Great Australian Bight Marine Park Whale Sanctuary

Great Australian Bight Marine Park Whale Sanctuary
South Australia
A panorama of the Head of the Bight
Great Australian Bight Marine Park Whale Sanctuary
Nearest town or city Fowlers Bay
Coordinates 31°29′36″S 131°09′30.9″E / 31.49333°S 131.158583°E / -31.49333; 131.158583Coordinates: 31°29′36″S 131°09′30.9″E / 31.49333°S 131.158583°E / -31.49333; 131.158583
Established 22 June 1995[1]
Area 435.87 km2 (168.3 sq mi)[2]
Managing authorities Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources (South Australia)
See also Protected areas of South Australia

Great Australian Bight Marine Park Whale Sanctuary is a marine protected area in the Australian state of South Australia located immediately off the coastline of the Great Australian Bight in waters about 790 km (491 mi) west-northwest of the state capital of Adelaide.

The whale sanctuary was originally proclaimed as a marine park under the Fisheries Act 1982 (SA) by the South Australian Government on 22 June 1995 to protect waters used by Southern right whales for breeding and calving . It was re-classified as an aquatic reserve after the repeal of the Fisheries Act 1982 by the Fisheries Management Act 2007 (SA) in 2007.[1]

It extends from 130 degrees 45.5 minutes east at its western boundary to 131 degrees 30 minutes east at its eastern boundary, and from the coastline for a distance of 3 nautical miles (5.6 km; 3.5 mi).[2] It is bounded by the Great Australian Bight Marine National Park to its immediate west and east and its extent includes the bay known as the Head of Bight. It is also part of the group of marine protected areas which are located together in waters within Australian and South Australian jurisdictions within the Great Australian Bight and which is collectively known as the Great Australian Bight Marine Park.[3] Since late 2012, both the whale sanctuary and the national park have also been within the boundaries of the Far West Coast Marine Park.[4]

The whale sanctuary is classified as an IUCN Category Ia protected area.[5][6]

See also

Citations and references

Citations

  1. 1 2 Government of South Australia, 2014, page 2
  2. 1 2 DEHAA, 1998, page 2
  3. ↑ Director of National Parks, 2005, page 5
  4. ↑ DEWNR, 2012, pages 3, 25, 27 & 29
  5. ↑ Commonwealth of Australia, 2005, page 3
  6. ↑ Director of National Parks, 2005, page 5

References

  • National Parks and Wildlife (Protected Animals—Marine Mammals) Regulations 2010 under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 (PDF). Government of South Australia (GSA), Attorney-General's Department. 2014.
  • Great Australian Bight Marine Park (Commonwealth Waters) Management Plan 2005-2012. Director of National Parks, Commonwealth of Australia. 2005. ISBN 0 642 550794.
  • Great Australian Bight Marine Park (Commonwealth Waters and State Waters) – A Description of Values and Uses (PDF). Director of National Parks (Australian Government, Department of the Environment & Heritage). 2005. ISBN 0-642-55079-4. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  • Great Australian Bight Marine Park Management Plan Part A - Management Prescriptions (PDF). Department for Environment, Heritage and Aboriginal Affairs (DEHAA), South Australia. 1998.
  • Far West Coast Marine Park Management Plan 2012 (PDF). Department for Environment Water and Natural Resources (DEWNR). 2012.
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