❓ Question on Notice regarding the proposed Camden Sound Marine Park, focusing on the protection of humpback whales and the compatibility of commercial fishing with conservation objectives. The Minister's response indicates support for conservation with caveats around scientific justification and measurable objectives.
AnsweredQoN 2174Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
With regards to the proposed Marine Park in the Camden Sound area of the Kimberley, -
(1) Does the Minister support the Government’s stated management objective for the proposed Marine Park, that is to protect the calving ground for the largest population of humpback whales in the southern hemisphere?
(2) If no to (1), why not?
(3) Does the Minister support the establishment of an adequate, representative marine reserve system in Western Australian State waters?
(4) If no to (3), why not?
(5) If yes to (3), does this include marine reserves and zones of marine parks that exclude fishing activities?
(6) Has the Minister made representation to the Minister for the Environment and/or the Department of Environment and Conservation, to allow commercial fishing in this proposed Marine Park?
(7) If yes to (6), -
(a) will you now table that representation; and
(b) has that request been agreed to?
(8) Given that the Government’s stated management objective for the proposed Marine Park is to protect the biggest calving ground for the largest population of humpback whales in the southern hemisphere, how is commercial fishing compatible with this objective?
(1) Does the Minister support the Government’s stated management objective for the proposed Marine Park, that is to protect the calving ground for the largest population of humpback whales in the southern hemisphere?
(2) If no to (1), why not?
(3) Does the Minister support the establishment of an adequate, representative marine reserve system in Western Australian State waters?
(4) If no to (3), why not?
(5) If yes to (3), does this include marine reserves and zones of marine parks that exclude fishing activities?
(6) Has the Minister made representation to the Minister for the Environment and/or the Department of Environment and Conservation, to allow commercial fishing in this proposed Marine Park?
(7) If yes to (6), -
(a) will you now table that representation; and
(b) has that request been agreed to?
(8) Given that the Government’s stated management objective for the proposed Marine Park is to protect the biggest calving ground for the largest population of humpback whales in the southern hemisphere, how is commercial fishing compatible with this objective?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
20 April 2010
Responded by
Minister for Fisheries
Response time
27 days
(1) I support the protection of calving humpback whales in Camden Sound.
(2) Not applicable.
(3) I support a marine reserve network in WA State waters, provided that it is carefully designed, and each reserve has clear and measurable objectives.
(4) Not applicable.
(5) I am not opposed to 'no-take' fishing zones, provided that there are sound, demonstrated scientific reasons for their creation, and that clear and measurable objectives are included as part of on-going management arrangements.
(6) To represent my responsibilities as Minister for Fisheries, I have had several discussions with my colleague about marine reserves, some of which have included Camden Sound. Details of the proposed Camden Sound Marine Park, including the zoning scheme, have yet to be forwarded for my consideration and concurrence under the provisions of the Conservation and Land Management Act 1984.
(7) See response to Question (6).
(8) I am aware that the State waters in the vicinity of Camden Sound provide an important nursery area for Humpback Whales. I further understand that these populations are not only considered to be healthy, but also estimated to be growing rapidly at around 10 per cent a year. On this basis, the existing low-level commercial fishing activities in Camden Sound cannot be considered to present a risk to the existing whale population.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
(2) Not applicable.
(3) I support a marine reserve network in WA State waters, provided that it is carefully designed, and each reserve has clear and measurable objectives.
(4) Not applicable.
(5) I am not opposed to 'no-take' fishing zones, provided that there are sound, demonstrated scientific reasons for their creation, and that clear and measurable objectives are included as part of on-going management arrangements.
(6) To represent my responsibilities as Minister for Fisheries, I have had several discussions with my colleague about marine reserves, some of which have included Camden Sound. Details of the proposed Camden Sound Marine Park, including the zoning scheme, have yet to be forwarded for my consideration and concurrence under the provisions of the Conservation and Land Management Act 1984.
(7) See response to Question (6).
(8) I am aware that the State waters in the vicinity of Camden Sound provide an important nursery area for Humpback Whales. I further understand that these populations are not only considered to be healthy, but also estimated to be growing rapidly at around 10 per cent a year. On this basis, the existing low-level commercial fishing activities in Camden Sound cannot be considered to present a risk to the existing whale population.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.