EXMOUTH GULF MARINE PARK
The WA Government is currently designing a multi-use marine park for the magnificent Exmouth Gulf. Now is the time to let them know there is widespread support for creating sanctuary zones so that we can all experience Exmouth Gulf’s incredible marine life into the future.
The WA Government has committed to creating a multiuse marine park across Exmouth Gulf. The commitment, announced in September 2025, was the Government’s key response to the recommendations of its Exmouth Gulf Taskforce and ongoing community pressure to finally protect this magnificent natural wonder. Within the Exmouth Gulf Marine Park there will be different zones which will determine what kind of activities can take place in different areas. Premier Roger Cook has committed that at least 30 per cent of the marine park will be sanctuary zones, in line with global targets of 30 by 30. The Government is currently deciding where these sanctuary and other protection zones should be located in the Gulf. These sanctuaries need to be in the right places to work — protecting the Gulf’s special habitats and wildlife and ensuring we can all keep enjoying this amazing place for generations to come.
Protect Ningaloo is advocating that zoning is informed by western science and First Nations knowledge to ensure it is genuinely effective.
We now have the opportunity to let Roger Cook’s Government know there is widespread support for sanctuaries that will help secure Exmouth Gulf’s future as a marine wonder.
Why Exmouth Gulf needs a well planned marine park
Exmouth Gulf is a resting and nursing ground for humpback whales and it hosts a diversity of corals and sponges, seagrass meadows and mangroves that are habitats for threatened species like dugongs, manta rays, turtles, sawfish and shorebirds, as well as hundreds of species of fish.
However Exmouth Gulf is facing growing pressure from climate change, the threat of industrial development and increasing human activity. It’s therefore vital that the design of the marine park genuinely safeguards the diversity of marine life found here and supports its resilience in the face of these growing pressures.
Protect Ningaloo represents the many thousands of people who have long called for the protection of Exmouth Gulf and who are now supporting the need for a comprehensive and well informed plan for marine sanctuaries within it.
How a marine park will benefit Exmouth Gulf
Marine parks play an important role in protecting and restoring marine biodiversity. Sanctuaries within the Exmouth Gulf Marine Park will protect crucial feeding and breeding areas for the Gulf’s wide range of marine life. They provide havens where marine life can recover and build resilience, in the face of growing pressures such as climate change. They also protect important cultural heritage values.
Marine parks support tourism and local businesses that rely on a healthy marine environment. They replenish fish populations and will enable us all to continue to enjoy recreational activities in Exmouth Gulf into the future. They provide important natural areas for education and marine research.
Sanctuary zones have been in place at the adjacent Ningaloo Marine Park since 2005 and twenty years on, the reef is embraced by locals, enjoyed by many thousands of visitors each year and supports a thriving ecotourism industry.
Exmouth Gulf is still under threat from industry
Without any protections in place, Exmouth Gulf has been seen by some as an ‘opportunity’ ripe for exploitation. Three significant industrial proposals have threatened Exmouth Gulf over the past decade. Thousands of supporters joined our campaign to stop these projects.
A large pipeline fabrication facility and towing operation, known as SubSea7 cancelled its proposal in 2020, and K+S’s massive saltworks that would have damaged important wetlands was cancelled in June 2025. Both of these projects were proposed by multinational companies however, a Western Australian company, Gascoyne Gateway Limited, is still seeking approval from the WA Environmental Protection Authority to build a port and dredge ocean bed in the Gulf.
This project is completely incompatible with the Government’s plan for the Exmouth Gulf Marine Park. It’s time for Gascoyne Gateway to do the right thing and also withdraw their proposal.
Marine parks mean more fish for everyone
Generations have enjoyed fishing at Exmouth Gulf which is famous for its wide variety of species. As more people visit Exmouth Gulf Ningaloo each year, sanctuaries will help sustain the recreational fishing experience. Sanctuaries allow fish to spawn and grow without disturbance. They increase the number and size of fish species and have ‘spill over’ effects into mixed use zones, boosting available fish stock.
There is well documented scientific evidence to support this. Research1 at the Great Barrier Reef has found that, while no-take marine reserves cover only 30% of reef habitat, they supply nearly half of the region’s coral trout fishery catch.
The more numerous and larger fish in these areas provide over 50% of egg production and there is substantial larval dispersal and settlement into fished areas.
This is a win-win for both conservation and fishing.
All images: Blue Media Exmouth