Did you know Cockburn Sound is a haven for threatened and migratory species with nearly 150 species likely to be found in Cockburn Sound that are on the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) threatened and migratory species list?
The EPBC Act is the Australian Government’s principal piece of environment legislation. The EPBC Act provides a legal framework to protect and manage Australia’s unique plants, animals, habitats and places. One of these frameworks is the EPBC threatened and migratory species list.
This EPBC threatened and migratory species list identifies threatened species, threatened ecological communities and migratory species protected under international agreements that Australia is a signatory to. If a species or ecological community is listed on the threatened and migratory species list or the threatened ecological communities list, any activity, project or development likely to have a significant impact on that species or ecological community needs to be assessed and approved under the EPBC Act. With a range of developments proposed for Cockburn Sound, it is worth having a look at just how many of our most vulnerable animals could be put at risk.
The Commonwealth Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) has an online database of protected matters that identifies all the protected species that may be found in a particular area. By uploading a map of the Cockburn Sound a surprising number of species is identified at potentially being at risk from further development.
The list below covers the EPBC listed species that may be impacted by a single project and the proposed new port is only one of many projects earmarked for Cockburn Sound in the next few years.
It is unknown how impacts on any of the species listed above will be managed let alone how impacts on other popular species will be avoided, minimised, restored or offset.
The government’s priorities are backward as it has a plan for a new port in Cockburn Sound, a plan to build a defence hub in Cockburn Sound, and a plan to expand heavy industry in Cockburn Sound, but where is the government’s plan to protect the biodiversity of Cockburn Sound?
The species on the list include the following:
| Common Name | MENS, threatened category and migratory status | Presence |
|---|---|---|
| Long-nosed Fur-seal, New Zealand Fur-seal | Listed Marine species | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Australian Sea Lion | Listed Threatened species - Endangered | Species or species habitat likely to occur within area |
| Biologically Important Areas | ||
| Listed Marine species | ||
| Minke Whale | Whales and other Cetaceans | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Bryde's Whale | Listed Migratory Marine Species | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Whales and other Cetaceans | ||
| Blue Whale | Listed Threatened species - Endangered | Species or species habitat likely to occur within area |
| Listed Migratory Marine Species | ||
| Whales and other Cetaceans | ||
| Humpback Whale | Migratory Marine Species | Species or species habitat known to occur within area |
| Biologically Important Areas | ||
| Listed Migratory species | ||
| Whales and other Cetaceans | ||
| Pygmy Right Whale | Listed Migratory Marine Species | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Whales and other Cetaceans | ||
| Southern Right Whale | Listed Threatened species - Endangered | Breeding known to occur within area |
| Listed Migratory Marine Species (as Balaena glacialis australis) | ||
| Killer Whale, Orca | Listed Migratory Marine Species | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Whales and other Cetaceans | ||
| Spotted Dolphin, Pantropical Spotted Dolphin | Whales and other Cetaceans | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Common Dolphin, Short-beaked Common Dolphin | Whales and other Cetaceans | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Risso's Dolphin, Grampus | Whales and other Cetaceans | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Chuditch, Western Quoll | Listed Threatened species - Vulnerable | Species or species habitat likely to occur within area |
| Grey Wagtail | Species or species habitat may occur within area | |
| Listed Migratory Terrestrial & Marine Species | ||
| Rainbow Bee-eater | Listed Marine species | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Fork-tailed Swift | Listed Migratory Marine Bird species | Species or species habitat likely to occur within area |
| Listed Marine species | ||
| Caspian Tern | Migratory Marine Birds | Known to occur anfd breed within area |
| Biologically Important Areas | ||
| Listed Migratory Marine species | ||
| Pacific Gull | Biologically Important Areas | Foraging, feeding or related behaviour may occur within area |
| Roseate Tern | Listed Marine species | Foraging, feeding or related behaviour likely to occur within area |
| Biologically Important Areas | ||
| Listed Migratory species | ||
| Common Noddy | Listed Migratory Marine Bird species | Species or species habitat likely to occur within area |
| Common Greenshank, Greenshank | Listed Threatened species - Marine Species | Species or species habitat known to occur within area |
| Marsh Sandpiper, Little Greenshank | Migratory Wetlands Species | Species or species habitat known to occur within area |
| Listed Migratory Marine species | ||
| Common Redshank, Redshank | Migratory Wetlands Species | Species or species habitat known to occur within area |
| Listed Migratory Marine species | ||
