The Federal Government is reportedly planning to place a moratorium on oil and gas exploration around a large area of the Rowley Shoals coral atolls off the coast of Western Australia.

WWF-Australia has claimed that reports issued by the Federal Government would put an immediate ban on any exploration activity in the area.

“It is fantastic to see the government responding to widespread concerns about oil and gas development so close to a world-class marine feature like the Rowley Shoals,” said Paul Gamblin of WWF-Australia.

But, as we’ve seen in the past, this is no guarantee that such areas won’t be opened in future rounds of acreage release, so the government must act swiftly to create a protection zone around the shoals. Without legal protection for the shoals, there is no guarantee whatsoever that this unique, globally important marine environment will be safe.”

The Rowley Shoals lie 260 kilometres west of the Kimberley coast and are described in government publications as “amongst the most pristine coral reef environments remaining in the world.” The Shoals have more than 230 species of coral and nearly 700 species of fish, recorded to date, making them invaluable areas of biodiversity.*