Shorebird and Seabird LISTmap layer

​​​An Australian Pied Oystercatcher sitting on a nest - which is an indent in the sand at the beach

Australian Pied Oystercatcher on a nest
Photo: Eric J Woehler

A new Shorebird and Seabird LISTmap layer divides the foreshore of Tasmania’s coastline into “traffic light colours” – red orange and green. These colours indicate the risk/vulnerability of the habitat to human related disturbance and identify the level of care and consideration that is recommended.​​

​Line Colour
​Risk/vulnerability
​Recommendation
​Red
​High
​Avoid human related disturbance
​Orange
​Medium
​Minimise human related disturbance
​Green
​Low
​No current access constraints


It’s intended to be used as a tool to help the seafood industry, community groups, and other stakeholders identify sensitive foreshore bird breeding habitat before embarking on activities like: 
  • shoreline clean-ups
  • marine debris collections
  • invasive plant removal ​

The layer was developed collaboratively with NRE Tas staff working with Birdlife Tasmania and NRM South. Financial contributions were made by NRE Tas, NRM South and the Tasmanian Seafood Industry Council (through the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program), as well as the Tasmanian Oyster Company.​

The LISTmap layer encompasses all habitats, including beaches and rocky shores, and the red, orange and green zones show which areas should be avoided, and when.

The entire Tasmanian coastline has been mapped – including outlying islands. This involved approximately 8000 data points collected over 28 years.

The layer includes breeding/nesting sites for 6 species including:
  • Hooded Plover
  • Red-capped Plover
  • Australian Pied Oystercatcher
  • Sooty Oystercatcher
  • Fairy Tern
  • Little Tern​
​A hooded Plover walking on wet sand at the beach

Hooded Plover
Photo: Eric J Woehler

Shorebird eggs nestled in the sand at the beach

Photo: Eric J Woehler

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