The Kimberley's Commonwealth Marine Parks

Opinion Piece: Richard Costin, Broome

Tony Burke’s announcement of the establishment of a comprehensive network of Commonwealth Marine Parks around the Australian coast should help to still international criticism over the establishment of industrial ports in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, and limit the destruction of sensitive marine areas by industrial demersal trawling around the coast. 

The Great Barrier Reef has become the focal point of his plan with huge areas of the Coral Sea to be protected by a new Commonwealth Marine National Park. The scale of the proposed park in Queensland has captured the attention of the nation, and should provide real protection for the area by excluding the oil and gas industry and demersal trawling fleets.

On the other side of the country, in the resource rich waters of the Pilbara and Kimberley coast, a completely different story is unfolding. The proposed Commonwealth Marine Parks in this area may soon become the new greenwash for the offshore oil and gas industry.

Under the new proposal, around 255,000km2 of the Pilbara and Kimberley coast are to be protected by a series of marine national parks and multiple use zones. These areas have also become the new frontier for the multi-billion dollar oil and gas industry.

Clear contradictions have emerged where the oil and gas industry will be allowed to operate in approximately 95% of these marine parks.

According to the guidelines set out in the northwest Bioregional Plan, one of the key objectives of the marine park is to take a precautionary approach to protecting the conservation values of these reserves which should also have the capacity to mitigate identified threats to these values. A careful examination of the zoning and IUCN classifications for the proposed parks highlights these contradictions. The IUCN ll category, Marine National Parks, is designed to provide the highest level of protection for the conservation values in the region and does not allow for oil and gas exploration and development. Multiple use zones, IUCN Vl, allow for a range of existing activities to continue within the reserve, but will exclude activities that carry a high risk to the conservation values of the marine parks.

So should heavy industrial oil and gas development be considered as a high or low risk activity? The growing list of oil spill disasters around the world such as Montara, in the Kimberley, and the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico clearly demonstrate that these are high risk activities.

Every Australian is fully aware of the dangers posed by the offshore oil and gas industry, so why should Tony Burke by confused by what constitutes a high or low risk activity? The proposal to allow oil and gas exploration and development in the new Commonwealth Marine Parks in the Kimberley and Pilbara, should be questioned. The assurances of the Federal Resource minister Martin Ferguson and the oil and gas industry that these activities are safe, have a hollow ring to them. There is no way they can guarantee that there will not be another major oil spill on the Kimberley coast.

The oil and gas industry is ramping up its activities in Kimberley waters and is now pressuring the Federal government to streamline the approvals process. Under the zoning conditions for the multiple use zones, petroleum exploration and development areas that have been released before the declaration of the marine reserves will be allowed to continue operations. This applies to most of the proposed commonwealth marine reserves in the Pilbara and Kimberley.

If new legislation is enacted that guarantees access for the oil and gas industry to Commonwealth Marine Parks, as a condition of the zoning, this may provide a rubber stamp that removes the requirement for each operation to be carefully scrutinized under the EPBC Act.

Despite this development cloud hanging over the Kimberley coast, there are a number of bright spots on the horizon. The proposed Kimberley Marine National Park, which covers an area of around 7905 km2, which when combined with the new whale conservation area in the Camden Sound Marine Park, will increase the area of protection for migrating Humpback whales to around 15% of their Kimberley calving grounds. However, this marine park does not extend south along the Dampier Peninsula to Broome which is one of the main congregation area for migrating Humpback whales. The iconic Broome coastal region will have no protection and may be left open for the establishment of the James Price Point industrial precinct.

The proposed Kimberley Marine Park will be the only reserve to exclude both demersal trawling and oil and gas development. This represents around 3% of the proposed commonwealth Pilbara and Kimberley Marine Reserves. The rest will be open for oil and gas exploration and development.

Many questions need to be asked. Are the environmental standards that apply to the offshore oil and gas industry rigorous enough to protect the australian coast from major pollution? How will the management of the parks be funded? Will these management costs become part of the mining offset package to boost the environmental credentials of the oil and gas companies that operate in these marine parks or will they be independently funded and managed by the Australian people? Will the new marine/industrial parks in the Pilbara and the Kimberley protect the unique conservation values in the regions, or will they serve the interests of the offshore oil and gas industry? Are these developments good for Australia?

