‘Indefensible’ approval of first ever Kimberley seabed sand mining project threatens turtles and dolphins.

Environs Kimberley has described the Federal Government’s approval of a seabed sand mining proposal in the Kimberley as outrageous and indefensible. Environs Kimberley is now calling on the West Australian Government to step in and block the destructive proposal.

Dutch-owned dredging company Boskalis is proposing to mine the Cambridge Gulf seabed for sand over the next 15 years. 70 million cubic metres of sand could be sucked up from the seafloor and transported overseas for use in construction projects.

The Cambridge Gulf is a meeting point for five great rivers that flow out to the northern coast of the vast East Kimberley near the Northern Territory border. These rivers flow into the Gulf system, delivering nutrients to the dense fringing mangrove systems that are internationally important and listed as a Ramsar wetland. These systems provide extensive habitat for intertidal marine species as well as an abundance of bird life.

Multiple beaches surrounding the proposed underwater mining area are vital nesting areas for flatback turtles. Flatback turtles are nationally listed as Vulnerable to extinction. Cape Domett in particular has dense nesting activity, and the inter-nesting area for the flatback turtles lies in the proposed Boskalis seabed mining area.

Cambridge Gulf. Photo credit: Dr Simon Allen

The area is internationally recognised as an Important Marine Mammal Area (IMMA) for the endemic Snubfin dolphin and provides habitat for the Australian Humpback dolphin, which is also nationally listed as Vulnerable.

Just across the border, the Northern Territory Minister for the Environment has formally declared subsea mining a prohibited activity within NT coastal and intertidal waters, due to the risks it poses to the marine environment and the lack of knowledge about the long-term implications of the practice.

Environs Kimberley Executive Director Martin Pritchard says the Boskalis proposal is the first seabed mining operation approved in the Kimberley.

“In giving Federal environmental approval the Minister Murray Watt has blatantly ignored expert advice that the area is globally significant for marine life, including threatened turtles, dolphins and sawfish, and that the proponent has failed to present essential and reliable scientific evidence that its project will not cause significant and irreversible harm to threatened species and the Kimberley marine environment,” Mr Pritchard said.

“Given the proponent holds other seabed sand mining leases in the area, this is potentially just the first stage of a much larger and even more destructive and disruptive seabed sand mining industry in Cambridge Gulf.

“We are calling for the WA Minister for the Environment, Matthew Swinbourn, to reject this proposal and to protect the internationally significant marine values of Cambridge Gulf.”

Dr Kimberly Riskas from the Australian Marine Conservation Society says the Cambridge Gulf is home to many species of conservation significance, including freshwater sawfish, river sharks, humpback and snubfin dolphins and flatback and green turtles.

“The proposed project area overlaps with two federal government-designated ‘Biologically Important Areas’ for species listed as Vulnerable under the EPBC Act: one for the internesting area of the flatback turtle; and the other for the breeding, calving and feeding for the Australian snubfin dolphin,” Dr Riskas said.

“Flatback turtles are found only in Australia. They’re the only marine turtle that doesn’t undertake long oceanic migrations, but they stay over the Australian continental shelf, occasionally found in neighbouring countries’ waters, like Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.

“Cape Domett at the mouth of the Cambridge Gulf is one of the most important, highest-density nesting sites for flatback turtles in Australia, and therefore globally. The annual nesting population is in the order of more than 3,000 nesting females.  Research shows this nesting population is genetically distinct, making its survival critical to the species as a whole.

“The proposal’s approval conditions prohibit sand mining during peak flatback turtle nesting season (August-September), but long-term research and monitoring shows this population nests year-round. For this reason, it’s concerning that the Australian government has approved industrial sand extraction so close to this important nesting population, and during times which could disrupt nesting turtles’ behaviour.”

The Western Australian Environmental Protection Authority has recommended the project in Cambridge Gulf proceed. That decision has been appealed. The WA Appeals convenor is currently considering the appeals against this project and the final decision will go to the WA Environment Minister.

Environs Kimberley says despite calls for the project to be fully assessed by both the WA EPA and the Federal Government under the EPBC Act due to the potential risk to Matters of National Environmental Significance, the project has not been fully assessed by either Government.

“Environment groups will be examining all remaining options to prevent this ill-conceived proposal from being implemented,” Environs Kimberley’s Martin Pritchard said.