Supports threatened No LAC proposed There has been a decline in shorebirds species numbers that Abundance of eastern curlew, curlew Medium species birds has been attributed to factors outside the Ramsar site sandpiper and fairy tern will not decline – boundary, in international staging areas (Hansen et al. 2011). below 1% of the population as stated in To reflect changes at a site rather than a population scale, a the most recent Wetlands International LAC based on comparison with the latest population data from Population estimate (based on a Wetlands International is proposed for the three threatened rolling average of annual species that occur in abundances greater than 1% of the maximum counts). population. A LAC based on presence is proposed for the remaining three species. Presence of bar-tailed godwit, lesser The quantitative LAC has been calculated based on the sand plover and red knot in at least maximum counts from 1975 to 1994, a 20-year period that three out of every five years. should reflect conditions at the time of listing. At this time the three species supported the following numbers (% of population): Australian fairy tern 45 (3%) – Curlew sandpiper 2900 (2.5%) – Eastern curlew 1050 (3%) – The remaining three species (bar-trailed godwit, lesser sand plover and red knot) occurred in 85 100 % of years. The LAC – is based on meeting the conditions of of at “regularly supports” least three years in five. Supports threatened No LAC proposed The Australian grayling passes through the Ramsar site as Australian grayling continues to be Low species - fish part of its lifecycle, but is unlikely to be easily detectable within supported in one or more of the the Ramsar site during these brief periods of migration. catchments draining into Western Port.
Supports threatened species – birds No LAC proposed There has been a decline in shorebirds species numbers that has been attributed to factors outside the Ramsar site boundary, in international staging areas (Hansen et al. 2011). To reflect changes at a site rather than a population scale, a LAC based on comparison with the latest population data from Wetlands International is proposed for the three threatened species that occur in abundances greater than 1% of the population. A LAC based on presence is proposed for the remaining three species. The quantitative LAC has been calculated based on the maximum counts from 1975 to 1994, a 20-year period that should reflect conditions at the time of listing. At this time the three species supported the following numbers (% of population): Australian fairy tern – 45 (3%) Curlew sandpiper – 2900 (2.5%) Eastern curlew – 1050 (3%) The remaining three species (bar-trailed godwit, lesser sand plover and red knot) occurred in 85 – 100 % of years. The LAC is based on meeting the conditions of “regularly supports” of at least three years in five. Abundance of eastern curlew, curlew sandpiper and fairy tern will not decline below 1% of the population as stated in the most recent Wetlands International Population estimate (based on a rolling average of annual maximum counts). Presence of bar-tailed godwit, lesser sand plover and red knot in at least three out of every five years. Medium Supports threatened species - fish No LAC proposed The Australian grayling passes through the Ramsar site as part of its lifecycle, but is unlikely to be easily detectable within the Ramsar site during these brief periods of migration. Australian grayling continues to be supported in one or more of the catchments draining into Western Port. Low
Western-Port-Ramsar-Site-Ecological-Character-Description-Addendum.docx