Australian Government Misses Rare Opportunity to Safeguard Globally Important Penguin, Seal and Albatross Feeding Grounds, Conservation Groups Warn

An alliance of 27 environmental groups* on Oct. 7 welcomed the expansion of Australia’s Heard Island and McDonald Islands Marine Reserve near Antarctica but said the Albanese Government had missed a rare opportunity to protect key feeding grounds for penguins, seals and albatross.

‘Today’s decision to quadruple the size of Heard Island and McDonald Islands Marine Reserve and to expand fully protected sanctuary zones within the park, as announced by Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek, ensures that the bulk of Australian waters around these spectacular wildlife havens will be free from mining and the introduction of new, damaging pelagic fisheries,’ said Fiona Maxwell, national oceans manager for The Pew Charitable Trusts. ‘We are pleased the Government has increased sanctuary protection for part of the Gunnari Ridge, an important aggregation area for mackerel icefish as well as globally significant foraging grounds for king and macaroni penguins, albatross and Antarctic fur seals.’

Mackerel icefish and Patagonian toothfish, the two commercially harvested fish in the waters around Heard Island and McDonald Islands, are now more protected. However, the Government’s decision leaves important undersea canyons, highly biodiverse seamounts and the Williams Ridge outside of sanctuaries and will probably disappoint the tens of thousands of Australians – including leading scientists – who made submissions calling for stronger protection of these critical habitats.

‘The Government’s own science report said there was inadequate protection for a range of seafloor habitats, foraging areas for albatross and macaroni penguins, and areas supporting an abundance and variety of fish,’ Ms Maxwell said. ‘It also highlighted the global significance of these Southern Ocean waters and the threats posed by climate change, pollution, fishing and invasive species.’

Darren Kindleysides, the CEO of the Australian Marine Conservation Society, explained that climate change is affecting life across the Southern Ocean, with everything from krill to whales struggling to adapt, and that marine sanctuaries play a crucial role in building resilience in our marine ecosystems.

‘These remote islands and their waters, 4,000 kilometres southwest of Perth, support large breeding populations of seabirds and marine mammals, including threatened seals and albatross, four species of penguin, and two species of birds found nowhere else,’ Kindleysides said.

‘They also feature Australia’s only active volcanoes, including Heard Island’s ice-covered Big Ben, which rises nearly 3 km above the ocean, making it taller than Mt Kosciuszko, the highest mountain on Australia’s mainland.The Government should have heeded the science and community sentiment and increased the marine sanctuaries around the most important conservation features to help ensure the future of our Antarctic marine life.’

Kindleysides explained that last year, Minister Plibersek and the Albanese Government listened to the science and community opinions and showed global leadership by significantly expanding the marine park and sanctuaries around Macquarie Island, Australia’s other sub-Antarctic territory.

‘While today's announcement is notable,’ Kindleysides said, ‘the government has missed a once-in-a-decade opportunity to do the same for Heard and McDonald, as the next review of the marine park is not due until 2035.’

*The Pew Charitable Trusts and the Australian Marine Conservation Society lead Save Our Marine Life, an alliance of 27 environmental organisations.