AQUACULTURE PLAN FOR THE RECHERCHE ARCHIPELAGO Fisheries Western Australia JUNE 2000 Aquaculture Plan for the Recherche Archipelago Final version:June 2000 Fisheries Management Paper No. 140 ISSN 0819-4327 Main Cover picture: Bandy Creek Boat Harbour (Department of Land Administration) Inset picture: Yabby (Cherax albidus) J. Lochman FISHERIES WESTERN AUSTRALIA 3rd floor,SGIO Atrium 168 St George’s Tce,Perth WA 6000 A q u a c u l t u re P l a n f o r t h e R e c h e rc h e A rc h i p e l a g o Acknowledgments The draft version of the Aquaculture Plan for the Recherche Archipelago, released for public comment, was prepared by consultants Everall Consulting Biologist in association with Fish Unlimited. Analysis of public comments and the development of this final plan was undertaken by Fisheries WA. Fisheries WA and the consultant team gratefully acknowledge the assistance,information,advice and hospitality of the people of Esperance during the preparation of this report. In particular,thanks go to: The members of Esperance Bay Yacht Club and the Esperance Offshore Angling Club who provided their time and detailed knowledge of the Recherche Archipelago for the User Profiles. Mr Bill Kent,President of the Esperance Professional Fishermens Association,who provided much wise advice. Mr Ross Ainsworth MLA,Chairman,and the members of the Recherche Archipelago Consultative Group. Disclaimer The information contained in this document is based on sources believed to be reliable. However as no independent verification is possible, Fisheries WA and the consultants (Everall Consulting Biologist and Fish Unlimited) together with their members and employees give no warranty that the said base sources are correct and accept no responsibility for any resultant errors contained herein and any damage or loss,howsoever caused, suffered by any individual or corporation. A q u a c u l t u re P l a n f o r t h e R e c h e rc h e A rc h i p e l a g o 3 A q u a c u l t u re P l a n f o r t h e R e c h e rc h e A rc h i p e l a g o Executive Summary Overview The waters and hinterland of the Recherche Archipelago near Esperance have significant potential for aquaculture development and interest in the area for aquaculture purposes is increasing. Recent public consultation on aquaculture in the area has raised concerns about the long-term expansion of aquaculture activities and the need for coordinated planning. The coastline of the Recherche Archipelago features numerous pristine beaches, headlands, islands and sheltered bays. It is a rugged, high-energy coast, with visually impressive white beaches between headlands dominated by dome shaped granite hills and mountains of similar origin to the islands. More than half the coastline is included in the Cape Le Grand and Cape Arid National Parks which contain large tracts of natural bushland. The remainder of the coast comprises a wide belt of vegetated and windblown dunes backing on to cleared agricultural lands of the Esperance Coastal Plain and Sandplains. Significant activities in the Recherche Archipelago include shipping from the Port of Esperance, commercial and recreational fishing,tourism,scenic and charter tours,diving and coastal recreation. Biophysical Environment The biophysical environment of the Recherche Archipelago is not well known or documented, but aspects of relevance to aquaculture include: • Sea temperatures are favourable for the growth of many temperate finfish species. • Strong prevailing winds, swells and storm events in the Recherche Archipelago will require special consideration in the design and location of marine aquaculture structures. • Currents are mostly wind driven,but with low velocity reducing with depth. Special husbandry techniques will be required to deal with flushing within and around sea cages, particularly during extended calm periods. • Many of the islands of the Recherche Archipelago have sea bird breeding areas,seal and sea lion breeding and haul-out areas. Marine mammals including whales, dolphins and seals occur in the area. These will impose special management techniques on marine aquaculture operations. • The benthic habitats of the Recherche Archipelago are not well known and a detailed survey of the location and function of the benthos,including the fauna of sand areas,will be required before marine aquaculture projects can proceed. Social Environment and Infrastructure The investigations and consultations have indicated that the overall prospects for development of the aquaculture industry at Esperance and in the Recherche Archipelago are good. There are adequate water, infrastructure and labour resources to support the development of the industry for the foreseeable future. Power supply and cost,and suitably located land are likely to be initial concerns. Concerns about the potential impact of urban development on the quality of marine water and ground water needed for use by food producing industries,including both aquaculture and wild fisheries operating in inshore waters,are capable of resolution through strict planning and administrative control,research and monitoring. A q u a c u l t u re P l a n f o r t h e R e c h e rc h e A rc h i p e l a g o i Executive Summary Land supply and land cost for aquaculture may become a limiting factor in the foreseeable future. At present, adequate appropriately zoned land is available at reasonable cost. The most prospective land for aquaculture in or near Esperance is where suitable zoned land occurs over saline ground water aquifers or adjacent to the coast. Careful site selection would be necessary to ensure water supply,waste water disposal,services and operational space can be achieved at reasonable cost. Community Consultation A two-phase consultation process was undertaken during the development of this plan. Initial consultations (Phase I Consultation) were undertaken with individuals and groups within Esperance and Perth. The purpose of the meeting was to: • seek initial general comment on the area’s prospects for aquaculture; • understand the community’s feeling towards the industry; • gather information on fishing effort and locations of importance to each activity; • seek information