Tony Burke has a wonderful opportunity to put in place some real protection for the Australian coast. Let’s hope he has the courage to deliver world class marine parks for the Australian people.

Camden Sound Marine Park

Opinion piece: Richard Costin

Most Australians would have welcomed the announcement for the establishment of the Camden Sound Marine Park as a significant step forward for marine protection along the Kimberley coast.  At first glance the marine park appears to recognise the importance of Camden Sound for migrating humpback whales.  I have spent countless hours watching, filming and recording the wonders of the whales and marine environment in Camden Sound.  I have dived around Montgomery reef and Champagny island so i was delighted to hear that both these areas were to become special sanctuary areas  within the park.  This area of the Kimberley coast is special and  deserves the highest level of protection.  

Once the initial euphoria wore off I decided to reconsider the announcement in a broader regional context.  The two main question at the back of my mind required careful consideration:

1. Would the Camden Sound whale sanctuary provide significant long term protection for migrating humpback whales?
2. and how would the activities within the park zones affect the integrity of the park?
3. 
   

The Camden Sound Marine Park will cover a significant area of around 7000 square kilometres.  This includes 1670 square  kilometres for whale conservation, around 1400 square kilometres for the Montgomery Reef and Champagny Island sanctuary zones and 3457 square kilometres as general use zones.

The whale conservation area needs to be considered in the context of the distribution of the calving areas right along the kimberley coast, and in the context of the proposed Commonwealth Kimberley Marine Reserves in light of what protection that may provide the Kimberley’s  Humpback whales.  The main calving and resting grounds for Humpback whales in Kimberley waters extend from Eco Beach, south of Broome, to Camden Sound, approximately 400 kilometres north of Broome.  The main calving grounds cover an area of approximately 60,000 square kilometres.  The Camden Sound whale sanctuary will cover an area of 1670 square kilometres, or only about 3% of the calving grounds.  Independent surveys conducted by Kimberley Whale Watching over the past 5 years indicate that the highest concentration  of whales  on the kimberley coast occurs between Cape Leveque  and Broome during the peak migration period in July, August and September.  This is outside the Camden Sound whale sanctuary zone.

Two Commonwealth Marine National Parks [iucn 2] are proposed for the Kimberley Coast.  The smaller park will cover an area of 350 square kilometres adjacent to the western boundary of the Camden Sound Marine Park.  The larger park covers an area of 7,555 square kilometres and is a very important calving, breeding, feeding and resting area for humpback whales.  The proposed national parks should be considered as a whale sanctuary areas in line with the whale  conservation area in Camden Sound.

Federal minister for the Environment, Tony Burke, is also proposing to establish a Kimberley multiple use reserve in Commonwealth waters that will cover an area of around 54,886 square kilometres.  This includes an important congregation area between Adele island and the Lacepede Islands that should be regarded as critical habitat for the whales.  This multiple use zone is being opened up for oil and gas exploration and development and should be viewed as an industrial park and not a marine park.

Neither Colin Barnett nor Tony Burke are proposing to establish marine protected area in State or Commonwealth waters between the Lacepede Islands and Broome. This is perhaps the highest density humpback whale area on the kimberley coast.  This area is being left open for the development of the nearshore oil and gas industry and the establishment of one of the biggest oil and gas processing facilities  in the world.  The establishment of this industrial precinct  in the middle of one of the main calving, breeding and resting areas for the largest population of humpback whales in the world is outrageous.

So will the 1,670 square kilometre whale sanctuary in camden sound provide adequate protection for Kimberley whales in the face of a massive industrial expansion through their calving grounds?  The answer to that is emphatically  NO.

My euphoria  from the initial announcement about Camden Sound has completely evaporated and been replaced with a real sense of unease.That sense of unease increases when you consider the general use zones that have been proposed for Camden Sound.  These general use  zones will cover an area of 3,457 square kilometres, or 49 % of the marine park.  The Western shoals general use zone covers an area of 2,119 square kilometres to the west of and adjoining the whale conservation area and the Montgomery Reef Sanctuary Zone.  This has been left open for oil and gas exploration and development, mining, trawling and drift net fishing.  The Joint Authority Northern Shark Fishery is allowed to use 2 kilometre gill nets with an 18 metre drop.  This is an important calving, resting and feeding area for humpback whales.

