Identification and mapping of critical habitats adjacent to shipping lanes and ports in the Torres Strait (T3.4)
Dr Michael Rasheed, QDPI

Fisheries and related industries are one of the most important economic activities in the Torres Strait. Fishing for dugong and turtle also has an important cultural significance to many communities in the region. The habitats on which these activities depend, such as seagrass, mangroves and reefs are often near shipping lanes and ports in the Torres Strait.

Fisheries habitats are at high risk if they are within or adjacent to shipping lanes where there is an increased risk of shipping accidents such as collisions or groundings. The shipping lanes and ports in Torres Strait contain many such high-risk areas. According to an oil spill risk assessment conducted for Queensland waters, Torres Strait contains half of the ‘marine environment high risk areas’ (MEHRAs) for the state. In many cases fine-scale habitat information in these areas does not exist or existing information is based on broad-scale modelling with limited ground-truthing.

Fine-scale habitat information will enable port and shipping management agencies to better manage shipping accident response and planning as well as plan port and shipping lane development and maintenance so that they have minimal impacts on these important fisheries habitats. Information collected will also have a broader application for other studies concerned with mapping and monitoring benthic communities.

Objectives

• Review existing habitat information for shipping lanes in the Torres Strait and compile new habitat information
• Map and provide habitat information at a fine-scale on areas within or adjacent to shipping lanes and ports where there is a high risk of impact on sensitive/important habitat
• Develop a monitoring strategy for key habitat/species in high risk areas of shipping lanes and ports
• Provide Geographic Information System (GIS) layers of key habitats adjacent to shipping lanes and ports for use in management of oil spills and other marine accidents.

Outcomes

• Better protection for fisheries habitats
• Fine-scale information about environment for management of marine accidents. We anticipate that the information we collect will aid in the decision making process when dealing with shipping accidents
• Fine scale information about environment in Thursday Island Port to improve risk management
• This project will be of benefit to all fisheries that rely on habitats in the vicinity of shipping lanes in the Torres Strait.
• Provide shipping managers, TSRA, ICC, EPA, AMSA and Department of Transport with up-to-date habitat information in an accessible format. This information will be used to facilitate shipping lane management so that the shipping lanes have minimal impacts on fisheries habitat of the Torres Strait and also pose minimal risks to the environment