Beagle Commonwealth Marine Reserve

Beagle Commonwealth Marine Reserve is a 2,928 km2 marine protected area within Australian waters located in Bass Strait off the coast of Victoria and near Tasmania's Flinders Island. The reserve was established in 2007[2] and is part of the South-east Commonwealth Marine Reserve Network.

Beagle Commonwealth Marine Reserve
IUCN category VI (protected area with sustainable use of natural resources)
Map showing the Beagle Commonwealth Marine Reserve
LocationBass Strait, Australia
Nearest townTidal River, Victoria
Coordinates39.34°S 147.12°E / -39.34; 147.12[1]
Area2,928 km2 (1,131 sq mi)
Established31 August 2007 (2007-08-31)
Governing bodyParks Australia (Commonwealth of Australia)
environment.gov.au/topics/marine/marine-reserves/south-east/beagle

The reserve boundaries enclose Kent Group National Park and the Hogan and Curtis Island groups. Nearby to the north-east is Wilsons Promontory Marine National Park. The reserve represents an area of shallow continental shelf ecosystems in depths of about 50–70 m (160–230 ft), the sea floor that it covers formed part of a land bridge between Tasmania and Victoria during the last ice age 10 000 years ago.[3]

Protection

The entirety of the Beagle marine reserve is IUCN protected area category VI and zoned as 'Multiple Use'.[3]

Zone IUCN Activities permitted Area
(km2)
Recreational fishing Commercial fishing Mining
Multiple Use VI Yes with approval with approval 2,928
[Note 1]

Shipwrecks

Located within the Beagle marine reserve are the wrecks of the SS Cambridge (sunk by German WWII mine) and Eliza Davis, both are east of Wilson's Promontory.[3]

  • The Bassian Plain was a land bridge that connected Tasmania to mainland Australia

See also

Notes
  1. Summary of permitted activities only, see source for details[4]

References
  1. "Beagle Commonwealth Marine Reserve on OpenStreetMap". openstreetmap.org. OpenStreetMap contributors. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  2. "Collaborative Australian Protected Areas Database (CAPAD) 2014 - Marine". environment.gov.au. © Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  3. "Beagle Commonwealth Marine Reserve". environment.gov.au. © Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  4. "South-east Commonwealth Marine Reserves Network - Zoning and activities". environment.gov.au. © Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
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