The Hall Point general use zone is around 282 square kilometres and is an important transit route for humpback whales moving between Collier Bay and Camden Sound.  Fortescue Metals holds the mining tenements along the eastern shore.  This area has been left open for mining, oil and gas exploration and development and commercial fishing.  The Saint George Basin General Use Zone is considered to be one of the most ecologically significant estuarine environments in the kimberley, with one of the most important mangrove systems in Australia, and in fact the world.  This has been left open for oil and gas development, mining and commercial fishing.  The general use areas cover 49% of the marine park and have been left open for industrial development. These areas should not be considered as a marine park.

The special purpose Kuri Bay  Pearling Zone covers an area of around 577 square kilometres. Pearling operations commenced in Camden Sound at Kuri Bay in 1956.  By 1973 Kuri Bay produced 60 % of the world’s large white south sea pearls.  The pearl leases are now held by Paspaley Pearling.  These operations rely on maintaining a healthy marine environment and are compatible with the marine park.  There is some disturbance to cows and calves that are resting and calving around Byam Martin and Augustus island.

The announcement of the establishment of the Camden sound marine park by Collin Barnett should be treated with some scepticism.  There is no doubt that the announcement is politically motivated and designed to deflect attention from the proposed industrial development at James Price Point.  Colin Barnett,Tony Burke, the Western Australian Department of Environment and Conservation and the Environmental Protection Authority have been made fully aware of the importance of the coastal waters between Broome and Cape Leveque for migrating humpback whales.  This includes the waters adjacent to James Price point.

At best, the whale conservation area in the Camden Sound Marine park represents around 3% of the calving grounds along the Kimberley coast.  The zoning  for the Camden Sound Marine Park and the proposed commonwealth marine parks  reflects the extraordinary influence the mining and oil and gas industry, the state minister for mines and Petroleum Norman Moore, and the Federal minister for resources Martin Ferguson have over the marine planning process in both state and commonwealth waters.  The zoning also reflects the weakness of our environmental ministers at law to provide long term effective protection for the kimberley marine environment.

Colin Barnett, Norman Moore and Martin Ferguson’s powers at law to regulate and resist the mining and petroleum industry once they have handed over control of our resources through the allocation of mining tenements  is also limited.  I hope they all take the time to reflect on the risks associated with offshore oil and gas industry and the consequences of the Montara and Deep Water Horizon oil rig disasters.

The Camden Sound Marine park will have an uncertain future if the mining and oil and gas industry are allowed to operate in or a round the park.  The establishment of the park will no doubt provide a political quick fix as a mining offset for the establishment of an industrial precinct at James Price Point.  If Colin Barnett is serious about  establishing a network of marine parks along the Kimberley coast, he may need to enact new legislation that guarantees long term protection and excludes industrial fishing and oil and gas development.  Alarm bells are ringing that the Camden Sound Marine Park and the proposed commonwealth multiple use reserves will become the new green wash for the offshore oil and gas industry.

The release of petroleum tenements in the Rowley Sub basin around the iconic Rowley Shoals Marine parks clearly demonstrates that Martin Fergusson is hell bent on opening up the kimberley coast to the oil and gas industry.  Woodside and Shell are about to embark on a massive exploration program around the Rowley Shoals in an area that is also being proposed by Tony Burke as a Commonwealth marine reserve.  Calls by Senator Bob Brown to strengthen our environment laws have come at a good time. The decision by Woodside and Shell not to refer their Rowley Shoals seismic testing programme to Tony Burke’s office for assessment under the environmental  protection and biodiversity conservation act clearly demonstrates that self regulation does not work.  The mining industry and oil and gas industry are now lobbying to remove Commonwealth scrutiny under the EPBC ACT.  They are proposing that the responsibility for environmental approvals are now handed back to the States.  The Prime Minister Julia Gillard is set to comply with their wishes.

The establisment of the Camden Sound Marine park is unlikely to provide  adequate  protection for the west coast population of humpback whales and their calving grounds in Kimberley waters.The rapid expansion of the oil and gas industry along the Kimberley coast coupled with a weakening of our environmental laws should be viewed as a major threat to the whales and the marine environment along the Kimberley coast.

