"Halt the Salt"

"Halt the Salt" That's the grab from an unusual alliance of conservation, commercial and recreational fishing groups in response to the Straits Resources proposal to build one of the largest solar salt mines in the World on the eastern side of Exmouth Gulf. This united front is the first of its kind for groups which have historically had vastly opposing views on a number of environmental management issues.

The coalition includes the Conservation Council of Western Australia, the M.G. Kailis Group, WA Fishing Industry Council, Recfishwest, the Pearl Producers Association, the North West Research Association and the local Cape Conservation Group based in Exmouth.

Straits Resources is proposing to construct 411 square kilometres of evaporative 'solar' salt ponds across the discharge of the Yannarie system on the Exmouth Gulf's eastern edge. The project will occupy approximately 70 km of the eastern coast of Exmouth Gulf. To get an understanding for the scale of this project that same area transposed over the Perth Metropolitan area would stretch from Quinn's Rock to Rockingham; approximately 10 kms wide!

The alliance believes that the development of a series of salt ponds across the natural drainage pattern of the Yannarie system could effectively starve many of the Gulf ecosystems of vital natural resources. Water quality in Exmouth Gulf is highly dependent on the complex flow of nutrients and sediment between the mangroves and marine environment.

The "Halt the Salt" alliance is united in its stance against the Straits Resource proposal. It views Exmouth Gulf as one of Australia's most productive marine ecosystems with high commercial fishing, recreational fishing, aquaculture and conservation values.

The eastern edge of the Exmouth Gulf is a delicate system of intertidal mangroves, algal mats and seagrass meadows that harbours important juvenile life phases of many valuable commercial and non-commercial species. The fishing industry in Exmouth Gulf is highly dependent on the eastern edge to act as a nursery for many valuable fisheries and the construction of such a large salt mine on its doorstep is seen as a major threat.

One of the foremost concerns with the project is the risk posed by toxic bitterns. Bitterns are a highly concentrated by-product of solar salt production. Bitterns are generally made up of sodium chloride, magnesium chloride, magnesium sulphate, potassium chloride and bromine.

Straits Salt's response to this toxic by-product of solar salt production is a bitterns resource recovery strategy involving the impounding of large quantities of these toxic bitterns in concentrated ponds and then extracting the residual sodium and mixed salts. Ultimately the goal is to completely recover all value from the bitterns resource (including magnesium) resulting in no requirement to discharge bitterns. Straits Resources have made no assurances that this bitterns resource recovery strategy will be adopted, rather that a feasibility study will be carried out. So what happens if in few years time when the salt mine is up and running this process is found not to be feasible? What happens to all this toxic by-product then?

The impoundment of bitterns poses a risk to the environment from potential seepage or wall failure as result of extreme weather events such as Cyclone Vance (see image of red floodwater from Cyclone Bobby). The escape of toxic bitterns into Exmouth Gulf could potentially kill vast numbers of marine species.

The alliance believes that the Environmental Review and Management Programme (ERMP), currently open for comment until 26 February, does not adequately address contingency measures for storing bitterns in the event of natural disasters such as cyclones.

The project also requires excavating an inland harbour which has the potential to release harmful acid sulphate soils as well as disturbing delicate mangrove and algal mat habitat. The shallow waters on the eastern side of the Gulf will require dredging so barges can transport the salt offshore for loading on bulk carriers for export.

A salt mine of this size will require for up to four bulk carriers to be at anchor or at sea in the Gulf at any one time. A typical Panamax class container ship is up to 300 metres long and at anchor have a swing circle of a kilometre. International shipping also opens up the threat of translocation of exotic marine pests from high-risk regions such as the coast of China.

The "Halt the Salt" alliance is firm on its stance that the environmental risks of a project of such a large magnitude are too high for such a delicate and valuable ecosystem. For more information on the "Halt the Salt" campaign and how you can get involved visit the website www.halthesalt.org.au. I urge that you go to the website and use the online petition to be presented to State Parliament.


ACMA Submarine Telecommunications Cable Update

Regular readers will remember my article on the proposed ACMA submarine telecommunications cable protection zone off the Perth Metropolitan Coast in the December edition of Hotbite. Negotiations continue with representatives of the cable owner/operators and it is looking promising for continued fishing and rock lobster potting in the protection zone. There continues to be concern with the potential impact of anchors in the protection zones. This will be addressed at the next ACMA Protection Zone Advisory Committee meeting of which Recfishwest is a member.

Although outcomes are looking promising so far, it is still vitally important that recreational fishers provide comment before the 16 February submission closing date.



This page last updated on February 2007.