Hi all
Our birding fraternity should be aware that a Japanese? consortium,
Inpex Pty Ltd intends to develop a gas processing plant on Maret Islands
on the Kimberley Coast.
http://www.projectconnect.com.au/Project_Details.asp?PID=335 Located at
14'26" S, 124'59" E in the north eastern part of the Buccaneer
archipelago, the Maret Islands are part of the most untouched, truly
pristine area of Australia's coast, an area so remote that few observers
have ever visited them. Till now, its remote location has assisted to
protect the area but remoteness is a two edged sword because now,
without adequate Govt. legislation to protect them, their isolation is
contributing to the lack of public knowledge and awareness that is being
exploited by Inpex through proposals to develop the area.
From 1992 to 1999, my wife Patricia and I were commercial fisherman
regularly working the areas adjacent to Maret Islands for Beche-de-mer
(Trepang) and Spanish Mackerel.. We soon learned that these island and
the surrounding Kimberley coast are one of the most precious and special
areas that exist teeming with diverse marine and terrestrial wildlife.
On this list we often hear about the importance of Ashmore Reef to
birds but other not so well known island and reef systems in the area
are just as important but for additional reasons. The Maret, Montilivet
and Cassini Island groups lay within a passerine migration corridor that
is the shortest route from Indonesia to Cape Voltaire and Cape
Bougainville on the mainland of Australia. At anchor during calm
moonless nights of March and April, with deck lights on, masses of
passerines comprising many hundreds of flycatchers, swallows, pipits,
drongos and other unidentified birds would silently flutter past through
our arcs of light heading north. To a lesser extent we would also
observe this in late July, August as well when birds were headed south.
Often we would notice that our deck lights would disorientated birds and
when this was observed, we would shut off the lights. It beggars belief
that anyone would contemplate building any light structure, not
withstanding a flaming gas processing structure any where near this
passerine migration flyway. Additional to this, during the wet season
the Maret Island are also a breeding location for Roseate and also
Bridled Terns. Of significance Rose-crowned Pigeons and Kimberley
Honeyeater and anyones guess what else, are numerous there too.
Anyone interested in birds should watch these development proposals with
concern, find out what is proposed and be prepared to bring the roof
down if the people with the power allow this one to proceed.
Notwithstanding additional cost, off shore ship based processing plants
could be developed west of the passerine flyway and avoid most of these
impacts. Anyone know the email address of Peter Garrett and the "Save
the Kimberley Group"?
Regards
Ian May
PO Box 110
St Helens, Tasmania 72126
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