Healthy Land & Water is in the process of proposing a temporary trial of three floating roosts for shorebirds in the Moreton Bay Marine Park, to inform migratory shorebird conservation and future management actions.
Quandamooka (Moreton Bay) and adjacent coastal wetlands provide critical habitat for migratory shorebirds during the non-breeding season and year-round for birds not fit to migrate. Fuller et al. (2021) suggested creating artificial roosts to augment natural habitat and identified a lack of roosts adjacent to the western shore of Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island).
In consultation with shorebird experts and government, Healthy Land & Water identified suitable locations for the trial, and proposes to establish a floating roost at three of the four following locations:
- Shag Island, Pumicestone Passage.
- Bungumba (Mud Island), Moreton Bay.
- One Mile, Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island).
- Wallen Wallen, Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island).
Each location was selected through a combination of desktop analysis and local knowledge and meet criteria including relatively low disturbance by people, close proximity to known shorebird roost or feeding areas, no impact on cultural, economic or environmental values and minimal disruption to users of Moreton Bay Marine Park. The floating roosts are proposed to be installed in September 2022 and removed in June 2023.
Interested persons, including those who believe that the proposal will restrict their reasonable use of part of the marine park may contact Liz via email to liz.g@hlw.org.au for further information, or may request information from Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service via email to GBRRTechSupport@des.qld.gov.au.
Alternatively, you can lodge written comments on the proposal with the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service by 15 July 2022 via email to GBRRTechSupport@des.qld.gov.au.
Download the information pack here: https://hlw.org.au/download/floating-roost-trial-information-pack/