Threatened species lists

The eligibility of threatened species and key threatening process to be listed in the schedules of the Fisheries Management Act 1994 is determined by the Fisheries Scientific Committee in accordance with the criteria prescribed in the Fisheries Management (General) Regulation 2010.

The current list of threatened species, populations, ecological communities and key threatening processes are set out below:

Critically endangered species

Critically endangered species face an extremely high risk of extinction in the immediate future as determined by the Fisheries Scientific Committee. A species is eligible for listing as critically endangered if it has undergone an extremely large reduction in abundance, geographic distribution or genetic diversity and is affected by a threatening process.

Endangered species

Endangered species face a very high risk of extinction in the near future as determined by the Fisheries Scientific Committee. A species is eligible for listing as endangered if it has undergone a very large reduction in abundance, geographic distribution or genetic diversity and is affected by a threatening process.

Vulnerable species

Vulnerable species face a high risk of extinction in the medium term future as determined by the Fisheries Scientific Committee. A species is eligible for listing as vulnerable if it has undergone a large reduction in abundance, geographic distribution or genetic diversity and is affected by a threatening process.

Endangered populations

Endangered populations face a very high risk of extinction in the near future as determined by the Fisheries Scientific Committee. For a population to be eligible for listing it must be clearly defined and satisfy one or more of the following:

  1. It is disjunct or near the limit of its geographic range,
  2. It is genetically, biologically, morphologically, or ecologically distinct,
  3. It is otherwise of significant conservation value

The population must have undergone a very large reduction in abundance, distribution or genetic diversity and be affected by a threatening process.

Species presumed extinct

A species is eligible to be listed as presumed extinct if, in the opinion of the Fisheries Scientific Committee, it has not been recorded in its known or expected habitat over a time frame appropriate to its life cycle.

Critically endangered ecological communities

Critically endangered ecological communities face an extremely high risk of extinction in the immediate future as determined by the Fisheries Scientific Committee. An ecological community is eligible for listing as critically endangered if it has undergone an extremely large reduction in ecological function, geographic distribution or genetic diversity, and is affected by a threatening process.

  • There are currently no critically endangered ecological communities listed

Endangered ecological communities

Endangered ecological communities face a very high risk of extinction in the near future as determined by the Fisheries Scientific Committee. An ecological community is eligible for listing as endangered if it has undergone a very large reduction in ecological function, geographic distribution or genetic diversity, and is affected by a threatening process.

Vulnerable ecological communities

Vulnerable ecological communities face a high risk of extinction in the medium term future as determined by the Fisheries Scientific Committee. An ecological community is eligible for listing as vulnerable if it has undergone a large reduction in ecological function, geographic distribution or genetic diversity, and is affected by a threatening process.

  • There are currently no vulnerable ecological communities listed.

Key threatening processes

Key threatening processes are threatening processes that, in the opinion of the Fisheries Scientific Committee, adversely affect threatened species populations or ecological communities, or could cause species, populations or ecological communities that are not threatened to become threatened.

See Key Threatening Processes