PILBARA and Eighty Mile Beach: The human ‘footprint’ in the and lower west Kimberley is growing and there is a need for more integrated marine planning and management so our marine environment remains in excellent condition. The State Government is therefore planning to expand the marine parks and reserves system in the Pilbara and Eighty Mile Beach regions. PILBARA and By Judy Davidson and Carolyn Thomson-Dans Eighty Mile Beach: multiple objectives, one marine planning process n December 2006 the State Tiny but amazing feathered visitors I Government approved the fly all the way from the northern Department of Environment and hemisphere each year to feed on the Conservation (DEC) leading a whole wealth of marine invertebrates that live of Government effort to expand the in the mudflats of Eighty Mile Beach. marine parks and reserves system in the Some of the birds may have flown Pilbara and Eighty Mile Beach regions. stretches of more than 8,000 kilometres Six study areas have been identified, without stopping. On arriving from within which marine parks and reserves the northern hemisphere in about will be proposed. September, these migratory birds The Pilbara and Eighty Mile Beach spread out to feed over the exposed coast supports significant marine sand and mudflats of the beach at low biodiversity values such as mangroves, tide. At high tide they congregate in coral reefs, sponge gardens, seagrass beds, immense flocks on the narrow beach seaweed meadows and coastal formations slopes and exposed sand shoals—an such as barrier and offshore islands, incredible spectacle. Without areas so protected lagoons, deltas, rocky shores rich in resources on which to feed, and sandy beaches. These diverse habitats these important shorebirds would not are home to marine turtles, dugongs, The long mud survive their long migration back to whales, dolphins, seabirds, fish and The scenic Eighty Mile Beach, their breeding areas in the tundra of many colourful invertebrate species. south of Broome, is the longest the northern hemisphere, which are The area is extremely important for uninterrupted beach in WA, stretching covered in snow and ice for most of flatback turtles (Natator depressus), which for about 220 kilometres between the year. nest on sheltered mainland beaches with Cape Missiessy and Cape Keraudren. Eighty Mile Beach is one of only intertidal mudflats and turbid waters Its tidal mudflats are exceptionally a dozen or so areas in the world with in the Kimberley and Pilbara and on wide, extending for several kilometres huge intertidal flats rich in shorebirds several islands in the Pilbara. Flatback out to sea in many places. They and, as such, has been designated as a turtles are a threatened species and only support rich communities of wetland of international importance. nest in , making each and every invertebrates, including colourful About 90 per cent of the birds are rookery important. Other species of turtle sponges and soft corals that are concentrated in the northern section of recorded in the region include green sometimes exposed at very low tide, as the beach between Cape Missiessy and (Chelonia mydas), hawksbill (Eretmochelys well as millions of crustaceans, molluscs Wallal. Peak counts of well over half imbricata), loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and and worms that live in the muddy a million shorebirds have been made leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea). sediments. along Eighty Mile Beach and numerous species of these shorebirds occur there in internationally significant numbers. For example, about half of the world’s great knots use Eighty Mile Beach during their annual migration. The area is also believed to be used by the entire population of distinct subspecies of red knots and bar-tailed godwits. On 7 February 2004, an estimated 2.88 million oriental pratincoles were recorded at Eighty Mile Beach, a

Previous page Main Sandpipers and other shorebirds congregrate in the shallow waters along Eighty Mile Beach. Photo – Jiri Lochman

Above Sponges exposed at low tide near Cape Keraudren. Photo – Steve Bunce

Left Dugong feed in seagrass areas of the Pilbara and Eighty Mile Beach. Photo – Geoff Taylor/Lochman Transparencies

12 Landscope Above The wide fringing mudflats of Eighty Mile Beach make it one of the world's most important areas for migratory wading birds. Photo – David Bettini

Left The threatened flatback turtle has several rookeries in the Pilbara and Eighty Mile Beach area. Photo – Jiri Lochman