| Red-necked Phalarope | Migratory Wetlands Species | Species or species habitat known to occur within area |
| Listed Migratory Marine species | ||
| Oriental Pratincole | Migratory Wetlands Species | Species or species habitat known to occur within area |
| Listed Migratory Marine species | ||
| Broad-billed Sandpiper | Migratory Wetlands Species | Species or species habitat known to occur within area |
| Listed Migratory species | ||
| Listed Marine species | ||
| Bar-tailed Godwit | Migratory Wetlands Species | Species or species habitat known to occur within area |
| Listed Migratory species | ||
| Listed Marine species | ||
| Black-tailed Godwit | Listed Threatened species - Endangered | Species or species habitat known to occur within area |
| Migratory Marine / Wetlands Species | ||
| Eastern Curlew, Far Eastern Curlew | Listed Threatened species - Critically Endangered | Species or species habitat likely to occur within area |
| Listed Migratory wetland / Marine species | ||
| Whimbrel | Migratory Wetlands Species | Species or species habitat known to occur within area |
| Listed Migratory Marine Species | ||
| Grey-tailed Tattler | Migratory Wetlands Species | Species or species habitat known to occur within area |
| Listed Migratory Marine species | ||
| Red Knot, Knot | Listed Threatened species - Vulnerable | Species or species habitat known to occur within area |
| Listed Migratory Marine / Wetlands Species | ||
| Curlew Sandpiper | Listed Threatened species - Critically Endangered | Species or species habitat likely to occur within area |
| Listed Migratory Wetlands Species | ||
| Pectoral Sandpiper | Listed Migratory Wetlands Species | Species or species habitat likely to occur within area |
| Red-necked Stint | Listed Migratory Wetlands Species | Species or species habitat known to occur within area |
| Great Knot | Listed Threatened species - Vulnerable | Species or species habitat known to occur within area |
| Listed Migratory Wetlands Species | ||
| Grey Plover | Listed Threatened species - Vulnerable | Species or species habitat known to occur within area |
| Listed Migratory Wetland species - overfly marine area | ||
| Grey Plover | Listed Threatened species - Vulnerable | Species or species habitat known to occur within area |
| Lised Migratory Wetlands Species | ||
| Pied Stilt, Black-winged Stilt | Listed Marine species - overfly marine area | Species or species habitat known to occur within area |
| Red-necked Avocet | Listed Marine species - overfly marine area | Species or species habitat known to occur within area |
| Ruddy Turnstone | Listed Threatened species - Vulnerable | Species or species habitat known to occur within area |
| Listed Migratory Wetlands Species | ||
| Sharp-tailed Sandpiper | Listed Threatened species - Vulnerable | Species or species habitat known to occur within area |
| Listed Migratory Wetlands Species | ||
| Sharp-tailed Sandpiper | Listed Threatened species - Vulnerable | Species or species habitat known to occur within area |
| Listed Migratory Wetlands Species | ||
| Sanderling | Listed Migratory Wetlands Species | Species or species habitat known to occur within area |
| Greater Sand Plover, Large Sand Plover | Listed Threatened species - Vulnerable | Species or species habitat known to occur within area |
| Listed Migratory Wetlands Species | ||
| Lesser Sand Plover, Mongolian Plover | Listed Threatened species - Endangered | Species or species habitat known to occur within area |
| Listed Migratory Wetlands Species | ||
| Red-capped Plover | Listed - overfly marine area | Species or species habitat known to occur within area |
| Double-banded Plover | Listed Migratory Wetlands Species - overfly marine area | Species or species habitat known to occur within area |
| Malleefowl | Listed Threatened species - Vulnerable | Species or species habitat likely to occur within area |
| White-bellied Sea-Eagle | Listed Marine species | Species or species habitat known to occur within area |
| Osprey | Listed Migratory Wetlands Species | Breeding known to occur within area |
| Australasian Bittern | Listed Threatened species - Endangered | Species or species habitat likely to occur within area |
| White-faced Storm-Petrel | Listed Marine species | Breeding known to occur within area |
| Soft-plumaged Petrel | Listed Threatened species - Vulnerable | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Listed Marine species | ||
| Blue Petrel | Listed Threatened species - Vulnerable | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Listed Marine species | ||
| Southern Giant-Petrel, Southern Giant Petrel | Listed Threatened species - Endangered | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Listed Migratory Marine Birds | ||
| Northern Giant Petrel | Listed Threatened species - Vulnerable | Foraging, feeding or related behaviour likely to occur within area |
| Listed Migratory Marine Birds | ||
| Fairy Prion | Listed Marine species | Species or species habitat known to occur within area |
| Sooty Albatross | Listed Threatened species - Vulnerable | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Listed Migratory marine species | ||
| Little Penguin | Biologically Important Areas | Known to occur and breed within area |
| Listed Marine species | ||
| Loggerhead Turtle | Listed Threatened species - Endangered | Foraging, feeding or related behaviour known to occur within area |
| Migratory Marine Species | ||
| Loggerhead Turtle | Listed Threatened species - Endangered | Foraging, feeding or related behaviour known to occur within area |
