The Bardi Jawi Gaara Marine Park on the northwest coast of Australia has been finalized. It’s the country’s first-ever marine park co-designed with Traditional Owners.
Covering 204,000 hectares/593,053 acres, including sanctuaries 10 times the size of Sydney Harbour, it protects whales, turtles, dugongs, corals and more, while honoring Bardi Jawi culture and Sea Country.
The park is part of a network of protected areas that also includes Mayala and Maiyalam Marine Parks. Altogether, the three parks cover over 600,000 hectares/1.5 million acres in the Buccaneer Archipelago off Western Australia’s coast in the Kimberley region.
When the parks were first proposed in 2022, Western Australia Environment Minister Reece Whitby said traditional owners “have been here for tens of thousands of years,” adding:
“They know the land, and it’s part of them, so they can take a real role in managing, particularly for the future.”
According to a recent SeaSpiracy Instagram post:
“This achievement shows what’s possible when Indigenous wisdom and community voices lead the way, and when governments LISTEN to their people.”
Check out the park’s management plan.
For more info, go to exploreparks.dbca.wa.gov.au or watch the video below.
