The Shark Bay Marine Park is a protected marine park located within the UNESCO World Heritage–listed Shark Bay, in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia. The 748,725-hectare (1,850,140-acre)[2] marine park is situated over 800 kilometres (500 mi) north of Perth and 400 kilometres (250 mi) north of Geraldton.[3][4]
| Shark Bay Marine Park Western Australia | |
|---|---|
IUCN category VI (protected area with sustainable use of natural resources) | |
 A dolphin at Monkey Mia in the marine park | |
  Shark Bay Marine Park | |
 | |
| Nearest town or city | Denham |
| Coordinates | 25°48′S 113°45′E / 25.800°S 113.750°E |
| Established | 30 November 1990[1] |
| Area | 7,487.25 km2 (2,890.8 sq mi)[2] |
| Managing authorities | Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions |
| Website | Shark Bay Marine Park |
| See also | List of protected areas of Western Australia |
The marine park is known for its large marine animals, such as the famous Monkey Mia dolphins, turtles, dugongs and sharks. The park and its vast seagrass meadows, with a total of twelve species of seagrass in the park, form an important part of the Shark Bay World Heritage Area.[5][6]
Major reference points of its boundaries include Steep Point at the south side of Dirk Hartog Island and Cape Inscription at the north side.[citation needed]
Fishing
editFishing in the marine park are governed by the Gascoyne Fishing Rules[3] that specify the waters and species[7] of the Shark Bay area, also known as the Shark Bay Inner Gulfs:
- Eastern Gulf Zone: the region located east of the Peron Peninsula and north from Cape Peron North (25°30.2′S 113°30.6′E / 25.5033°S 113.5100°E to a line at 25°16.6'S) and east to the coast of the mainland. Fishing is not permitted in the southern portion of this zone, the Hamelin Pool Marine Nature Reserve.
- Denham Sound: the region also known as the Western Gulf Zone, south to line at Goulet Bluff (25°13’S) which separates the Freycinet Estuary.
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ "Marine CAPAD 2022 WA summary". www.dcceew.gov.au/. Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
- ^ a b "Shark Bay, Western Australia". World Heritage List. UNESCO. 2014. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
- ^ a b "Shark Bay Marine Park and Hamelin Pool Marine Nature Reserve: recreation guide" (PDF). WA Department of Environment and Conservation; and WA Department of Fisheries (PDF). Government of Western Australia. November 2010. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
- ^ Shark Bay Marine Reserves Draft Management Plan: Shark Bay Marine Park, Hamelin Pool Marine Nature Reserve. WA Department of Conservation and Land Management; and WA National Parks and Nature Conservation Authority. Perth, Western Australia: Government of Western Australia. 1994.
- ^ "Shark Bay Marine Park". WA Department of Parks and Wildlife. Government of Western Australia. 2013. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
- ^ "Shark Bay World Heritage Site, Australia". Earth Snapshot. Rome, Italy: Chelys. 1 March 2009. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
- ^ "Recreational fishing guide" (PDF). WA Department of Fisheries (PDF). Government of Western Australia. August 2014. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
Further reading
edit- Sumner, Neil R.; Steckis, R. A. (1999). Statistical analysis of Gascoyne region recreational fishing study July 1996. Fisheries Western Australia: Fisheries research report. North Beach, WA: Government of Western Australia. ISSN 1035-4549.
- Thomson, Carolyn (1997). Discovering Shark Bay Marine Park and Monkey Mia. WA Department of Conservation and Land Management. Como, WA: Government of Western Australia. ISBN 0-7309-6854-5.