Australian Marine Parks in the Indian Ocean Territories
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Australian Marine Parks in the Indian Ocean Territories Proposal for the establishment of marine parks in Australia’s Indian Ocean Territories (Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands) SUMMARY AND MAPS - COCOS (KEELING) ISLANDS MARINE PARK DRAFT - JULY 2021 Australian Marine Parks North Network Coral Sea North-west Marine Park Network Norfolk Island Temperate East Network South-west Network South-east Network Macquairie Island parksaustralia.gov.au/marine Have your say Comments will be considered in preparing the Proposal for the establishment of marine parks This document is a summary of the consultation in Australia’s Indian Ocean Territories (Christmas draft of the Proposal for the establishment Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands) for formal of marine parks in Australia’s Indian Ocean public consultation of at least 60 days, as Territories (IOT) (Christmas Island and Cocos required under the Environment Protection and (Keeling) Islands). In particular, it provides maps Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act. of the design (location, area and zoning) of the proposed Cocos (Keeling) Islands Marine Parks. Australian Marine Parks We welcome your comments on this summary, or on the draft proposal. A full version can be The Australian Government has established a found at https://parksaustralia.gov.au/marine/ network of 58 Australian Marine Parks in the pub/draft-iot-proposal-2021.pdf Commonwealth marine area, in addition to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and the Heard Email your comments to Island and McDonald Islands Marine Reserve. [email protected] Alternatively, comments can be mailed to: Marine parks protect seafloor environments like reefs; seagrass; seamounts; and canyons, and IOT Marine Parks Draft Proposal they can also support fishing and other marine Parks Australia activities such as tourism, and diving. Marine and Island Parks Branch 203 Channel Highway Kingston TAS 7050 Comments should be emailed or postmarked by 13 August 2021. Cocos (Keeling) Islands Marine Park (b) Yellow zones – Habitat Protection Zone Managed to allow activities that do not harm Objectives and zoning or cause destruction to seafloor habitats The objectives of the proposed Cocos (Keeling) (e.g. reefs and seamounts), while conserving Islands Marine Park are to: ecosystems, habitats and native species in as natural a state as possible. Activities like (a) Provide for the protection and wildlife watching, diving, snorkelling, research conservation of biodiversity and other and recreational/subsistence fishing can natural, cultural and heritage values occur, and commercial fishing may also (b) Minimise or avoid social and economic be permitted (in Habitat Protection Zones). impacts on local communities and other Mining is not allowed. users of these waters. To achieve these objectives, two types of zones Marine Park design are proposed: The proposed Cocos (Keeling) Islands marine (a) Green zones – National Park Zone park comprises a total area of 467,053 square kilometres and extends from the island’s Managed to protect and conserve shoreline to the limit of Australia’s Exclusive ecosystems, habitats and native species in as Economic Zone (AEEZ) approximately 200 natural a state as possible. nautical miles from shore. This zone only allows non-extractive activities, such as wildlife watching, diving, The marine park consists of two zones, mostly snorkelling and research. Fishing and mining corresponding to the inshore and offshore are not allowed. waters. GREEN ZONES protect important locations like breeding and feeding areas. Here you can watch wildlife, snorkel, dive, and do research. YELLOW ZONES protect sea floor habitats like reefs and seamounts. Watch wildlife, snorkel, dive, do research, and fish, but don’t disturb the seafloor. Table 1 - Overview of proposed zoning scheme for the Cocos (Keeling) Islands Marine Park Habitat Protection (IOT) Zone National Park Zone Activity (IUCN Category IV) (IUCN Category II) Recreational and subsistence A X fishing (including anchoring) ✓ General use, access and waste management ✓ ✓ Commercial shipping ✓ B ✓ B Commercial fishing ✓ C X B Aquaculture ✓ C X B Commercial media ✓ C ✓ C Commercial tourism (e.g. dive/snorkel tours) ✓ C ✓ C Mining X X Structures and works ✓ C ✓ C Research and monitoring ✓ C ✓ C National Security and emergency response ✓ ✓ ✓ Activity is allowed in accordance with the prescriptions of the management plan without