]]
Marine Protected Areas
Cartier Island Marine Reserve (Cartier) was declared on 21 June 2000 for the purpose of protecting its representative marine ecosystems and to facilitate scientific research. The reserve is classed as IUCN category Ia — strict nature reserve. This means that it is a protected area managed mainly for science. Cartier is managed to maintain ecological processes and systems and to protect the habitats and biodiversity of the reserve from the pressures associated with human use.
The Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (Customs) provides day-to-day on-site management of the reserve. While primarily based at Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve, Customs undertake regular patrols to Cartier.
Cooperative arrangements with other government agencies complement the tasks performed by Customs and combine to produce a whole of government approach to the management of the entire region. The Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts works closely with agencies such as:
The management plan for Cartier Island Marine Reserve came into force on 26 June 2002. This management plan expired on 25 June 2009 and interim management arrangements apply until a new management plan is in place.