Newsletter Moreton Island Protection Committee Inc. PO Box 2182 Ashgrove West QLD 4060 Phone 07 3321 1463 Print Post Approved PP414772/00002 Volume 28 No 4 October to December 2006 Moreton Bay Marine Park Natures Nursery, Brisbane’s aquatic playground Lissa Barr, Moreton Bay Education Officer, Australian Marine Conservation Society Moreton Bay Marine Park is a beautiful tapestry of quarter of the world’s shorebirds regularly migrate along islands, beaches, corals, rocky reefs and seagrass the east coast of Australia from as far north as the Arctic beds. The Park stretches 125 km from Caloundra in Circle and Siberia and roost in the Park over the summer the north to the Gold Coast in the south and includes months. both sheltered waters and open ocean beaches and reefs. Moreton Bay Marine Park is truly a wondrous place, yet like other coastal areas around the world, its health and The Park sits in the transition zone of both tropical beauty is under threat from human related causes. waters and temperate waters and is a relatively Every year 200 turtles are found dead in Moreton Bay shallow marine environment. These characteristics, Marine Park. These threatened and endangered animals combined with a large input of freshwater from migrate thousands of kilometres across the world’s oceans coastal rivers, produce the Park’s complex yet fragile only to be killed in Moreton Bay by boat strike, fishing marine ecosystems and south east Queensland’s most nets and plastic bags. Unfortunately, these are not the only important aquatic nursery. animals under threat in the Park. Moreton Bay Marine Park is home to over 740 In the last 30 years, dugong numbers have plummeted by recorded fish species, all 6 species of turtles recorded more than 90% along our urban coast. In Moreton Bay 15 in Australian waters, whales, dolphins and dugongs. dugongs wash up dead each year. Once measured in herds Amazingly, the Park is the only place in the world several kilometres wide, we now count dugongs one-by- where significant populations of dugongs and turtles one. Accidental boat strike, pollution, marine debris can still be found close to a major metropolitan city. and fishing gear entanglements are killing these vulnerable mammals faster then they can reproduce. For the shark lovers, the critically endangered grey nurse shark can be found off Moreton and Stradbroke A loss of seagrass habitats, the dugong’s main source of Islands and stingrays absolutely abound in Moreton food, is also threatening the survival of these charismatic, Bay’s sheltered shallows. gentle mammals. Since 1987, over 20% of Moreton Bay’s Looking in parts more like the Florida Everglades, seagrass beds have been lost. Moreton Bay Marine Park is also a Ramsar wetland The critically endangered grey nurse shark is also under of international significance because of the migratory threat in Moreton Bay. Less than 500 individuals now birds that travel there to breed and feed. Over one exist continued on back page. Please take extra care of our Pied Oyster Catcher when driving on the beaches!!!! Moreton Island Protection Editor Alan Genninges, Phone 3227 6309 Printed 15th December 2006 Committee Inc. AGM apology PO Box 2182 Ashgrove West Moreton Bay Manager Dear Sir, 4060 meets MIPC executive. I regret I am a very inactive member www.home.acenet.net.au/mipc Greg Carter Moreton Bay Bay but I am impressed with the work email [email protected] Manager met with the MIPC you are doing. Phone (07) 3321 1463 executive on Sunday 10th, to update I fell in love with Moreton Island Executive Members us on Parks news and to discuss to when I got my 30ft mast head slop. President review the Cape volunteer program. I loved the overnight anchorage at Alan Genninges 33716887 We were all appreciative of Greg the sandhills and the walk over to Vice President giving up his time on Sunday night. the ocean beach. I was careful not Marissa Grant 3216 2377 Greg reported that he had received to lie down on the sand for fear of Secretary Beth Crawter 3371 several favourable comments about being run over. 1329 Assist secretary Nanette the Information Centre Volunteers I think I joined early on and went to Kempel Treasurer Pam from Parks visitors. Greg advised a few outings long ago including Schindler that he would be recommending the Blue Lagoon. Executive Committee program continue in 2007. Now at 86 years I have had to give Linda Back 3366 1292 my boat to my daughter in Sydney Susan Bedford Management Plan stuck because of poor eyesight. I have also Gordon Bennet 3399 6351 on Ministers desk. had to stop driving so it s difficult to Patricia Cavanagh get out on trips. I cannot get to Fort Following the re-election of the Janette Dovers Lytton for the next meeting but hope Beattie government MIPC wrote to Simon Fell-Smith someday I may be able to