| Listed Migratory Marine Species | ||
| Green Turtle | Listed Threatened species - Vulnerable | Foraging, feeding or related behaviour known to occur within area |
| Listed Migratory Marine Species | ||
| Leatherback Turtle, Leathery Turtle, Luth | Listed Threatened species - Endangered | Foraging, feeding or related behaviour known to occur within area |
| Listed Migratory Marine Species | ||
| Tall Donkey Orchid | Listed Threatened species - Vulnerable | Species or species habitat likely to occur within area |
| King Spider-orchid, Grand Spider-orchid, Rusty Spider-orchid | Listed Threatened species - Endangered | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Purdie's Donkey-orchid | Listed Threatened species - Endangered | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Slender Andersonia | Listed Threatened species - Endangered | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Glossy-leafed Hammer Orchid, Glossy-leaved Hammer Orchid, Warty Hammer Orchid | Listed Threatened species - Endangered | Species or species habitat likely to occur within area |
| Pacific Golden Plover | Listed Migratory Marine Species | Species or species habitat known to occur within area |
| Western Ringtail Possum, Ngwayir, Womp, Woder, Ngoor, Ngoolangit | Listed Threatened species - Critically Endangered | Species or species habitat likely to occur within area |
| Australian Lesser Noddy | Listed Threatened species - Vulnerable | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Dwarf Bee-orchid | Listed Threatened species - Vulnerable | Species or species habitat known to occur within area |
| Dwarf Hammer-orchid | Listed Threatened species - Vulnerable | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Flatback Turtle | Listed Threatened species - Vulnerable | Foraging, feeding or related behaviour known to occur within area |
| Terek Sandpiper | Listed Threatened species - Vulnerable | Species or species habitat known to occur within area |
| Listed Migratory Wetlands Species - overfly marine area | ||
| Terek Sandpiper | Listed Threatened species - Vulnerable | Species or species habitat known to occur within area |
| Listed Migratory Wetlands Species - overfly marine area | ||
| Common Sandpiper | Listed Migratory Wetlands Species | Species or species habitat known to occur within area |
| Little Shearwater | Biologically Important Areas | Known to occur |
| Listed Marine species | Foraging, feeding or related behaviour known to occur within area | |
| Amsterdam Albatross | Listed Threatened Species - Endangered | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Listed Migratory Marine Bird | ||
| Listed Threatened species | ||
| Fairy Prion (southern) | Listed Threatened species - Vulnerable | Species or species habitat known to occur within area |
| Northern Royal Albatross | Listed Threatened species - Endangered | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Listed Migratory Marine Bird | ||
| Campbell Albatross, Campbell Black-browed Albatross | Listed Threatened species - Vulnerable | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Listed Migratory Marine Birds | ||
| White-capped Albatross | Listed Threatened species - Vulnerable | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Listed Migratory Marine Birds | ||
| Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross | Listed Threatened species - Vulnerable | Species or species habitat likely to occur within area |
| Listed Migratory Marine Bird | ||
| Grey Nurse Shark | Listed Migratory Marine Species | Species or species habitat likely to occur within area |
| White Shark, Great White Shark | Listed Threatened species - Vulnerable | Species or species habitat known to occur within area |
| Listed Migratory Marine Species | ||
| Southern Pygmy Pipehorse | Listed Marine species | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Gale's Pipefish | Listed Marine species | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Upside-down Pipefish, Eastern Upside-down Pipefish, Eastern Upside-down Pipefish | Listed Marine species | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Western Spiny Seahorse, Narrow-bellied Seahorse | Listed Marine species | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Short-head Seahorse, Short-snouted Seahorse | Listed Marine species | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Rhino Pipefish, Macleay's Crested Pipefish, Ring-back Pipefish | Listed Marine species | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Australian Smooth Pipefish, Smooth Pipefish | Listed Marine species | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Prophet's Pipefish | Listed Marine species | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Javelin Pipefish | Listed Marine species | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Sawtooth Pipefish | Listed Marine species | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Western Crested Pipefish | Listed Marine species | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Bonyhead Pipefish, Bony-headed Pipefish | Listed Marine species | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Leafy Seadragon | Listed Marine species | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Common Seadragon, Weedy Seadragon | Listed Marine species | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Pugnose Pipefish, Pug-nosed Pipefish | Listed Marine species | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Gunther's Pipehorse, Indonesian Pipefish | Listed Marine species | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Spotted