New dolphin for James Price Point suggests inadequate environmental impact assessment: scientist

Robert Mailer and Ben Collins
ABC

Dr Simon Allen says confirmation of a dwarf dolphin not previously recorded in waters off the site for a controversial gas precinct demonstrates that the State Government's environmental impact assessment is sub-standard.

These small dolphins swimming off the West Kimberley coast could be a new species. (June 2012) (Paul Bell -Feral Films)

The dolphin researcher is part of Murdoch University's Cetacean Research Centre which last year made a public submission criticising the Department of State Development's Browse LNG Precinct Strategic Assessment Report on impacts a planned gas processing precinct would have on the marine environment.
The scientists questioned the scientific integrity of this report in part because of their claim that the survey techniques would not be able to distinguish between different species of dolphin. And sure enough, Dr Allen now says that he has determined that there is a type of dolphin not listed in the government report swimming several nautical miles off the coast of James Price Point.

"Its significance lies not in the fact that this is potentially a new species... it's remarkable that a dolphin or a whale could be unknown..."

Dr Allen is yet to confirm the identity of the miniature dolphin which reaches a size of around a metre-and-a-half at maturity. It appears most like the dwarf spinner dolphin found in the Gulf of Thailand, but may yet prove to be a unique species. But Dr Allen is keen to focus on what the dolphin's discovery says about the survey conducted for the State Government's Strategic Assessment rather than the excitement of what may be a species new to science.

"We surely cannot rely on a decision maker to make an assessment on such a large proposal based on an environmental impact assessment that can't identify between one species and another" says Dr Allen.
Woodside petroleum, which is investigating the site of the State Government's gas precinct planned for James Price Point released a statement in response to Dr Allen's criticisms of the marine surveys:
"The Browse LNG Development has invested more than $80 million in environmental studies over many years to provide us with baseline environmental data. This data helps us understand what potential environmental impacts our development may have, and develop best practice approaches to avoiding, mitigating and managing those impacts. The baseline data also provides us with a dataset that we will use to monitor the Browse LNG Development's ongoing environmental performance.

This information also forms the basis of the environmental impact assessments we have supplied to regulators as part of the environmental approvals processes.

The environmental studies, impact assessments and management plans for both the Upstream EIS and the Strategic Assessment have been released for public review and comment and are now before regulators for assessment."

BUSINESS 'Mini dolphin' discovered near site of gas port

GRAHAM LLOYD, ENVIRONMENT EDITOR 

From:

The Australian 

June 02, 2012 12:00AM

A MINIATURE dolphin species has been discovered off the Kimberley coast near the site of the controversial James Price Point gas hub.

Murdoch University dolphin researcher Simon Allen said photographs and biopsy samples from the miniature dolphins, the adults of which appear to measure just 1.5m, had confirmed the significance of the find.

A Woodside Petroleum spokesman said the Browse joint venture had spent more than $80 million to undertake environmental studies, including comprehensive studies of whales and other marine life.

"We are focused on designing our facilities and preparing for construction and operational activities that consider and manage the full range of environmental impacts," the spokesman said.

But Mr Allen said many dolphins had simply been listed as "unidentified" in Woodside's environmental assessment, and that no distinction was made between the normal spinner dolphin and this miniature dolphin.

More data is required to determine whether the miniature dolphin is related to the spinner dolphin, which measures about 2m and has been identified in the area, or the dwarf spinner dolphin, which is known to inhabit the Gulf of Thailand. Two tissue samples from the miniature dolphin have been analysed at a laboratory in Zurich and the test results confirmed the dolphin was a new discovery for the area.

Mr Allen and his colleagues are collecting more samples for further testing. He said it was possible the dolphin would be found to be a new species.

Despite dolphins being some of the most charismatic and popular animals on the planet, Mr Allen said very little was known of the different species across northern Australia. He added that the find reinforced how little was known about life in our