Wetland Management in WA

 
Conservation category Sumpland, Aubin Grove, photo taken by Melissa Rogers.

Many of Western Australia's nationally and internationally significant wetlands are located within existing or proposed conservation reserves that are managed by the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC).

The department's responsibilities in wetland management in Western Australia range from the protection of migratory shorebirds, endangered tortoises, frogs and fish, to managing diverse wetland ecosystems such as the Muir-Byneup system east of Manjimup, the Lower Ord Flood Plain north of Kununurra and the Hamersley Gorges in Karijini National Park.

The Department for Planning and Infrastructure, and local government also have an important role in managing wetlands in the state.

 
Pelicans at Towerrining, photo taken by Anna Nowicki.

 
Pitcher Plant, photo taken by Alison Beard.

In recognition of the importance of the State's wetlands, the Western Australian Government adopted the Wetlands Conservation Policy for Western Australia 1997. The policy has two components: a Statement of Policy and a Strategy for Implementation. The department is committed to achieving the objectives of the Wetland Conservation Policy, and in conjunction with other government agencies, has a primary role in implementing the policy's action items.

The State government has allocated funds to the Department of Environment and Conservation for wetland conservation activities as part of its commitment to implementing the State's Wetlands Conservation Policy.

DEC is the agency responsible for identifying and proposing sites for inclusion on the list of Wetlands of International Importance under the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar, Iran, 1971), better known as the Ramsar Convention. DEC is also responsible, at a State level, for the implementation of international treaties that relate to the protection of migratory birds, such as the Japan-Australia Migratory Bird Agreement (JAMBA), the China-Australia Migratory Bird Agreement (CAMBA) and the Republic of Korea-Australia Migratory Bird Agreement (ROKAMBA).