The federal government has declared the dusky sea snake, a species only found at Scott Reef and surrounding waters, endangered. The Browse gas basin, Australia’s largest untapped conventional gas field, is located beneath the extraordinary Scott Reef off the coast of the Kimberley in WA.
The Conservation Advice informing the decision, provided to the Environment Minister by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW), recommends the government “urgently review all activities for the fossil fuel industry across the Browse Basin”, highlighting its “known and potential impacts”.
The Conservation Advice states that these threats include “a high risk of blowout releasing vast quantities of oil”, “excessive marine noise” which is “almost certain”, “pollution from heavy metals and other toxins” and “disturbance of the sea floor” which “can kill corals that provide habitat for the dusky sea snakes.”
The Conservation Advice states that “the stronghold for the dusky sea snake is the Scott Reef complex”, which sits above the Browse gas field that Woodside proposes to exploit, and which is also crucial for the survival of endangered blue whales, green sea turtles and a wide range of other marine life.
Woodside proposes to drill up to 50 wells around the Scott Reef system and pipe Browse gas more than 900 km along the ocean floor to the North West Shelf / Karratha Gas Plant at the Burrup Hub to be processed for export.
Last month it was revealed the EPA has found Woodside’s Browse gas proposal to be unacceptable due to a wide range of serious and unmanageable risks to the environment including the endangered pygmy blue whale and a population of green sea turtles who rely on Scott Reef for their sole nesting habitat.
The EPA reached its preliminary finding due to a wide range of major concerns about environmental, nature and pollution impacts, according to a letter the EPA sent to Woodside Energy in February this year.
This news comes just one week after Freedom of Information documents revealed that Woodside’s application to amend an existing application to add offshore carbon dumping (CCS) was rejected by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water in August 2023.
Jess Beckerling, the Executive Director of the Conservation Council of WA, said:
“Scott Reef is a pristine and fragile marine ecosystem, teeming with life that depends on it for survival.
“Woodside’s Browse gas proposal involves drilling up to 50 gas wells around this precious coral reef.
“Last month, it was revealed that the WA EPA has deemed Woodside’s Browse project unacceptable due to multiple serious environmental risks to endangered green turtles, blue whales and to Scott Reef itself.
“The federal government has now declared the dusky sea snake, which is only found around Scott Reef, to be endangered.
“The Department’s Conservation Advice identifies gas extraction in the Browse Basin as “exacerbating” impacts to the dusky sea snake.
“The government must heed the Federal Department’s call for an urgent review of potential impacts from Woodside’s plan.
“After many years of trying, Woodside has been unable to find a way to develop Browse without unacceptable risks.
“There is now yet another reason that Woodside’s Browse proposal cannot be approved.
“To protect the endangered dusky sea snake, and all the other marine life at Scott Reef, the State and Federal governments must refuse Woodside’s Browse gas proposal.”
ENDS