Commercial fishing restrictions in Kimberley's Camden Sound marine park

PROTECTION: The Camden Sound marine park will ensure protection of a valuable breeding ground for migrating humpbacks.Source: Annabelle Sandes - Kimberley Media

COMMERCIAL fishing will be phased out and recreational fishers required to release their catch in a new Kimberley marine park announced by the State Government.

The new marine sanctuary, known as Camden Sound, will cover 7000sq m of coastline about 300km north-east of Broome.

Under the plan, pearling operations will have designated areas, half of the area will be closed to commercial trawl fishing and 23 per cent will be closed to all forms of commercial fishing.

For the first time in WA, the State Government has also introduced a "wilderness" fishing zone within the sanctuary, where recreational fishers and charter boats will be required to release their catch or eat it before leaving the area.

The plan comes a month after the government announced commercial fishing would be banned along sections of the South-West coast as part of the Ngari Capes Marine Park plan.

Related Coverage

• New marine park to cover 209,000haHerald Sun, 30 Sep 2011
• Hervey Bay a whale waystationCourier Mail, 25 Sep 2011
• Whale baby boom 'biggest in 50 years'The Australian, 23 Sep 2011
• Native title ruling on Kimberley archipelagoPerth Now, 26 May 2011
• Aquatic AdventuresPerth Now, 9 May 2011

Premier Colin Barnett said the new Camden Sound Marine Park would be one of the biggest sanctuaries in the state and protect a vital humpback whale calving area.

Thousands of humpback whales that annually migrate along the west coast will have increased protection under the plan, he said.

"Camden Sound is internationally recognised as the biggest calving area for humpback whales in the southern hemisphere with more than 1,000 humpbacks found there during the calving season," Mr Barnett said.

“They are part of the biggest population of humpback whales in the world - numbering almost 30,000 - that migrate from Antarctica each year to give birth in the waters off the north of our State.”

Environment Minister Bill Marmion said vessels within a "special purpose zone" would be required to remain at least 500m from humpback mothers and calves

“There will also be two sanctuary zones comprising about 20 per cent of the marine park area around Champagny Islands and Montgomery Reef, which is exposed on the outgoing tide to reveal a series of awe-inspiring waterfalls.

“Montgomery Reef sanctuary zone, at 761 square kilometres, will become the biggest sanctuary zone in the WA marine park system."

Camden Sound is the first of four new marine parks to be created under the State Government's $63million Kimberley Science and Conservation Strategy.

Wilderness Society marine campaigner Jenita Enevoldsen said the conservation group welcomed the announcement as the Kimberley marine environment was one of the natural wonders of the world. 

"The region is one of Australia's last remaining large and healthy refuges for many threatened species including: humpback whales, snubfin dolphins, dugongs, saw sharks and six of the seven sea turtle species," Ms Enevoldsen said. 

"Camden Sound Marine Park is the right way forward for the Kimberley. It recognises that the future for this region is in protecting and promoting its unique natural and cultural values through a conservation economy, not in pursuing unnecessary and destructive industrial projects such as the James Price Point gas hub - which would be located in the unprotected southern end of the Kimberley humpback whale nursery." 

Conservation Council of WA's Tim Nicol said the marine park showed leadership and vision from the Premier "at a time when the future of the Kimberley is at a crossroads".

Mr Barnett said other parks would be created at Eighty Mile Beach, Roebuck Bay and the North Kimberley.

He said "where appropriate" compensation would be paid to fishing operations impacted by new regulations within Camden Sound.

The marine park will be jointly managed by the Department of Environment and Conservation and the traditional owners, including the Dambimangari and Uunguu people.

The marine park is expected to be created by mid-2012.

Kimberley Whale Watching on Camden Sound Marine Park

Kimberley Whale Watching congratulates the Western Australian State Government on the creation of the Camden Sound Marine Park on the Kimberley coast covering an area of nearly 7,000km2.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Breach at Lulim Island

PRLog (Press Release) - Apr 19, 2012 - Kimberley Whale Watching congratulates the Western Australian State Government in announcing the new Camden Sound Marine Park.  The park, which was announced by former Environment Minister Donna Faragher in October 2009 covers a large area considered one of the main calving grounds for Breeding Stock D,  the world's largest population of Humpback whales, and Montgomery Reef, which at 350km2 is considered to beone of Australia's largest inshore reefs. The State Government will be working closely with traditional owners and sea rangers in the joint management of the park.

