New conservation areas for Shark Bay

The WA Government and Malgana Aboriginal Corporation have signed an Indigenous Land Use Agreement that paves the way for a new era of conservation management in Shark Bay.Â
Known in the Malgana language as Gathaagudu, Shark Bay is globally recognised for its cultural and natural values including dugongs and stromatolites, and spectacular camping and recreation destinations such as Steep Point and Zuytdorp Cliffs.Â
The proposed Malgana Conservation Estate will be jointly managed by Traditional Owners and the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. It will comprise 183,000 hectares of new conservation areas including Yaringa and Pimbee nature reserves, Edel Land National Park and the Malgana portion of Nanga National Park.Â
Joint management arrangements will also be extended over existing national parks including Dirk Hartog Island and Francois Peron, and conservation parks at Monkey Mia and Shell Beach.Â
Malgana Conservation Estate’s creation means 4.3 million hectares of new jointly managed national parks and conservation reserves have been created throughout WA since 2019.Â