(Avicennia marina) are low and sparse, and frequently interrupted by bare mudflats. A few stunted red mangroves (Rhizophora stylosa) grow at the river mouth. North Turtle Island and Little Turtle Island lie about 20 kilometres off the coast north-west and west of Larrey Point. Bedout Island is a small mid- surprise to scientists as the previous platforms and inland outcrops), tidal shelf island about 40 kilometres north estimated population for the whole flats, mangroves, sandplains, sand dunes of Poissonier Point. These islands are East Asian-Australasian flyway had and sandy beaches. The area has a unique fringed by coral reefs and are important been just 75,000. geology and geomorphology, extremely marine turtle and seabird nesting areas. Large areas of Eighty Mile Beach diverse and rich ecosystems and a long are inaccessible, although there is a history of use by Aboriginal people that Cowrie Beach, Depuch Island well-patronised caravan park at continues to the present day. A 4,800- and Sherlock Bay Wallal. The most popular activities hectare reserve at Cape Keraudren is The coast between Cape Thouin are beachcombing and enjoying the managed by the Shire of East Pilbara and Cape Lambert is complex, spectacle of the long beach particularly and has a resident ranger. About 4,500 consisting mainly of mangroves at sunset and, if the tides are right, campers visit Cape Keraudren every interspersed with several low rocky fishing and four-wheel driving. year, many of them retired travellers, headlands and sections of beach. who stay for about a week at the Cape. Cowrie Beach, south-west of Cape Cape Keraudren, De Grey River To the west of Cape Keraudren, and Turtle Islands Thouin and about 140 kilometres east the De Grey River enters the sea of Karratha, is one of the largest nesting At the southern end of Eighty Mile at Breaker Inlet between Poissonnier areas for the threatened flatback turtle Beach is Cape Keraudren, which has a Point and Larrey Point. The river in WA, with several hundred females scenic landscape dominated by limestone mouth has a delta of extensive mud laying their eggs on the beach each formations (headlands, offshore reef and sand banks. Here, white mangroves year. DEC is undertaking long-term

Landscope 13 turtle tagging and a fox baiting program extensive art and cultural values. With in cooperation with the owners of the increasing industrial pressure on the adjacent Mundabullangana Station. Pilbara coast as a result of the resources There are many small near-shore boom, the world’s biggest bulk port is islands scattered along this coast— proposed for nearby Ronsard Island in remnants of an eroded shoreline the Forestier group. collectively known as the Forestier Further west, Cossack, 12 kilometres Archipelago after Baron Forestier, from Roebourne and once the major a distinguished general who fought port of the Pilbara region and the site with Napoleon. At their centre is the of the first pearling industry in WA, has rocky Depuch Island, which features an special interest for natural historians. All interesting history. Earlier this century seven species of mangrove found in the nearby Balla Balla Harbour was an Pilbara can be seen growing together important port for the copper mines along the shores of Butchers Inlet, within of the Whim Creek district. A large, easy walking distance of Cossack. iron sailing ship, the Crown of England, was wrecked on Depuch Island and Robe River and Great Sandy the Concordia was driven ashore nearby Island Nature Reserve during a cyclone on 22 March 1912 that Another section of coast that will claimed the lives of at least 15 people. be considered during the planning Depuch Island is rich in Aboriginal process stretches from the mouth of rock art and a deep water port that the Fortescue River to that of the was planned there in the 1960s was Cane River, and includes the waters abandoned at the behest of the Western surrounding the Great Sandy Island Australian Museum because of the Nature Reserve and the Mary Anne group of islands. This area is relatively remote and untouched. The Robe and Fortescue rivers have inactive deltas, a Above Cape Keraudren is popular with campers. distinctive coastal landform that is not Photo – David Bettini otherwise seen in the Pilbara. A 75-kilometre plus stretch of Left Fishing at Eighty Mile Beach. coastline lying on either side of the Photo – Dennis Sarson/Lochman Robe River contains the most diverse Transparencies mangrove forests found on the Pilbara Opposite page coast. Seaward of the mangroves, there Above right Mangroves protect are many small, low barrier islands shorelines from erosion and provide close to the shore which frequently habitat for fish, birds and other animals. have fringing mangroves around them. Photo – Marie Lochman

14 Landscope Study areas for the Pilbara and Eighty Mile Beach planning process. Marine parks and reserves will be identified within the boundaries of these study areas.

Cape Bossut Legend Limit of WA coastal waters Marine management area INDIAN OCEAN Marine park

Nature reserve Cape Keraudren to Spit Point Bedout Island Eighty Mile Beach Study areas (including Little Turtle, North Turtle and Bedout islands) North Turtle Island Cape Keraudren Little Turtle Island Dampier Archipelago Spit Point Marine Park Montebello Islands (proposed) Cape Thouin Marine Park Cape Port Hedland Lambert Barrow Island Cape Thouin to Marine Park Karratha Cape Lambert (includes Bells Beach) Barrow Island Regnard Marine Marine Management Management Area Area (proposed)

Serrurier Fortescue River to Cane River Island (includes waters surrounding Great Sandy Island Nature Reserve) Onslow 0 30 60 90 120 Locker Point to Rocky Point kilometres

