Coal port could wipe out dolphin pod: WWF

A unique pod of rare Australian dolphins could be wiped out by a coal port planned for an island just off the central Queensland coast, WWF Australia warns.

Researchers believe the 70-strong snubfin dolphin population at the mouth of the Fitzroy River, 40km north of Gladstone, is genetically distinct from other Australian snubfins.

The native snubfin, discovered in 2005, inhabits rivers and coasts of northern Australia and is believed to be rare.

The WWF says an Xstrata coal port planned for Balaclava Island on the mouth of the Fitzroy River could easily wipe out the local snubfin population over the next 10 to 20 years.

"Even just the loss of just one dolphin per year is enough to trigger the extinction of that local population," WWF spokesman Richard Leck said.

The dolphins currently feed in the relatively pristine coastal mangroves of Balaclava Island, Mr Leck said.

"The unfortunate situation is that the habitat they rely on is exactly the type of habitat that's likely to be destroyed or significantly damaged by the Balaclava Island development," he said.

What's more, he expects the Australian snubfin dolphin to be declared a threatened species shortly.
Xstrata's environmental impact statement for its Balaclava Island coal port is expected to be released early next year.

Mr Leck said the port would almost certainly have an impact on local marine life.

"When you're seeing how badly the health is in Gladstone Harbour at the moment the last thing we want to be doing is having that type of impact up and down the coastline," he said.

"At some point you have to say right, we just can't keep industrialising the whole Great Barrier Reef coastline."


Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/coal-port-could-wipe-out-dolphin-pod-wwf-20111014-1lnoc.html#ixzz1aqvkgdSM