Following an assessment of the threatened species status of the Little Tern (Sternula albifrons), on 5 March 2025 the Australian Minister for the Environment, Tania Plibersek, agreed with advice from the Threatened Species Scientific Committee (TSSC) and listed the species as Nationally Vulnerable under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999. The main factor that makes the species eligible for listing in the Vulnerable category is the limited estimated population size of 2,700 mature individuals (range 2,050 – 3,340) and the continuing population decrease, estimated at a substantial rate (>10%) within a three-generation period.
The Minister also agreed to develop a National Recovery Plan for the species, and a Conservation Advice for the Little Tern has been prepared: http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/species/pubs/82849-conservation-advice-05032025.pdf
ASG provided a submission supporting the listing proposal some time ago, and is delighted that the Minister has now taken this listing action. Little Terns are threatened by anthropogenic disturbance at their breeding sites that severely impacts their breeding success. Urban development and inappropriate water management are substantial threats, as they cause the direct loss of important breeding, roosting and foraging habitat, which potentially affect food availability. Introduced and native predators that prey upon nests and nesting birds are another substantial threat. Other threatening processes impacting Little Terns include hybridisation with the Australian Fairy Tern, and pollution and over-fishing, which may ultimately impact food quantity, quality and availability.
