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West Cape York Commonwealth Marine Reserve
Overview
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR MARINE USERS
Transitional arrangements for new areas added to the Commonwealth marine reserve estate
From the declaration of Commonwealth marine reserves in November 2012 until management plans come into effect in July 2014, transitional arrangements apply.
- Under the transitional arrangements, there are NO CHANGES ON THE WATER for users of new areas added to the Commonwealth marine reserves estate.
- NOTE: There are no changes to management arrangements in the marine reserves that existed prior to the establishment of the new reserves, that is, the same restrictions on activities will continue to apply even where those reserves have been incorporated into new reserves.
| Name | West Cape York Commonwealth Marine Reserve |
|---|---|
| Area | 16 012 km2 |
| Depth range | 5-60 m (approx.) |
| Types of zoning |
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Major conservation values
- Important resting area for turtles between egg laying (internesting area), for the threatened:
- flatback turtle
- hawksbill turtle
- olive ridley turtle
- Important roosting area for aggregations of the migratory lesser frigate bird
- Examples of the ecosystems of two provincial bioregions: the Northern Shelf Province (which includes the Carpentaria and West Cape York mesoscale bioregions) and the Northeast Shelf Transition Province (which includes the Torres Strait meso-scale bioregion)
- Includes two key ecological features:
- Gulf of Carpentaria coastal zone (high productivity; biodiversity and endemism; aggregations of marine life)
- Gulf of Carpentaria basin (biodiversity; aggregations of marine life)