Intertidal mudflats, rock pavements wherever they can find a foothold in the Pilbara. They have extensive and their associated mangroves as forming reefs, bommies and lagoons fringing coral reefs and luxuriant corals well as coral reefs are particularly well around the offshore islands. Many of on the slopes of rock platforms that offer developed around the Mary Anne the islands provide nesting places for attractive underwater scenery. There group of islands. Mangroves are an green, flatback and hawksbill turtles. is a high diversity of coral reef fish important source of nutrients for and invertebrates and well-developed adjacent marine ecosystems and provide Serrurier Island seagrass beds in the shallows. excellent nursery areas for many fish A group of offshore islands and Ospreys, white-breasted sea-eagles, species. Turtles, particularly young ones, emergent rocks in the western Pilbara Caspian terns and crested terns nest use these areas for shelter and food. includes Serrurier, Flat and Bessieres on the islands and the wedge-tailed The mudflats are rich in burrowing islands. They form a fringing reef system shearwater rookery on Serrurier Island invertebrates and are important feeding growing on Pleistocene rock platforms Nature Reserve is one of the largest areas for migratory wading birds. A in the middle of the continental in the Pilbara. Serrurier Island is also little offshore, dugongs and various shelf. These islands are remote and an important nesting area for green species of turtles feed on extensive beds surrounded by clear water, and are and loggerhead turtles and possibly for of seaweed and seagrass. Corals grow therefore among the most attractive other turtle species.

Landscope 15 Left Aerial view of the Pilbara coast near Weld Island. Photo – Richard Woldendorp

Below Shells on Eighty Mile Beach. Photo – Kate FItzgerald

linkages for the local community (such as future management arrangements with Aboriginal people and benefits for local businesses, industries and tourism ventures). To help ensure scientific rigour in identifying appropriate marine park and reserve boundaries and to allow a thorough analysis of options, DEC will use a systematic reserve planning approach and may seek advice from an independent scientific panel in developing principles to guide planning in the region. A Government Interagency Working Group has been established to develop the proposal and consider cross-agency issues early in the planning process. Community engagement programs will be implemented to ensure stakeholders and the community have opportunities Multiple uses economy and community. At present, to provide input to and be involved in The Pilbara and Eighty Mile Beach tourism is a relatively small contributor the planning process. region supports a growing mining and to the region’s economy but it is petroleum industry, commercial fishing growing and is likely to be more and many recreational uses such as important in the future. nature appreciation, boating, fishing, Multiple objectives scuba diving and four-wheel driving. The area is an important cultural Western Australian marine parks landscape for Aboriginal people, from and reserves have a multiple-use both historical and contemporary management framework that recognises Judy Davidson is a Marine Conservation a range of human uses and community Planner with the Department of perspectives, and contains some Environment and Conservation’s extensive outdoor rock art galleries aspirations while protecting the marine (DEC’s) Marine Policy and Planning and other significant sites. environment. Branch in . She can be Marine and coastal activities are The project to expand the marine contacted on (08) 9336 0118 or by email undertaken by many of the region’s parks and reserves system in the Pilbara ([email protected]). residents who live in the towns of and Eighty Mile Beach regions aims Carolyn Thomson-Dans is Senior Onslow, Roebourne, Dampier, to better protect marine biodiversity, Communications Officer (Marine) for Karratha, Wickham, Point Samson, Port threatened marine animals, habitats of DEC. She can be contacted on (08) 9336 0121. Hedland, South Hedland, Pannawonica, special significance and unique areas. The Newman, Paraburdoo, Tom Price and design and location of the marine parks The authors would like to thank Cath Broome, and on pastoral stations and and reserves will draw on comprehensive, Samson, Cliff Winfield, Alan Byrne, Alan Kendrick, Troy Sinclair, Fran Stanley, other remote communities along the adequate and representative reserve John Lloyd and Leanne Thompson for coast. design criteria and information collected their contributions to this article. The region’s economy is fuelled during the planning process. This will For more information please contact mainly by the mining and petroleum help the State Government maximise DEC’s Marine Policy and Planning industries and much of the State’s biodiversity conservation outcomes Branch on (08) 9336 0100, DEC's Pilbare mineral and petroleum production while minimising impacts on cultural Regional Office on (08) 9182 2000, is from the Pilbara region. Several values and commercial and recreational DEC's West Kimberley District Office major commercial fisheries and the users. Planners overseeing the process will on (08) 9195 5500 or visit www.naturebase.net/pilbara80mile. pastoral industry also contribute to the also aim to develop opportunities and

16 Landscope