see it. the new Minister for Environment Dennis Maher 3369 1681 I wish you success in your efforts to and Multiculturalism The Hon. Lindy Statement of Aims keep the island beautiful, 1. To promote the preservation of Moreton Nelson-Carr MP. In response to Yours sincerely, Bill Horsfall, Island as a natural area to be managed for questions about the use of Moreton’s Toowoomba. public recreation and enjoyment, provided ground water as a water supply the The executive members all always that the recreational uses are Minister stated. consistent with conservation aims. appreciate the many notes of “The QPWS is aware that some encouragement that accompany 2. To foster the conservation of the vegetation, community members have suggested your membership renewals ,thanks!. fauna and natural features of Moreton. investigating the possiblilty of the 3. To facilitate public awareness and future use of Moreton Island ground appreciation of Moreton Island as a natural water to augment the greater Brisbane Tangalooma pledges area and encourage support for its preservation Water supply. Although QPWS has and management in accordance with these support for 2007 objects. not been approached to discuss this Tangalooma has pledged to issue, it would have grave concerns continue providing transport to 4. To co-operate with, or promote co-operation about the potential impacts and by any means with and among persons, trusts, Moreton and to the study site for the corporations, firms, associations, institutions, sustainability of such a project.” eel grass volunteers. The MIPC site governments, instrumentalities or government, We also asked when the management is one of the most remote in the Bay municipal authorities and other bodies in the plan would be released and the and so Tangalooma’s generous Commonwealth or its Territories or elsewhere Minister replied “The Queensland for the purpose of carrying out any object of assistance with transport is a most the organisation. Park and Wildlife Service (QPWS) valuable contribution to this project. has been developing a management 5. To oppose any development or usage of plan for Moreton Island with key Moreton Island which is contrary to the stakeholders, including your Editor’s note preservation and good management of the A special thanks to Patricia island in accordance with these objects. Committee, to set the future direction 6. Generally, to take such lawful action as it for important management issues on Cavanagh who arranged for Lissa considers necessary or appropriate in the the Island. It is envisaged that the Bar from the Australian Marine interests of promoting the preservation and Conservation Society to write the good management of Moreton Island in final management plan will be accordance with these objects. released in the coming months.” timely article about the status of The views expressed in this newsletter are not Hon Lindy Nelson-Carr MP Moreton Bay. necessarily those of the Moreton Island Having opposed the fish cage Protection Committee or its members. Minister for Environment and Contributions to this newsletter are welcome, Multiculturalism, project MIPC is well aware of the but the editors accept no responsibility for PO Box 15155, lack of meaningful protection alterations made to articles. offered by Marine Park status. Printed by Rex Leo ph. 3878 5248 City East QLD 4002 Probable Grassland Melomys sighting. to stories about these ancient mammals. Neville turned of In early September this year, whilst camping at the the motor and there they were: huge shadows under clear Little Sandhills on Moreton Island, a group of four of water, coming up to breathe, circling the boat. We us had an extended view of a small mouse-like counted 5, 10, 15, mother and calve ... At least 25 mammal, eating scraps and generally scrabbling animals. Wow! I still can't stop sharing my excitement around our camp in the early evening. We watched it with all people in my neighbourhood. Petra Janoschka in torchlight for several minutes getting a very good Parks fees paid by Tangalooma view of a round reddish brown body with long “To simplify the discussion, the landing fee for the stringlike tail, and one of our party suggested it may vehicles and the situation for visitors to Tangalooma be a Melomys. On consulting our ‘Wildlife of Greater have been excluded (Tangalooma ferries, as they do not Brisbane’ we confidently identified it from the photo land on the recreation area, do not need a recreation illustration as a Grassland Melomys (Melomys area permit to land on Moreton Island)” from Page 2 burtoni) especially as its habitat and range is stated as MIPC Newsletter Vol 28 No 3 ‘grasslands and heath fringes bordering swamps and In response to the above paragraph I would like to clarify mangroves on North Stradbroke and Moreton Island’.