Protecting Western Australia's Big Blue Backyard - The Pew ...

Strong winds, currents and reefs alongthe Western Australian coast havecaused many shipwrecks that are nowa major focus for dive ecotourism© Jürgen FreundWESTERN AUSTRALIANS CONNECTINGWITH THEIR MARINE ENVIRONMENTThe population of the Kalbarri to Eucla regionis growing, continuing the strong connectionbetween people and Western Australia’s bigblue backyard. Perth and the commuter suburbsand coastal towns directly to its north and southare the scene of most of this population growth.The ports of Geraldton, Fremantle, Bunbury,Albany and Esperance have expanded tomeet trade demand from a strong mining andagricultural sector, as well as major industrialdevelopment in the Kwinana and Bunbury areas.Surfing, diving and ecotourism have grown inpopularity in recent decades and along with othertourism and recreational activities have becomeessential to the economies of coastal communitiessuch as Esperance and Busselton.World-famous surf breaks are found at MargaretRiver and Yallingup on the south-west coast, whilethose at Dongara and Point Moore near Geraldtonare becoming increasingly popular. Being one ofthe windiest coasts in the world, the west coast isinternationally recognised as ideal for windsurfing.Increasing leisure time, mobility and affluence arefuelling tourism growth, as well as the community’sincreasing awareness of the region’s natural marinevalues. These include the Houtman-AbrolhosIslands, whales and dolphins, coral and rocky reefs,seals and seabirds.Whale watching is a booming industry, sealwatching is becoming very popular on thesouth coast near Esperance, and Bunbury andRockingham are focal points for dolphin watching.The charter boat sector has grown in response tothis as well as the growth in recreational fishing.Private boat ownership has doubled to 100,000 inthe past decade, and there is growth in and furtherpressure for marina developments. Although jobsin commercial fishing have dropped, around 30Commonwealth and state-managed commercialfisheries operate in the region.One of the Royal Australian Navy’s most importantdefence facilities is the Stirling Base on GardenIsland near Perth.Marine-based production of oil and gas is limitedto the operation of a small oil field at Cliff Headabout 20 kilometres south of Dongara, but severalgas discoveries in the same basin are yet to beexploited. The search for oil and gas goes onand the area of exploration is expanding.It now includes waters near the Houtman-AbrolhosIslands, the Perth Canyon and Esperance.Increasing leisure time,mobility and affluenceare fuelling tourismgrowth, as well as thecommunity’s increasingawareness of the region’snatural marine values21