the need of a permit, class approval or activity licence or lease issued by the Director of National Parks. The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) also applies with respect to ship generated pollution from ships (i.e. waste management). X Activity is not allowed A Recreational fishing is to be in accordance with local fishing rules, if applicable B Anchoring is not allowed except in anchoring areas determined under r.12.56 of the EPBC Regulations C Activity is allowed, subject to assessment, in accordance with a permit, class approval or activity licence or lease issued by the Director of National Parks The inshore zone of the marine park forms port in the north-west of the southern atoll a rectangle around the southern atoll and lagoon. Other inshore areas excluded from the North Keeling Island. It extends approximately marine park are the waters adjacent to Home three nautical miles from the shoreline of the Island and Direction Island (excluding the Rip); southern atoll (to the south, east and west), West Island’s shallow reef platform (from the to three nautical miles north of North Keeling seaward/outer reef edge to high water mark); Island (approximately 28 kilometres to the and a small portion of the lagoon to the north of north). The marine park adjoins the existing the runway on West Island. The waters around marine boundary of Pulu Keeling National Park. all the remaining islands are included in the marine park to high water mark. Most of this area is zoned a Habitat Protection Zone (yellow zone) (IUCN category IV). There The marine park includes all offshore waters, are also two small National Park Zones (green which extend from three nautical miles from zones) (IUCN category II): one adjacent to the Cocos (Keeling) Islands’ shoreline to the AEEZ. south-east end of Direction Island (covering All of this area is zoned as a National Park Zone the area known as the Rip); and one at Trannies (green zone) (IUCN category II). This zoning Beach, located in the north-west of West reflects that there has been no commercial Island. Most of the port zone is excluded from fishing in this area since 2013 and that mining the marine park, except for a section of the does not occur and is not prospective. 96°30'E 96°45'E 97°0'E 97°15'E Proposed Cocos (Keeling) Islands Marine Park Consultation Draft July 2021 Proposed Marine Park zoning S ' National Park Zone (IUCN II) 5 4 ° 1 1 11°46’18”S Habitat Protection Zone (IUCN IV) Other areas North Keeling Pulu Keeling National Park marine zone Area not part of marine park Islands 9 9 6 6 Total area of proposed MPA = 467,053 sq km ° ° 5 4 8 5 S ' ’ ’ 5 5 0 ° 5 2 Inset 1 Inset 2 2 ” ” E E 1 Inset 2 The Rip Trannie's Beach Inset 1 South Keeling Islands S Cocos (Keeling) ' 5 1 Islands EEZ ° 2 1 12°15’41”S 0 5 10 15 km Approximate scale Projection: Geographics Datum: GDA94 (effectively WGS84) © Commonwealth of Australia, July 2021 96°30'E 96°45'E 97°0'E 97°15'E 96°48'E 96°50'E 96°52'E 96°54'E 96°56'E S ' 4 ° 2 1 Proposed Cocos (Keeling) Islands Marine Park Consultation Draft July 2021 E 12°5'1"S " 5 2 E 3 " . 2 8 2 1 ' ' 1 3 5 5 Proposed Marine Park zoning ° 12°6'S ° 6 6 9 96°51'22"E 9 The Rip National Park Zone (IUCN II) S ' 6 ° 2 1 Habitat Protection Zone (IUCN IV) Inset 1 Other areas Area not part of marine park 12°7'27"S Islands 12°8'0"S S ' 8 E ° " 2 2 1 2 ' 3 5 ° 6 Trannie's 9 Beach Inset 1 Marine park boundary traces edge of reef flat S ' 0 1 ° 12°10'S 2 1 12°10'10"S Home Island 12°10'38.5"S 12°11’29”S S ' 2 1 ° 2 1 96°51’54”E 0 1 2 3 km Approximate scale Projection: Geographics S ' Datum: GDA94 (effectively WGS84) 4 1 ° 2 © Commonwealth of Australia, July 2021 1 96°48'E 96°50'E 96°52'E 96°54'E 96°56'E Finalising the parks and declaration Review available scientific and other information and conduct consultation to identify the natural, social 1 and economic values of marine area Prepare a draft proposal for the design of the marine 2 park(s), describing the possible location, size and zoning of the parks. Current Release of initial draft stage marine park proposal 3 Marine park proposal released for public consultation in accordance 4 with the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act Director of National Parks considers comments received during the consultation period and reports 5 to the Commonwealth Environment Minister Environment Minister considers the report and the Commonwealth Government 6 makes a decision on whether to declare a new Australian Marine Park If new marine parks are declared, the process to prepare management plans 77 for these parks begins.