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Ningaloo Commonwealth Marine Reserve (renamed)
Overview
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR MARINE USERS
Transitional arrangements for renamed marine reserves
From the declaration of Commonwealth marine reserves in November 2012 until new management plans come into effect in July 2014, there will be no changes to management arrangements for the renamed Commonwealth marine reserves that existed prior to the establishment of the new reserves. This includes Marine National Nature Reserves and Marine Parks, whether they continue to exist as discrete reserves or have been incorporated into larger new reserves.
- Transitional arrangements involve NO CHANGE ON THE WATER for marine users.
- If you hold an existing approval to undertake activities within the renamed Commonwealth marine reserves (Ashmore Reef, Cartier Island, Ningaloo and Mermaid Reef Commonwealth Marine Reserves), you are able to continue to operate under the terms of your existing approval.
- No additional administrative requirements apply.
Ningaloo Marine Park (Commonwealth Waters) has been renamed Ningaloo Commonwealth Marine Reserve and forms part of the North-west Commonwealth Marine Reserves Network. Interim management arrangements apply until the management plan for the North-west Commonwealth Marine Reserves Network comes into effect.
The Ningaloo Commonwealth Marine Reserve stretches approximately 300 km along the west coast of the Cape Range Peninsula near Exmouth, Western Australia approximately 1200 km north of Perth. Ningaloo Reef, the longest fringing barrier reef in Australia, and the only example in the world of extensive fringing coral reef on the west coast of a continent, is included in the adjacent Western Australian Ningaloo Marine Park (State Waters), which lies between the Ningaloo Commonwealth Marine Reserve and the Western Australian coast.
| Name | Ningaloo Commonwealth Marine Reserve (renamed) |
|---|---|
| Date of Proclamation | 20 May 1987, now renamed Ningaloo Commonwealth Marine Reserve |
| Area | 2435 km2 |
| Depth range | 15-150m (approx.) |
| Types of zoning | IUCN Category II - Recreational Use Zone |
Major conservation values
- Foraging areas for vulnerable and migratory whale sharks
- Foraging areas and adjacent to important nesting sites for marine turtles
- Includes part of the migratory pathway of the protected humpback whale
- The reserve includes shallow shelf environments and provides protection for shelf and slope habitats, as well as pinnacle and terrace seafloor features
- Examples of the seafloor habitats and communities of the Central Western Shelf Transition .
