Biologically Important Areas in the South-west Marine Region (Australian sealion breeding sites)

Work has been undertaken through the marine bioregional planning program to identify, describe and map biologically important areas (BIA's) for protected species under the EPBC Act. BIA's spatially and temporally define areas where protected species display biologically important behaviours (including breeding, foraging, resting or migration), based on the best available scientific information. These areas are those parts of a marine region that are particularly important for the conservation of protected species In collecting information on BIA's the Department has explicitly aimed to collect information about known important areas and about areas that are likely to be or may be important for a protected species. This approach was taken to ensure that: the BIA's identified did not simply represent survey effort but identified areas that scientists consider are likely to be biologically important for a protected species. BIA's are accompanied by comprehensive data attributes which enable decision-makers and people proposing to undertake actions that may have a significant impact on matters of national environmental significance to assess the relevance of the information to their specific circumstances. BIA's have been identified in the South-west Marine Region for the following species: \n\nSharks\nWhite shark (Carcharodon carcharias)\n\nSeabirds\nAustralian lesser noddy (Anous tenuirorstris melanops)\nBlack-faced cormorant (Phalacrocorax fuscescens)\nBridled tern (Onychoprion anaethetus)\nCaspian tern (Sterna caspia)\nCommon noddy (Anous stolidus)\nFairy tern (Sterna nereis)\nFleshy-footed shearwater (Puffinus carneipes)\nGreat-winged petrel (macroptera race) (Pterodroma macroptera macroptera)\nIndian Yellow-nosed albatross (Thalassarche carteri)\nLittle penguin (Eudyptula minor)\nLittle shearwater (Puffinus assimilis tunneyi)\nPacific gull (Larus pacificus)\nRoseate Tern (Sterna dougallii)\nShort-tailed shearwater (Puffinus tenuirostris)\nSoft-plumaged petrel (Pterodroma mollis)\nSooty tern (Onychoprion fuscata)\nWedge-tailed shearwater (Puffinus pacificus)\nWhite-faced storm petrel (Pelagodroma marina)\n\nPinnipeds\nAustralian sea lion (Neophoca cinerea), \n\nWhales\nBlue and pygmy blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus)\nHumpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)\nSouthern right whale (Eubalaena australis)\nSperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus)Restricted\nData is available under licence.\nNone