The Kimberley's Humpback whales use the islands and reefs of the marine park as areas to shelter whilst feeding and nurturing young calves.  Through our observations of Humpback whale distribution and behaviour along the Kimberley coast and outer reefs and shoals over the past six years, we have also noted the importance of the Dampier Peninsula as a whale calving, resting and feeding area, and urge the State Government to consider increased protection for the Humpback whale population along this part of the coast.  We hope that the state government will extend the areas under marine protection to include the Buccaneer Archipelago, Talbot Bay, Dugong Bay and the Horizontal Waterfalls.

Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/11853279/1

www.kimberleywhales.com.au

Camden Sound Marine Park announced

Portfolio: Premier, Environment

• Premier and Environment Minister announce major marine sanctuary
• Camden Sound Marine Park to be one of WA’s biggest
• Park will protect State’s most important humpback whale calving area

Thousands of humpback whales that annually migrate along the west coast will have increased protection within a new Kimberley marine park to be created by the State Government.

Premier Colin Barnett and Environment Minister Bill Marmion today announced the Government’s decision to create Camden Sound Marine Park, about 300km north-east of Broome.

“Camden Sound, covering nearly 7,000 square kilometres, is the first of four new marine parks to be created under the $63million Kimberley Science and Conservation Strategy.  Other parks will be created at Eighty Mile Beach, Roebuck Bay and the North Kimberley,” Mr Barnett said.

“Creating this marine park reaffirms our election commitment to protect this significant and biologically important region.

“Camden Sound is internationally recognised as the biggest calving area for humpback whales in the southern hemisphere with more than 1,000 humpbacks found there during the calving season.

“They are part of the biggest population of humpback whales in the world - numbering almost 30,000 - that migrate from Antarctica each year to give birth in the waters off the north of our State.”

Mr Marmion said a special purpose zone would be created covering about 1,670 square kilometres to enhance protection of the humpback whale calving grounds.

“This zone will require vessels to remain at least 500m from humpback mothers and calves,” Mr Marmion said.

“There will also be two sanctuary zones comprising about 20 per cent of the marine park area - more than 1,300 square kilometres - around Champagny Islands and Montgomery Reef, which is exposed on the outgoing tide to reveal a series of awe-inspiring waterfalls.

“Montgomery Reef sanctuary zone, at 761 square kilometres, will become the biggest sanctuary zone in the WA marine park system.

“We have also included a small general use zone covering the frequently visited area known as ‘The River’ at Montgomery Reef.  This will allow some fishing and other activities to continue in this area.

“The marine park’s zoning scheme will help protect a unique marine environment, while allowing recreational and commercial fishing as well as aquaculture and pearling to occur.”

For the first time ever in Western Australia, there will be a zone which provides for a ‘wilderness’ fishing experience where recreational fishers (including charter boats) must either catch and release or eat their catch before leaving the zone.  Commercial fishing and other commercial activities will not be permitted nor will spearfishing.

Pearling operations will be recognised in a designated zone and some commercial fishing operations will phased out, with 48 per cent of the marine park closed to commercial trawl fishing and 23 per cent closed to all forms of commercial fishing.  If appropriate, compensation will be paid to affected fishing operations.

Camden Sound Marine Park will contain a range of coral reef communities at Wildcat Reef and in the vicinity of Champagny and Augustus islands.

The marine park will also be home to seagrass and macroalgal communities, extensive mangrove forests of the St George Basin and lower Prince Regent River, tidal flats, and a habitat for dugong, sawfish and dolphins.

The marine park will be jointly managed by the Department of Environment and Conservation and the traditional owners, including the Dambimangari and Uunguu people.

The Government has committed $10million over four years to protecting and managing Camden Sound Marine Park, with ongoing funding of $2.3million a year from 2015-16.

The marine park will be created by mid-2012 followed by gazettal of the zone boundaries later in the year.

      Fact File

• Camden Sound marine park will have 2 sanctuary zones, 3 special purpose zones and 4 general use zones
• The marine park is one of 4 being created in WA’s Kimberley region under the Kimberley Science and Conservation Strategy
• Final management plan for Camden Sound Marine Park to be released later this year

Premier’s office - 6552 5000

Environment Minister’s office - 6552 6800