Pipefish, Gulf Pipefish, Peacock Pipefish | Listed Marine species | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Widebody Pipefish, Wide-bodied Pipefish, Black Pipefish | Listed Marine species | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Hairy Pipefish | Listed Marine species | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Mother-of-pearl Pipefish | Listed Marine species | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Port Phillip Pipefish | Listed Marine species | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Longsnout Pipefish, Australian Long-snout Pipefish, Long-snouted Pipefish | Listed Marine species | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Tristan Albatross | Listed Threatened species - Endangered | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Listed Migratory Marine Birds | ||
| Black-browed Albatross | Listed Threatened species - Vulnerable | Foraging, feeding or related behaviour likely to occur within area |
| Listed Migratory Marine Birds | ||
| Cattle Egret | Listed Marine species (as Ardea ibis) - overfly marine area | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Whale Shark | Listed Threatened species - Vulnerable | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Listed Migratory Marine Birds | ||
| West Australian Seahorse | Listed Marine species | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Forest Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo, Karrak | Listed Threatened species - Vulnerable | Species or species habitat likely to occur within area |
| Bottlenose Dolphin | Whales and other Cetaceans | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Indian Ocean Bottlenose Dolphin, Spotted Bottlenose Dolphin | Whales and other Cetaceans | Species or species habitat likely to occur within area |
| Grey Nurse Shark (west coast population) | Listed Threatened species - Vulnerable | Species or species habitat likely to occur within area |
| Australian Painted Snipe | Listed Threatened species - Endangered | Species or species habitat known to occur within area |
| Listed Marine species - overfly marine area (as Rostratula benghalensis (sensu lato)) | ||
| Silver Gull | Listed (as Larus novaehollandiae) | Breeding known to occur within area |
| Flesh-footed Shearwater | Listed Migratory Marine Birds (as Puffinus carneipes) | Known to occur |
| Biologically Important Areas | Foraging, feeding or related behaviour likely to occur within area | |
| Sooty Shearwater | Listed Threatened species - Vulnerable | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Listed Migratory Marine Birds (as Puffinus griseus) | ||
| Bridled Tern | Listed Migratory Marine Birds (as Sterna anaethetus) | Known to occur |
| Biologically Important Areas | Breeding known to occur within area | |
| Little Tern | Listed Migratory Marine Birds (as Sterna albifrons) | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Fairy Tern | Listed Marine species (as Sterna nereis) | Known to occur |
| Biologically Important Areas | Breeding known to occur within area | |
| Australian Fairy Tern | Listed Threatened species - Vulnerable | Foraging, feeding or related behaviour known to occur within area |
| Greater Crested Tern | Listed Migratory Wetlands Species (as Sterna bergii) | Breeding known to occur within area |
| Porbeagle, Mackerel Shark | Listed Migratory Marine Species | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Oceanic Whitetip Shark | Listed Migratory Marine Species | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Wedge-tailed Shearwater | Listed Migratory Marine (as Puffinus pacificus) | Known to occur |
| Biologically Important Areas | Breeding known to occur within area | |
| Brown Skua | Listed Marine species (as Catharacta skua) | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Scalloped Hammerhead | Listed Threatened species - Conservation Dependent | Species or species habitat known to occur within area |
| Northern Siberian Bar-tailed Godwit, Russkoye Bar-tailed Godwit | Listed Threatened species - Endangered | Species or species habitat known to occur within area |
| Hooded Plover, Hooded Dotterel | Listed Marine species (as Thinornis rubricollis) - overfly marine area | Species or species habitat known to occur within area |
| Carnaby's Black Cockatoo, Short-billed Black-cockatoo | Listed Threatened species - Endangered (listed as Calyptorhynchus latirostris) | Breeding known to occur within area |
| Southern Royal Albatross | Listed Threatened species - Vulnerable | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Listed Migratory Marine Bird | ||
| Wandering Albatross | Listed Threatened species - Vulnerable | Foraging, feeding or related behaviour likely to occur within area |
| Listed Migratory Marine Bird | ||
| Shy Albatross | Listed Threatened species - Endangered | Foraging, feeding or related behaviour likely to occur within area |
| Listed Migratory Marine Bird | ||
| Reef Manta Ray, Coastal Manta Ray | Listed Migratory Marine Bird | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Giant Manta Ray | Listed Migratory Marine Species | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Sooty Tern | Listed Marine species (as Sterna fuscata) | Breeding known to occur within area |
| Red-tailed Tropicbird (Indian Ocean), Indian Ocean Red-tailed Tropicbird | Listed Threatened species - Endangered | Species or species habitat may occur within area |
| Spectacled Sea Snake | Listed Marine species (as Disteira kingii) | Species or species habitat may occur within area |