Towards a System of Ecologically Representative Marine Protected Areas in South Australian Bioregions Technical Report
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Table of Contents 9 Overview of Social and Economic Values and Uses in the Recommended Areas, and Summary of Issues for Risk and Impact Assessment ______________________ 4 9.1 Summary of Social and Economic Values and Uses in Recommended Areas ____________________4 9.1.1 Nuyts Archipelago, St Francis Isles and Coastal Embayments (Murat Bioregion) ______________________ 5 9.1.2 Baird Bay to Cape Bauer (including nearshore islands) (Murat/Eyre Bioregions Boundary) _____________ 29 9.1.3 Venus Bay and Surrounds (Eyre Bioregion) __________________________________________________ 38 9.1.4 Investigator Group of Islands (Eyre Bioregion) ________________________________________________ 47 9.1.5 Thorny Passage (Eyre Bioregion)___________________________________________________________ 52 9.1.6 Sir Joseph Banks Group and Dangerous Reef (including Tumby Bay) (Eyre Bioregion) ________________ 59 9.1.7 Neptune Islands Group (Eyre Bioregion) _____________________________________________________ 71 9.1.8 Gambier Islands Group (Eyre Bioregion) _____________________________________________________ 74 9.1.9 Franklin Harbor and Surrounding Waters (Spencer Gulf/North Spencer Gulf Bioregions Boundary) ______ 78 9.1.10 Upper Spencer Gulf (North Spencer Gulf Bioregion) __________________________________________ 87 9.1.11 South-Eastern Spencer Gulf (Spencer Gulf Bioregion) ________________________________________ 109 9.1.12 Western Investigator Strait, between the “Toe” of Yorke Peninsula and Northern Kangaroo Island (Eyre/Gulf St Vincent Bioregions Boundary)_______________________________________________________________ 129 9.1.13 North-Western, Western and South-Western Kangaroo Island (Eyre Bioregion) ____________________ 142 9.1.14 Southern Eyre (Eyre Bioregion) __________________________________________________________ 152 9.1.15 The ‘Heel’ of Yorke Peninsula (Gulf St Vincent Bioregion) ____________________________________ 167 9.1.16 Upper Gulf St Vincent (Gulf St Vincent Bioregion) __________________________________________ 178 9.1.17 Southern Fleurieu / North-East Kangaroo Island / Backstairs Passage / Encounter Bay / Upper Coorong (Gulf St Vincent Bioregion)________________________________________________________________________ 196 9.1.18 Upper South-East (Coorong / Otway Bioregions Boundary) ____________________________________ 236 9.1.19 Lower South East (Otway Bioregion) _____________________________________________________ 249 9.2 Issues for Risk and Impact Assessment ________________________________________________262 9.2.1 Coastal Marine Discharges_______________________________________________________________ 262 9.2.2 Coastal Developments __________________________________________________________________ 262 9.2.3 Aquaculture Developments ______________________________________________________________ 262 9.2.4 Fishing Issues _________________________________________________________________________ 268 9.2.5 Introduced Marine Pests _________________________________________________________________ 299 9.2.6 Oil Spills_____________________________________________________________________________ 301 9.2.7 Oil and Minerals Exploration and Mining ___________________________________________________ 301 9.2.8 Marine Debris and Dumping of Wastes _____________________________________________________ 302 9.2.9 Acoustic Pollution _____________________________________________________________________ 302 9.2.10 Physical Disturbance to Habitats (including Recreation & Tourism Impacts) _______________________ 303 9.2.11 Issues for Risk and Impact Assessment in Recommended Areas_________________________________ 304 9.2.11.1 Nuyts Archipelago, St Francis Isles and Coastal Embayments (Murat Bioregion) ________________ 304 9.2.11.2 Baird Bay to Cape Bauer (including nearshore islands) (Murat/Eyre Bioregions Boundary) ________ 313 9.2.11.3 Venus Bay and Surrounds (Eyre Bioregion)______________________________________________ 316 9.2.11.4 Investigator Group of Islands (Eyre Bioregion) ___________________________________________ 318 9.2.11.5 Thorny Passage (Eyre Bioregion)______________________________________________________ 320 9.2.11.6 Sir Joseph Banks Group and Dangerous Reef (including Tumby Bay) (Eyre/Spencer Gulf Bioregions Boundary) _______________________________________________________________________________ 324 9.2.11.7 Neptune Islands Group (Eyre Bioregion) ________________________________________________ 336 9.2.11.8 Gambier Islands Group (Eyre Bioregion)________________________________________________ 338 9.2.11.9 Franklin Harbor and Surrounding waters (Spencer Gulf/North Spencer Gulf Bioregions Boundary) __ 339 9.2.11.10 Upper Spencer Gulf (North