851,