K’gari declared Fish Habitat Area

Location and plan number

  • Foreshores of K'gari, between Moon Point, Sandy Cape and Hook Point
  • Plan number: FHA-053 (Revision 1)
  • Fraser Coast Regional Council

Size and management level

  • 23,837 ha – Management B.

Declaration history

  • 17 November 1983: Original declaration.
  • 28 March 2008. Redeclaration:
    • redeclared to cadastral boundaries
    • include adjoining fish habitats.
  • 29 March 2024: Redeclaration, effective from 21 May 2024:
    • name changed from Fraser Island Fish Habitat Area to K’gari to reflect the official name change of the island
    • outer boundary revised in the vicinity of Beaksea Spit to reflect the limit of Queensland Coastal Waters.

Management features

  • Protection of foreshores for commercial ocean beach and recreational tailor fisheries.

Habitat values

  • Interface of tropical and temperate floral assemblages
  • Supports a high diversity of mangrove species (dominated by Avicennia, Aegiceras, Ceriops and Rhizophora)
  • Extensive sheltered tidal flats
  • Steep rocky cliffs
  • Sandy ocean beaches
  • Some freshwater springs.

Fisheries values

  • Fish communities comprise of tropical and temperate species.
  • Species:
    • Bream
    • Estuary cod
    • Flathead
    • Grey mackerel
    • Luderick
    • Mangrove jack
    • Mulloway
    • Sea mullet
    • School mackerel
    • Spotted mackerel
    • Swallowtail dart
    • Golden trevally
    • Tailor
    • Whiting
    • Eastern king prawns.

Unique features

  • Best example of a complex of wetlands characteristic of south-east Queensland.

Other values

  • None presently identified.

References

  • Beumer, J and Halliday, I 1994, Effects of habitat disturbance on coastal fisheries resources of Tin Can Bay/Great Sandy Strait, Report to the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation.
  • 2016: Enhanced management of Ramsar site wetlands within the Great Sandy Strait catchments.
  • Lee Long, W J and O’Reilly, W K 2007, Ecological character description for the Great Sandy Strait Ramsar site July 2007, Report for the Queensland Environmental Protection Agency.