0 SHARK BAY SALT JOINT VENTURE SHARK BAY SALT PROJECT EXTENSION OF SALT PONDS, USELESS INLET PUBLIC ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW VOLUME 2 of 2 [Technical Appendices] 622363.1 SHA 11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 Copy A Vol 2 909397/2 Dpartrnent of Environmental Protection Library 2Qc3 1 SWA \Jo. q3q-7 I'. I ET PTh SHARK BAY SALT PROJECT EXTENSION OF SALT PONDS, USELESS INLET VOLUME 2 OF 2 TECHN I CAL APPENDICES Appendix 1: Environmental Protection Authority's Guidelines for the Public Environmental Report (PER) on the Proposed Shark Bay Salt Development at Useless Inlet Appendix 2: Technical Report of Fish Down Exercise Appendix 3: Technical Report of Fish Nursery Survey Appendix 4: An Archaeological Survey of Aboriginal Sites in the Area of Useless Loop, Shark Bay Appendix 5: Waterbird Usage of the Useless Inlet Salt Ponds, August 1989 Appendix 6: Net Fishing Catch and Effort Data from Useless Inlet, an area of Shark Bay subjected to reclamations for Salt Production Appendix. 7: Technical report of Biohabitat and quantitative benthic faunal survey Appendix 8: Technical report on changes to the hydrodynamic regime of Useless Inlet. Appendix 9: Technical report on dugong usage of Useless Inlet. Shark Bay Salt Project Extension of Salt Ponds, Useless Inlet Public Environmental Report APPENDIX 1 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AUTHORITY'S GUIDELINES FOR THE PUBLIC ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT (PER) ON THE PROPOSED SHARK BAY SALT DEVELOPMENT AT USELESS INLET LSC Ref: J171/R263 A1.1 Preface These guidelines are issued as a checklist of matters which the Environmental Protection Authority considers should be addressed in the PER. They are not exhaustive and other relevant issues may arise during the preparation of the document: these should also include the PER. It should also be noted that the guidelines are not intended to convey the Authority's wishes with respect to the format of the document. The format is a matter for the proponent and its consultant. A copy of these guidelines should appear in the PER. These guidelines may be amended if a joint State - Commonwealth environmental assessment is necessary by virture of the Commonwealth's Environment Protect ion (Impact of Proposals) Act applying to the project through, for example, the requirement for export approval. 1 • SUMMARY This section should contain a brief summary of: salient features of the proposal; reason for the proposal; description of receiving environment and analysis of potential impacts and their significance; environmental management, and commitments thereto; and conclusions INTRODUCTION identification of proponent and responsible authorities; background and objectives of the proposal including development concepts; scope, and timing of the proposal; relevant legislatiie requirements and approval processes (State and Commonwealth); and purpose and structure of the PER. NEED FOR THE DEVELOPMENT This section is to enable the proponent to provide the justification for the project. Al .2 4. EVALUATION OF ALTERNATIVES A discussion of the reasons for the proposed development, including possible alternatives. The following provides examples of alternatives and their potential impacts for consideration to this section: various development options including different scales; various special arrangements of these options based on environmental consequences; and any feasible opportunities which avoid the expansions of the pond system at Useless Inlet. DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSAL general development concepts; project timetable; pond expansion details; - location; - construction method; - area; and - embankment materials sources. EXISTING ENVIRONMENT This section should provide an overall description of the environment and of physical and ecological systems likely to be affected. It should then concentrate on the sinificant aspects of the environment likely to be impacted by the development. Only the habitats, resources •. and potential resources which could be influenced should be defined. This section should include an overview in a regional and local context of: marine environment; . commercial environment ie fishing industry; conservation values; Al .3 recreation values; and landscape values. 7. