Several of the species of shorebirds that breed on Tasmania’s (and Australia’s) coasts are listed under State and Federal legislation. In Tasmania, Hooded Plovers and Fairy Terns are listed as Vulnerable, and Little Terns are listed as Endangered. Listed as Threatened Species, these birds are protected from all anthropogenic threats throughout their lives, including from human disturbance.

There is a small commercial marine alga (primarily Southern Bull Kelp (Durvillaea potatorum) industry in Tasmania, with most of the annual collection occurring on King Island in western Bass Strait, and around Marrawah on the northwest Tasmanian mainland.

Beach-washed kelp is collected from the foreshore, typically following storms. These collections occur throughout the year, including the shorebird breeding season, so there is a real potential for disturbance to nesting birds that could result in breeding failure. The kelp is dried then pelletised for export as alginate.

In response to this potential threat to breeding shorebirds, the Tasmanian Government produced a brochure for kelp harvesters throughout the state in 2021. The brochure was distributed as hard copy to the companies and individuals involved, and made available electronically for members of the community who can collect beach-washed kelps and sea-grasses for private use as garden mulch without permits.

The illustrated brochure introduces the concept of Threatened, Endangered or Protected species (TEPS), which applies to many species of shorebirds, seabirds or seals on beaches, and defines any interaction that modifies the natural behaviour of that species. The brochure details the types of interactions that are of potential risk to the shorebirds and seabirds, such as vehicular movements on the foreshore associated with kelp collection.

The brochure describes the behavioural responses by the birds that indicate disturbance, and provides guidelines to minimise or eliminate the disturbance. The brochure has images of five resident and three migratory species most commonly found on foreshores where kelp is collected in Tasmania, with a few species-specific facts to assist the harvesters to minimise their potential disturbance to nesting birds.

The details of all interactions are to be recorded on a standard log sheet that must be submitted to the Tasmanian Government annually as specified in the licencing and permit conditions for all commercial harvesting operations. Export of the processed alginate is regulated under the EPBC Act, and the Tasmanian reporting requirements meet those of the Federal Government.

Feedback from the industry and from individual harvesters has been positive, with harvesters reporting that they had become much more aware of the presence of nesting shorebirds and seabirds on the foreshores.

This case study was prepared by E. J. Woehler. Please cite as: Woehler, E. J. 2024: Kelp help: a guide to harvesting to minimise disturbance to shorebirds. Case study for CoastAdapt, National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility, Griffith University, Gold Coast.