Heard Island and the McDonald Islands are located approximately 4,100 kilometers southwest of Perth. Most recently, they have gone through an inspirational boom in marine biodiversity. This revival comes on the heels of setting up strong protections from illegal fishing, combined with smart, sustainable fishing policies. It’s the region where you can find Australia’s only active volcanoes. More recently, it has entered a new phase as a center for scientific research and conservation efforts, with a strong focus on important marine ecosystems.
Prior to the early 2000s, international trawlers had aggressively targeted the waters around Heard Island and McDonald Islands. The illegal fishing specifically targeted high-value species like toothfish and marbled rockcod, causing dramatic reductions in these fish stocks. A series of strategic interventions, including the establishment of an exclusion zone by the Australian government, has paved the way for ecological restoration.
Establishing Protective Measures
In 2002, Australia took the high seas cake, declaring a no-take marine reserve over nearly 418,000 square kilometers of waters surrounding Heard Island and McDonald Islands. This smart initiative, which was doubled in 2014, aims to help protect more lands that are critical to regional conservation priorities. The Australian Fisheries Management Authority has implemented a catch limit of 2,120 tons annually. This rule is very strict and narrowly tailored to the fishery in this region.
These regulations were designed to control the unlawful, aggressive fishing practices that had decimated the waters during the 1990s. Australian and French governments worked closely and consistently to remove illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. By the turn of the 21st century, their path-breaking actions were paying off. As a result, the waters surrounding Heard Island and McDonald Islands started to recover remarkably well.
The development of longline fishing techniques in 2003 was an important turning point in industry practices. As a result, this change not only ensured sustainable toothfish harvesting, but protected sensitive seafloor habitats and non-target bycatch species.
Observing Marine Ecosystem Recovery
Studies over the past thirteen years have found that the expansion of marine biodiversity in the area has been remarkable, with marine life flourishing. The increase in the number of fish species observed in individual samples has more than doubled over this time frame. These nutrient-rich waters from depths of 4,000 meters upwell onto the wide Kerguelen Plateau. This nets a perfect combination of conditions for many marine species, large and small, to flourish.
Since the late 1990s, fishing vessels have carried out short exploratory trawls annually. They begin their sublime journey at relatively shallow depths around Heard Island and McDonald Islands. These studies will prove invaluable for the continued management and conservation of this valuable fishery. The Australian government’s state-of-the-art research vessel RSV Nuyina will make regular visits to these islands, twice a year. It will survey marine ecosystems in more detail to help direct future conservation actions.
Come January 2025, we hope to see an Australian government taking courageous steps to save marine life. They intend to drastically increase the size of the marine reserve surrounding Heard Island and McDonald Islands. This expansion, the third under President Obama, will add dozens of new no-take zones and habitat protection areas. It will have the region’s national parks protect the region’s distinctive ecological features.
International Cooperation and Future Research
International cooperation has played a vital role in the successful implementation of conservation strategies around Heard Island and McDonald Islands. France administers the neighboring Kerguelen Islands, only 450 kilometers away. Along with Australia, it has pioneered bilateral joint surveillance operations to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.
This ongoing partnership has established an incredibly effective cooperative management structure for these intrinsically delicate waters. Now, the two countries can share critical resources and information with one another to safeguard marine biodiversity. Long-term research projects continue to track fish populations. Beyond catching us a great seafood dinner, they’re giving us our best insights into the health of marine ecosystems.
Recent research results show greater species richness and distributional ranges around Heard Island and McDonald Islands. This data is promising, signalling the positive trends in biodiversity recovery as well as groups of proven effective conservation measures.