Management planning for Dampier Archipelago
Through a proposed new joint management plan, the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions is seeking to partner with Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation (MAC) to protect and conserve the lands and waters of the Dampier Archipelago.
Murujuga is the traditional Aboriginal name for this chain of islands and surrounds.
The archipelago is made up of forty-two islands, islets and rocks located within a 50-kilometre radius of Dampier and Karratha in Western Australia’s Pilbara Region. Twenty-eight of the islands, islets and rocks are part of WA’s conservation reserve system.
The Murujuga cultural landscape has the largest, densest and most diverse collections of petroglyphs in the world. For the traditional owners and custodians, this rock art is a living landscape with an important link to stories, customs and knowledge.
The islands are also important habitats for plants and animals once more widespread on the mainland. There are significant breeding sites for three of the six species of turtles in Western Australia, significant breeding and roosting areas for seabirds and internationally important feeding and resting sites for migratory shorebirds.
The proposed management plan will outline strategies to maintain the key values including the nature-based recreational experiences while welcoming and encouraging visitors to enjoy, understand and respect the cultural and natural values of the area.
The community will have an opportunity to contribute to the planning process and you can register your interest here.
Watch this beautiful video about this stunning area here.
(Video credit: Gavin Channing, Electric Images/YouTube)