Ramsar Protection Program

Home , City of Casey, French Island (Victoria)

The Port Phillip and Western Port Ramsar Protection Program

Snapshot 2013/14

Achievements in 2013/14 Ramsar Protection Program During 2013/14, PPWCMA secured $900,000 to The Ramsar Protection Programs delivers catchment undertake projects across the Western Port and Port based wetland conservation, enhancement and Phillip Bay (Western Shoreline) Ramsar sites: community engagement activities across the Western Port and Port Phillip Bay (Western Shoreline) Ramsar • $700,000 from Australian Government to fund sites of international importance. various projects across Western Port Ramsar sites delivered in partnership with Parks Victoria, The program focuses on protecting and enhancing City of Casey, Phillip Island Nature Parks, Bass Victoria’s amazing coastal saltmarsh and mangrove Coast Landcare Network, French Island Landcare, vegetation communities. Western Port Biosphere and Mornington Peninsula Shire. This is achieved by undertaking on-ground actions to remove habitat altering weeds and fencing highly • $200,000 from Australian Government to fund sensitive areas to manage public access and control various projects across Port Phillip Bay (Western grazing pest animals. Shoreline) Ramsar site delivered in partnership with Hobsons Bay City Council & Parks Victoria. The program also aims to improve the survival of important waterbird species by reducing predation • Additional funding of $2.325M has been secured threats through controlling predatory animals, over the next four years to continue works to primarily targeting fox populations. improve the condition of Ramsar wetlands.

Andrew Morrison (PPWCMA) and Bernie McCarrick (Parks Victoria) at Point Cook Coastal Park, an important site for Ramsar migratory shore birds Projects and Highlights

The Ramsar Protection Program supported community engagement; pest animal control; pest plant control and exclusion fencing activities. Some highlights included:

• Integrated fox control program implemented along Western Port’s shoreline between Tooradin and Somers. Extensive predatory control program completed by Mornington Pest plant control on Phillip Island Peninsula Shire, City of Casey and Parks Victoria.

• Hobsons Bay City Council completed exclusion fencing at Truganina Park to prevent illegal access into Cheetham Wetlands. Over 110 hectares of primary shorebird foraging habitat is now protected.

• 30 community members attended a cat forum on French Island to learn more about the behaviour, ecology and impacts of feral cats on native wildlife. Representatives from Parks Victoria and BirdLife Australia gave presentations to keen community members on how to manage feral cats.

• Throughout 2013/14 the Ramsar Protection Program: Fencing work completed on French Island • removed foxes, feral cats, pigs, goats, black rats and rabbits from 14,807 hectares of wetlands; • treated 901 hectares of weeds; • fenced 310 hectares of priority wetlands from domestic stock, pest animals and public access; and • recorded increases in the range of key species, particularly migratory water birds.

Aerial view of Cheetham Wetlands and Truganina Park

Location of two Ramsar sites in Port Phillip and Western Port Simon King (City of Casey) and Tim Bloomﬁeld (PPWCMA) discuss pest animal control at Woodlot Lane