THE West Australian Government announced today it will be creating the Camden Sound Marine Park, which will host the biggest sanctuary zone in the WA marine park system. Within the park will also be a zone which provides for a “wilderness” fishing experience where rec fishers must catch and release or eat their catch before leaving the zone.
“Camden Sound, covering nearly 7,000 square kilometres, is the first of four new marine parks to be created under the $63 million Kimberley Science and Conservation Strategy. Other parks will be created at Eighty Mile Beach, Roebuck Bay and the North Kimberley,” said WA Premier Colin Barnett.
“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.
Environment Minister Bill 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.
Read the WA Government’s media statement on Camden Sound Marine Park HERE.
Chief executive officer of WA’s peak rec fishing body Recfishwest, Andrew Rowland, commended the state government for understanding the importance this area had to recreational fishing and setting the precedent for Wilderness Conservation Areas to be used in marine park planning in not only WA but throughout Australia.
“High quality recreational fishing is a key part of the wilderness experience and these areas provided the best of both worlds where the environment can be protected but recreational fishers were not locked out,” Dr Rowland said.
“Today’s announcement presents a platform for the application of this concept into the greater Kimberley strategy and other places such as Exmouth Gulf and Rowley Shoals.”
Dr Rowland said most recreational fishers who visited remote areas of Western Australia’s North West engaged in catch and release style fishing and only kept a fish or two to be eaten that day or night.
Read Recfishwest’s media statement HERE and its wilderness conservation areas policy HERE.
