Application for Scientific Permit – Available for Public Comment
Public comment on the following application for a Scientific Research (Fauna) Permit is open until 3rd October.
Applicant: NRM North (Northern Tasmanian Natural Resource Management Association Inc.)
Species/Taxon: All mammal and reptile species within the survey area
Location: The survey area is on Crown Land currently under a lease for agricultural purposes, adjacent to the North Esk River at Ravenswood, northern Tasmania.
Title of research: Baseline Mammal and Reptile Surveys of a Trial Wetland Restoration Site on the North Esk River Floodplain
Aim of project: Field surveys for mammals and reptiles form part of a package of surveys and desktop research to be undertaken to provide a Baseline Ecosystem Inventory for a proposed wetland restoration project. The outcomes of the surveys, together with baseline data collection and analysis for other biophysical parameters, will inform the design of restoration works at the site. Specifically, results will:
• enable the restoration design to take into account existing biota utilising the site and nearby areas, in order to retain, enhance and/or create habitat for the native species (including threatened species) present or which may be expected to migrate from surrounding areas;
• provide a baseline for future comparison of presence/absence, recovery and habitat utilisation of a restored peri-urban wetland by frog and bird species.
Justification: The project and associated baseline and follow-up data will provide a valuable case study in wetland restoration, as there are few examples in Australia of freshwater intertidal wetland restoration projects. Where possible, the restored wetland area will include appropriate public access infrastructure (e.g. walking trails) that will facilitate community education and awareness of the value of wetlands and the fauna dependent on them.
The surveys will establish a baseline for fauna at the site, to enable assessment of the progress of restoration efforts over time and benefits to native (including threatened) species. The least-invasive survey techniques that will provide sufficient and appropriate data will be utilised.
Maximum likely numbers of individuals involved: The number of individuals of any species that will be recorded is not able to be predicted prior to commencing surveys. The survey regime consists of:
- spotlight surveys (two survey occasions);
- hand-capture of reptiles, with release immediately after identification (two survey occasions);
- camera traps with lure (three-week deployment); and
- acoustic recording devices for bats (two-week deployment).
Activities undertaken and methods: For mammals, up to 12 motion sensor cameras will be installed across the subject area in Spring 2024, across a range of habitats. Images will be collected over a three-week period and analysed to identify all mammals detected (native and introduced). Camera trap stations will be baited with tuna oil or a combination of oats and peanut butter to increase the likelihood of detecting species that may pass through the area, and because capture rates are expected to be relatively low.
Spotlight surveys will be undertaken on foot in Spring 2024 and Summer 2024/25, with each sampling event taking between three and four hours. Two observers will slowly traverse a fixed, repeatable route, recording all fauna observed. The focus will be on native and introduced mammals but may include incidental observations of nocturnal and cryptic birds.
Scat/track surveys will be undertaken on foot, once in Spring and once in Summer.
Three high-frequency passive acoustic monitoring devices will be deployed in Spring 2024 for a two-week period. Deployment will not coincide with spotlight surveys since bat behaviour would be likely to be influenced by the presence of a spotlight. Data will be analysed and processed by using specialised software (Anabat Insight) to identify call sequences to species level.
During late Spring/early Summer, two observers will undertake ground surveys for reptiles on two separate occasions. For snake species, mountain dragon and larger skinks (blue-tongue lizards and white’s skink), identification to species will be done by observation of basking animals. For other lizards (small-medium skink species), individuals will be captured by hand to identify them to species based on colouration, scale patterns and limb characteristics. This will be undertaken in the early morning or on cool, cloudy days when activity levels for reptiles are low. Lizards will be captured in the open or found by turning over ground cover such as logs and rocks. Their species and capture location will be recorded, photographs taken if required for confirmation of species, and quickly returned to the place of capture (if protected) or available cover nearby. All ground cover displaced during the search will be replaced exactly as found.
In the case of multiple skinks being found at one location, some individuals will be placed in cloth catch bags in the short term, to allow identification of each individual. One catch bag will be used for each individual, which will be kept in the shade for no longer than a few minutes while other individuals are identified. Each animal will then be released at its capture location as above.
Fate of animals: No individuals will be removed from their environment, and only skinks will be handled for a short period and then released. At the conclusion of each survey event, all surveyed animals will continue to inhabit their environment as before.
Likely impact on species involved (including any by-catch): The potential impact on target and non-target species will be limited to minor and short-term disturbance during deployment and collection of camera and acoustic recording equipment and conducting spotlight surveys on foot. In the case of lizards, individuals will be captured by hand during cooler hours of the day when their activity is lower. They will be handled only long enough to identify to species, and then released back to the environment, including being provided with cover (leaf litter, rocks) upon release.