Marine Protected Areas
The Solitary Islands Marine Reserve (Commonwealth Waters) is a Commonwealth Reserve under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The Management Plan regulating activities in the Reserve will cease to have effect on 3 April 2008.
During the period between this cessation and the preparation of a new Management Plan under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act 1999), Interim Management Arrangements, including the Approvals system outlined below, will apply to activities within the Reserve. This is necessary to allow for continued commercial use within the Reserve, where that activity is permitted, during the period while no management plan is in force.
The activities allowed in the Solitary Islands Marine Reserve (Commonwealth Waters) are based on a system of zones that allow or prohibit certain activities. For further information relating to zoning arrangements go to the Zoning Arrangements Activity Table and Solitary Islands Marine Reserve (Commonwealth Waters) map. This information outlines where activities are allowed or prohibited.
An Approval is a legal instrument that allows identified activities to occur in a marine reserve in the absence of a management plan for that reserve. The Approval is given by the Director of National Parks, or his delegate, who has the statutory responsibility for the management of all Commonwealth reserves.
Without an Approval, users of the Solitary Islands Marine Reserve (Commonwealth Waters) are not permitted to undertake a commercial activity or catch native species.
All commercial fishers, commercial tour operators and charter fishers who wish to operate within the Reserve are required to apply for an Approval to carry out these activities after 3 April 2008. This includes fishers who wish to operate in the General Use Zone of the Reserve.
It will be illegal to commercially fish in the Solitary Islands Marine Reserve (Commonwealth Waters), unless you have an approval to do so. The owner of any commercial fishing licence whose fishing vessel(s) operates in the area of the Marine Reserve (Commonwealth Waters) needs to register for an Approval. Apply for a commercial fishing approval.
Commercial tourism and charter operators are required to apply for an Approval. Apply for a commercial tourism approval.
Recreational fishing, where it is permitted by the zoning arrangements, will be generally approved by the Director and will continue subject to existing arrangements. There is no need to apply for a general Approval for this activity.
There are conditions associated with your Approval to conduct activities within the Solitary Islands Marine Reserve (Commonwealth Waters) that you must abide by. Failure to adhere to these conditions may result in variation or revocation of your approval.
To apply for an Approval to conduct activities within the Solitary Islands Marine Reserve (Commonwealth Waters) you will need to complete an application form and return it to the Department.
Once you have been approved you will receive confirmation of your approval in the mail. This certificate should be kept onboard your vessel and you must abide by the conditions of the Approval. If there are any changes to your application/registration details you must notify the Commonwealth Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts within 14 days from when the change takes place.
For further assistance please contact the Solitary Islands Marine Reserve Manager on:
Email: mpa@environment.gov.au
Phone: 02 6274 1111
Fax: 02 6274 1771
