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Kimberley Marine Park facts for kids

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Kimberley Marine Park
IUCN Category VI (Managed Resource Protected Area)
Location Australia
Area 74,469 km2 (28,753 sq mi)
Established 1 July 2018
Operator Parks Australia
Website https://parksaustralia.gov.au/marine/parks/north-west

The Kimberley Marine Park (formerly known as the Kimberley Commonwealth Marine Reserve) is an Australian marine park offshore of Western Australia, near the Kimberley region. Proclaimed under the EPBC Act in 2013, marine park covers an area of 74,469 km2 (28,753 sq mi) and is assigned IUCN category VI. It is one of the 13 parks managed under the North-west Marine Parks Network.

Conservation values

Species and habitat

  • Important foraging areas for migratory seabirds, migratory dugongs, dolphins and threatened and migratory marine turtles.
  • Important migration pathway and nursery areas for the protected humpback whale.
  • Adjacent to important foraging and pupping areas for sawfish and important nesting sites for green turtles.
  • The reserve provides protection for the communities and habitats of waters offshore of the Kimberley coastline ranging in depth from less than 15 metres to 800 metres.

Bioregions and ecology

  • Continental shelf, slope, plateau, pinnacle, terrace, banks and shoals and deep hole/valley seafloor features are all represented in this reserve
  • Examples of the communities and seafloor habitats of the Northwest Shelf Transition, Northwest Shelf Province and Timor Province provincial bioregions along with the Kimberley, Canning, Northwest Shelf and Oceanic Shoals meso-scale bioregions.
  • Ancient coastline (an area of enhanced productivity attracting baitfish which, in turn, supplies food for migrating species).
  • Continental slope demersal fish communities (the second richest area for demersal fish species in Australia).

History

The marine park was proclaimed under the EPBC Act on 14 December 2013 as the Kimberley Commonwealth Marine Reserve and renamed Kimberley Marine Park on 9 October 2017. The management plan and protection measures of the marine park came into effect for the first time on 1 July 2018.

Summary of protection zones

The Kimberley Marine Park has been assigned IUCN protected area category VI. However, within the marine park there are three protection zones, each zone has an IUCN category and related rules for managing activities to ensure the protection of marine habitats and species.

The following table is a summary of the zoning rules within the Kimberley Marine Park:

Zone IUCN Activities permitted Total area
(km2)
Vessel transiting Recreational fishing Commercial fishing Commercial aquaculture Commercial tourism Mining
National Park II Yes No No No excludes fishing, with approval No 406
Habitat Protection IV Yes Yes most, with approval with approval with approval No 6,929
Multiple Use VI Yes Yes most, with approval with approval with approval with approval 39,964
External link: Zoning and rules for the North-west Marine Parks Network

State-based marine parks

The Government of Western Australia's Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions is as of 2020 collaborating with the traditional owners of the respective areas in overseeing the planning, development and consolidation of a number of marine parks within the region. These comprise:

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