on planning schemes,services,infrastructure and land availability; • discuss the future potential and size of the aquaculture industry,and • identify issues of concern. A draft plan was prepared and released for public comment for a period of two months (Phase II Consultation). This plan has been finalised based on the consideration and assessment of all submissions. Prior to the commencement of this study, Fisheries Western Australia had put forward a proposal to farm Southern bluefin tuna in Esperance Bay, which was subsequently withdrawn. Because of the controversy surrounding tuna farming,many of the consultations tended to dwell on that proposal. Many people saw a clear distinction between tuna farming, perceived as a dirty industry, and other forms of marine aquaculture or sea cage culture, even though they often have many environmental and management problems in common. Land- based aquaculture was generally supported. Community Attitudes to Aquaculture Most of the Esperance community who were consulted,supported the development of an aquaculture industry in their region. They believe that aquaculture,particularly land-based projects,present little or no threat to the natural environment and will add to the town’s social and economic base. Some agreed that the development of techniques to culture a range of popular fish species could reduce pressure on existing fish stocks. Opinion was more divided on large-scale cage farming and many saw a distinction between this and tuna farming,which was perceived by many as a problem industry. The majority of people consulted considered that tuna farming was a high-value industry which would benefit Esperance and the region, provided environmental problems could be resolved and adequate controls were in place. Others considered the perceived benefits were over-stated. People were also sceptical as to whether the benefits would remain in Esperance if a non-local operator was involved in the industry’s development. There were suggestions that other high-value industries,such as tourism and the commercial fisheries,could be adversely affected by tuna farming, and that an economic impact study or cost benefit analysis would assist community consideration of the proposals. ii A q u a c u l t u re P l a n f o r t h e R e c h e rc h e A rc h i p e l a g o Executive Summary The major issues raised during the community consultation included: perceived economic and employment benefits of aquaculture; • potential negative impacts aquaculture could have on the marine environment; • perception of sharks and pollution from tuna farms and their effect on other Recherche Archipelago values, in particular recreational diving and tourism; • pilchard deaths and the lack of knowledge as to the cause; • entanglements and seal interactions with cages,and • need for open communication between all parties regarding the development of aquaculture proposals in Esperance. Nearly every person consulted drew an analogy with the iron ore export facility in Esperance which had originally been proposed as an open loader with attendant dust problems. Community pressure saw the loader contained within a negative pressure shed and it is regarded as a good environmental outcome which preserved the ‘clean,green’image on which tourism and many of the industries in the town depend. The message for aquaculture is that the people of Esperance are prepared to have new industry, but on their terms and only in an environmentally sustainable way. User Profile of the Recherche Archipelago and Adjacent Coast One of the objects of the study brief was to “Identify and map other marine uses in the Recherche Archipelago and their potential to constrain future development of aquaculture.” This task was undertaken and reported in the Draft User Profile of the Recherche Archipelago and Adjacent Coastwhich was released for public comment in association with the release of the draft aquaculture plan. The revised user profile (based on public comment) has been incorporated in this plan. Included in the User Profile are eleven charts of the main areas of interest to user groups. Species with Potential for Aquaculture at the Recherche Archipelago A list of candidate species for the Recherche Archipelago has been determined, based on consideration of the following criteria: • market potential; • known culturing techniques; • level of technology required to culture new species; • any existing (or planned) sources for fry or fingerlings from within the region; • suitability with the culture systems predicted for the Recherche; • suitability of the species to the area. A q u a c u l t u re P l a n f o r t h e R e c h e rc h e A rc h i p e l a g o iii Executive Summary Candidate species are divided into the categories of primary and secondary species. Refer to the table below for the species within each category. The primary species are those considered to have good prospects for aquaculture development. The secondary species are those considered to have aquaculture potential in the future,subject to the development of suitable culture technologies. Profiles of each of these species and a summary of their aquaculture potential are provided. Common Name Species name Culture method PRIMARY SPECIES Abalone Haliotisspp. Land-based,sea cage Marron Cherax tenuimanus Ponds; land-based Yabby Cherax albidus Land-based dams Pink snapper Pagrus auratus Sea cage; land-based tanks or ponds Silver perch Bidyanus bidyanus Pond/land-based Southern bluefin tuna Thunnus maccoyii Sea cage SECONDARY SPECIES Common Name Species name Culture method Oysters Saccostreaspp. Racks,long lines Ostreaspp. Dhufish Glaucosoma hebraicum Tank/cage Marine aquarium spp various Tanks Yellowtail Kingfish Seriolaspp. Sea cage; land-based Flounder Pseudorhombusspp Sea cage; land-based tanks/ponds Whiting Sillagospp Sea cage; land-based tanks or ponds Trout Onchorynchus mykiss (Rainbow) Sea cage; land-based ponds/tanks; Salmo trutta (Brown) particularly seasonal production. Black bream Acanthopagrus butcheri Sea cage; land-based tanks or ponds Potentially Suitable Areas for Future Marine and Land-based Aquaculture A number of areas which are worthy of further