Published name
1. On a scale of 1 to 6 – with 1 being strongly support, 5 being strongly against and 6 being I don’t know – how strongly do you support the proposed design of the Heard Island and McDonald Islands Marine Reserve?
2. Please provide any comments explaining your response to the first question.
a. The proposal has high levels of protection, but poor placement. Changes need to be made to include key conservation areas inside fully protected zones. These areas include Williams ridge and the seamount chain, the western plateau, the southern canyons, and expanding the marine park boundaries to include Gunnari ridge.
3. Please provide any comments relating to the proposed boundaries, zoning and assigned IUCN categories for the proposed Heard Island and McDonald Islands Marine Reserve.
a. The current IUCN protection for the Williams ridge and the seamount chain, the western plateau, the southern canyons is insufficient for representative and adequate protection of these key features.
b. Changes must be made to the proposed boundaries to expand and include the Gunnari ridge in full protection for better conservation outcomes.
4. Please provide any comments relating to natural values and/or pressures within the proposed Heard Island and McDonald Islands Marine Reserve.
a. Known values include the seamount chain at Williams ridge, the Patagonian toothfish spawning area at Williams ridge, the icefish aggregation at Gunneri ridge, the high biodiversity at all sites recommended for protection, and globally important foraging area for seabirds, macaroni penguins, king penguins, and Antarctic fur seals. The current proposal falls short in protecting the full range of conservation values.
b. The region is vulnerable to climate change impacts, and requires improvements in the reserve design to better ensure resilience.
Would you like to upload a document?
If yes, please select which process the document is for.
