The Fish Habitat Area Network in Queensland, Australia - an Innovative Aquatic Protected Area Approach

Scott McKinnon and Rebecca Sheppard

Department Of Primary Industries, Queensland Fisheries Service, BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA

Theme: TH3

The conservation and management of fish habitats are fundamental to sustaining fish stocks. Since the late 1960s Queensland has set aside areas of high quality estuarine and coastal fish habitats for declaration and protection as Fish Habitat Areas (FHAs). FHAs are recognised as Category IV protected areas under the World Conservation Union (IUCN) criteria. The FHA concept is focussed on the inclusion, linkage, protection and management of all habitat types within each declared Area as a single unit, rather than protecting only specific habitat types (e.g. mangroves). Whilst such an approach is now broadly accepted, when the FHA network was initiated during the late 1960s this was an innovative approach to long-term fish habitat protection within Australia. The historical focus of the FHA network on protection of estuarine and coastal fish habitats has been a direct response to the population and associated development pressures caused by Queensland’s population, 85% of which lives in coastal areas. The FHA network and its management have aimed to ‘balance the ledger' between coastal development and the long-term sustainability of fish stocks and fisheries. By their nature and location FHAs are often not low-conflict, remote sanctuaries with straightforward management. They challenge the community to protect the habitats at their doorstep; habitats that support up to 75% of the State’s commercially-landed seafood and a significant proportion of species targeted by recreational and indigenous fishers, during parts of their lifecycle. This contribution provides an overview of the history, objectives, management, strengths and weaknesses of the current network of 74 FHAs in Queensland covering over 700 000 ha of critical estuarine and coastal fish habitats.