investigation were identified in the course of this planning study. While some land may be available to the east of Bandy Creek, proponents should consider the potential environmental risks from ground water contamination. Given this, the potential to locate land-based growout facilities east of Esperance at Duke of Orleans Bay should be considered. iv A q u a c u l t u re P l a n f o r t h e R e c h e rc h e A rc h i p e l a g o Executive Summary Sites which meet the necessary selection criteria include Sandy Hook,the Remark and Mart Groups. The Mart Group is to the east of Esperance Bay. Marine sites that are suitable for aquaculture tend also to be popular with other user groups. The Remark Group appears to have superior protection from adverse sea conditions, but is remote from land- based facilities. Currents,and habitats identified as ‘sparse seagrass’,require further investigation. Conflict with other users,particularly charter diving and recreational fishing,would be expected. The Remark Group is also important to the pilchard and abalone industries. This was highlighted in the comments received during the Public Comment Phase II. The Phase II Consultation also indicated that there is the potential for opposition by pilchard fishers to aquaculture proposed at the Sandy Hook area (part of the Remark Group). The Mart Group contains a number of sites suitable for the culture of finfish in surface cages. The development of submersible sea cage technology may enable cage culture to occur in more exposed locations throughout the Archipelago. Many sites throughout the Archipelago should prove suitable for the locating of barrels and bottom cages for abalone growout as this form of culturing will have less impact with other user groups in terms of access and amenity. Further work on potential sites is needed,and should be undertaken by proponents for both land and sea areas as formal proposals are contemplated. Prospects for Aquaculture The view held by some members of the Esperance community that aquaculture will adversely affect the Recherche Archipelago stem from the early history of aquaculture activity overseas and the perceptions of some of the early practices at the Tuna Cage Farm located near Port Lincoln. While there is no denying that poorly managed aquaculture practices present a threat to the environment,as does the effect of poorly managed land- based farming,there are many instances throughout the world where advances in husbandry and nutrition have greatly reduced any environmental impacts. The current legislative framework, which provides the environmental assessment and approval procedures for aquaculture development in Western Australia,has been established to ensure that site selection and farming practices are sustainable,and will not cause any long-term negative effects to the Archipelago. A greater threat to aquaculture in the Recherche Archipelago may be the potential for contamination of ground water sources from other industrial and urban developments and the potential for pollution from shipping activities or accidents. The successful integration of aquaculture into the environmental,social and economic fabric of Esperance could present a watershed in this country’s short marine farming history. Esperance is a microcosm of the real and perceived issues facing industry development in Australia. An aquaculture industry cannot be developed in the Recherche Archipelago unless it has strong support from the Esperance community. Earning that support through genuine consultation is essential for the development of the industry. Procedures for Applying for an Aquaculture Licence The application and consultation procedures for an aquaculture licence are outlined in Ministerial Policy Guideline No 8,Assessment of Applications for Authorisations for Aquaculture and Pearling in Coastal Waters A q u a c u l t u re P l a n f o r t h e R e c h e rc h e A rc h i p e l a g o v Executive Summary of Western Australia(FWA 1997). Fisheries Western Australia also has an application pack to assist applicants. Section 10contains relevant information on the application procedure. Recommendations The recommendations of the plan are as follows (responsible party in parenthesis): 1 Encourage the Recherche Archipelago Consultative Group to progress the formation of an Esperance Aquaculture Group to provide a focal point for industry development and community consultation by Fisheries WA and potential proponents. This group would operate independent of Fisheries WA (Fisheries WA). 2 Provide information and undertake ongoing consultations with the Esperance community in relation to aquaculture proposals in the Recherche Archipelago (Fisheries WA/aquaculture operators/aquaculture proponents). 3 In consultation with the Department of Conservation and Land Management, support ongoing environmental investigations of the Recherche Archipelago (Fisheries WA/CALM). 4 Support the concept of a cold water marine research facility associated with a tertiary institution in Esperance,should such a proposal emerge (Goldfields Development Commission,Shire of Esperance). 5 Refer this draft aquaculture plan to the Marine Parks and Reserves Authority for use in future planning for marine parks in the Recherche Archipelago (Fisheries WA). 6 Ensure that all licence determinations include the condition that all environmental baseline and monitoring data collected as part of site selection process and ongoing data collected during the operational phase be provided to the Marine Parks and Reserves Authority for use in future marine park planning (Fisheries WA). 7 Ensure that appropriate areas and sites for aquaculture are identified in future planning for marine conservation reserves in the Recherche Archipelago (Fisheries WA/Department of Conservation and Land Management/Marine Parks and Reserves Authority). 8 Provide this plan to proponents as a guide in the selection of potentially suitable land and sea-based site and species for aquaculture (Fisheries WA). 9 Refer all aquaculture applications to the Environmental Protection Authority (Fisheries WA). vi A q u a c u l t u re P l a n f o r t h e R e c h e rc h e A rc h i p e l a g o