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS This section of the PER should show the overall effect on the total ecosystem and social surroundings of the proposal. The objective of this section is to synthesize all information and predict potential impacts (both adverse and beneficial) upon the environment in the short and long term. This should include an assessment of the resilience of the systems to natural and man-induced pressures associated with the proposal. Impacts should be quantified where possible. Criteria for making assessments of their significance should be outlined. It will be necessary to determine impacts on individual components of the environment before a final overall synthesis of potential impacts is made. Impacts on those environmental values indentified in Section 6 should be discussed, including: impact on the marine environment both physical and biological; 1 . impact on environmental and conservation values identified within this project area and the region (eg Shark Bay Region Plan); and impact on adjacent lands. To conclude this section an overview or synthesis should be given to show how the proposal will interact with the total ecosystem. This synthesis should also include an assessment of the significance of the various impacts identified. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT Environmental management should be described on the basis of (and cross-referenced to) the potential environmental impacts described in 7. The purpose of management is to demonstrate the manner in which potential environmental impacts can be ameliorated either through design or specific ongoing management. The issue of management of the adverse impacts of the proposal should be specifically addressed in detail, including who will be responsible. Commitments as to bittern discharge and rehabilitation of disturbed ground should be made. Al .4 SUMMARY OF COMMITMENTS BY PROPONENT CONCLUSION An assessment of the environmental acceptability of the project in terms of its overall environmental impact and in the context of proposed management should be given. I' Shark Bay Salt Project Extension of Salt Ponds, Useless Inlet Public Environmental Report APPENDIX 2 TECHNICAL REPORT OF FISH DOWN EXERCISE LSC Ref: J171/R263 APPIMflIV ') TECHNICAL REPORT OF FISH DOWN EXERCISE Report to : Shark Bay Salt Joint Venture, 22 Mount Street, PERTH WA 6000. by : LeProvost, Semeniuk & Chalmer, Environmental Consultants, Suite 2, 1st Floor, 175 Labouchere Road, COMO WA 6152. 12 July 1990 LSC Ref: J171 Report No. R263 LeProvost, Semeniuk & Chalmer TECHNICAL REPORT OF FISH DOWN EXERCISE Table of Contents SUMMARY 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background 1 1.2 Technique 1 1.3 Acknowledgements 2 2 EQUIPMENT AND METHODS 3 3 OPERATIONS 4 3.1 Logistics 4 3.2 Search effort 4 3.3 Netting and processing catches S 3.4 Extending the exercise S 4 RESULTS 6 4.1 Quantity and value of catch 6 4.2 Feasibility of commercial fishing operations 6 4.3 Standing commercial stocks 7 4.3.1 Approach 7 4.3.2 Results 8 4.3.3 Length/frequency data 9 5 CONCLUSIONS 11 6 REFERENCES 13 LeProvost, Semeniuk & Chalmer LIST OF TABLES 1 Work conducted and daily catches of commercial 14 fish species during Fish Down Exercise 2 Species caught with commercial haul nets during 15 Fish Down Exercise 3 Search times and catches of shots in Pond 0 16 4 Search effort and catch per day in Pond 0 17 5 Shot data used for regression plots 18 6 Day data used for regression plots 19 7 Historical catch data for Useless Inlet 20 LIST OF FIGURES 1 Location of evaporation ponds 21 2 Histograms of catch and catch per unit effort data for whiting and sea mullet 22 3 Plots of shot data (complete data set) for western sand whiting with simple linear regression lines 23 4 Plots of day data (complete data set) for western sand whiting with simple linear regression lines 24 5 Plots of shot data (complete data set) for sea mullet with simple linear regression lines 25 6 Plots of day data (complete data set) for sea mullet, with simple linear regression lines 26 7 Predictive regression lines for sea mullet from plots without severe turbidity-affected data of 5-7 July 27 8 Length/frequency histograms of western sand whiting catches 28 9 Length/frequency histograms of sea mullet catches 29 10 Length/frequency histograms of tailor and yellowfin bream catches 30 11 Historical and Fish Down catch rates 31 LIST OF PLATES 1 Fishing activities in Pond 0 (a-d) 32 LeProvost, Semeniuk & Chalmer SUMMARY In order to increase salt production, Shark Bay Salt Joint Ventu I'(' (SBS) proposes to create a new evaporation pnd in Useless Inlet which will occupy an area approximately 26 km immediately to the north of dough's Bar. Since the proposed pond will occupy an area presently utilised by commercial seine fishermen, a Fish Down Exercise was conducted within existing ponds to the south of dough's Bar as part of the impact assessment of this project. The objectives of the Fish Down Exercise, which utilised the equipment and methods of local professional fishermen, were to assess the potential value and feasibility of a commercial fishery within both the proposed and existing ponds in Useless Inlet, and to provide precise estimates of the standing stocks. The Exercise demonstrated that many commercial species are present in ponds behind Clough's Bar, of which several are presently utilised by licensed seine fishermen. The operation