Spencer Gulf Bioregion)______________________________________ 343 9.2.11.11 South-Eastern Spencer Gulf (Spencer Gulf Bioregion) ____________________________________ 360 9.2.11.12 Western Investigator Strait (including “Toe” of Yorke Peninsula and Northern Kangaroo Island) (Eyre/Gulf St Vincent Bioregions Boundary) ____________________________________________________ 364 9.2.11.13 North-Western, Western and South-Western Kangaroo Island (Eyre Bioregion) ________________ 367 9.2.11.14 Southern Eyre (Eyre Bioregion) ______________________________________________________ 371 9.2.11.15 The “Heel” of Yorke Peninsula (Gulf St Vincent Bioregion)________________________________ 375 9.2.11.16 Upper Gulf St Vincent (Gulf St Vincent Bioregion)_______________________________________ 377 9.2.11.17 Southern Fleurieu / North-East Kangaroo Island / Backstairs Passage / Encounter Bay / Upper Coorong (Gulf St Vincent Bioregion) _________________________________________________________________ 408 9.2.11.18 Upper South-East (Coorong/Otway Bioregions Boundary) _________________________________ 435 9.2.11.19 Lower South East (Otway Bioregion)__________________________________________________ 444 An Ecologically Representative System of Marine Protected Areas in S.A. Technical Report 2004 1 9 Overview of Social and Economic Values and Uses in the Recommended Areas, and Summary of Issues for Risk and Impact Assessment 9.1 Summary of Social and Economic Values and Uses in Recommended Areas Examples of available data and information used in the preliminary socio-economic overview for each potential MPA include that pertaining to: single and multi-sector commercial fisheries; recreational fishing; aquaculture management zones, lease sites, and species farmed; popular dive sites; other recreation and marine tourism; historic and protected shipwrecks; other marine heritage (European, in most areas; but also including American heritage in some areas, and Chinese in others); Aboriginal heritage, site usage values, and Native title applications; sites for marine research, and marine education values; wilderness and aesthetic values; towns and settlements; coastal mineral deposits and mining leases; ports and shipping; and other relevant uses and values Summaries of these values for each focus area that contributes to the representative system of MPAs, are provided in the tables below. Where possible, information is current to 2004. The sections do not provide an economic assessment of marine values such as fishing and aquaculture, which is beyond the scope of this report. However, information is provided about the main fisheries species targetted, and the main aquaculture species raised, with details and approximate quantities provided where appropriate, according to data sources available for this project. Fisheries and Aquaculture statistics change frequently, and therefore the following information is provided as a guide only. Updated aquaculture statistics are regularly published by Primary Industries and Resources South Australia (PIRSA), and the status of fished species and fisheries is available in regularly published stock assessment reports, by SARDI and PIRSA. An Ecologically Representative System of Marine Protected Areas in S.A. Technical Report 2004 4 9.1.1 Nuyts Archipelago, St Francis Isles and Coastal Embayments (Murat Bioregion) Aquaculture Ellis (1999a) described aquaculture, particularly the culture of Pacific Oysters, as an increasingly important regional industry, with substantial increases in productivity anticipated. Although figures specific to the far west coast are not available, Ellis (1999a) reported that three aquaculture industries were considered to have potential to generate over 630 jobs along the Eyre Peninsula by 2001, with such growth areas including oyster farming, and abalone and Rock Lobster culture (Ellis, 1999a). Pacific Oyster is the main cultivated species on the west coast, with key areas of culturing being Denial Bay / Ceduna, Smoky Bay and Streaky Bay. When in full production, Denial Bay and Smoky Bay would both have around 165ha under cultivation (Ellis, 1999a). There is reportedly an additional 120 ha of research and development sites in the Ceduna area (Ellis, 1999a). There are processing facilities in the Far West Coast area. Denial Bay and Smoky Bay together contribute over half of the total State production of oysters for domestic and export use. The majority of oyster culture is intertidal, although sub-tidal oyster culture occurs on a small scale, and increases in this activity are anticipated. Madigan and Clarke (2000) reported that annual production of adult oysters, in terms of dozens, between 1995 and 1999 was as follows: & In Streaky Bay, annual production was less than 100,000 dozens in 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1999, and around 100,000 dozens in 1998;