The Dongara community has welcomed the WA Environmental Protection Authority’s (EPA) decision to open a seven-day public consultation period on Pilot Energy’s proposed Eureka 3D marine seismic survey.
The EPA is seeking public comment on whether or not it should assess the proposal and, if so, what level of assessment would be considered appropriate.
The proposed survey, which would involve seismic blasting in almost one thousand square kilometres of ocean to identify gas resources beneath the seabed, is earmarked to take place six kilometres off the Dongara coast.
The project was approved by federal regulator the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) late last year, just weeks before the state government announced its demersal scalefish fishing ban.
The decision to open public comment comes after Conservation Council of WA (CCWA) referred the project to the WA EPA, citing unassessed impacts on Western Australian species such as demersal scalefish, including dhufish and snapper, whose spawning period overlaps with the seismic blasting timeframe.
Vice-President of the Dongara Professional Fishers Association Michael Butcher said the proposal should certainly be reviewed after the fishing ban.
“The government says demersals are at such risk from overfishing, so why would we risk blasting a known nursery during spawning season? The risks absolutely need to be investigated by the state EPA, not left to a federal regulator,” Mr Butcher said.
“The research shows that seismic does damage to Western Rock Lobsters as well, which is a $400 million industry being put at risk by the gas industry and poor environmental regulation.
“The seismic blasting will affect species in state waters. The impacts aren’t limited to Commonwealth waters, that’s not how oceans and ecosystems work.”
Dongara Against Seismic Blasting spokesperson Cassandra Eva said the proposal absolutely required further assessment by the state EPA, and the community needed an opportunity for proper public consultation.
“The science is clear, seismic blasting damages fish hearing, disrupts migration, stresses marine mammals and affects whales, dolphins, and right down to plankton,” Ms Eva said.
“It threatens our western rock lobster industry, our fisheries and tourism. Not to mention the project is due to take place from February to March 2027-2028 which is dhufish spawning season. Due to the current fisheries ban, specifically dhufish and other demersal species this alone should be enough for consideration and to put a halt to the project.
“We want genuine consultation, independent scientific research, and real environmental safeguards.
“We would like the EPA and Pilot Energy to listen to the local and Traditional Owner's knowledge. We want transparency, no rushing, no decisions made behind closed doors and no ignoring valid scientific and cultural concerns. Our community needs confidence that the environment won't be sacrificed for short-term exploration.”
CCWA Executive director Matt Roberts said that while the project may be in Commonwealth waters, “there will be significant impacts to state waters, environmentally important fauna, and areas of environmental significance”.
“A seven day public comment period on an issue that has such wide impacts doesn't speak to the depth of feeling in the community. Fishing communities have been raising concerns over seismic for a long time,” Mr Roberts said.
“These areas and species are biologically, economically and culturally important to a wide range of community members in the Mid-West region.
“The advice that scientists gave the state government was we either act now, or we lose demersal fish stocks. We would face a complete wipe-out.
“There's a lot of noise at the moment in WA with people trying to undermine and question the science, but what we know is that successive governments have seen this very real decline in fish stocks over decades and haven’t had the political will to take action.
“CCWA supports the demersal fishing ban, but the WA government’s decision to allow seismic blasting in key fish breeding grounds totally undermines the science. It speaks very clearly to the political power the fossil fuel industry has over here. We need our politicians to hold these corporations to account, not just give them another free pass.”
About Seismic Blasting
Seismic blasting is a practice used heavily in offshore fossil fuel exploration, and Carbon Capture and Storage (also referred to as Carbon Dumping or CCS).
During exploration, seismic surveys are used to map the geology of the seabed - up to 20kms below the ocean floor - to locate potential fossil fuel deposits within sub-bottom sedimentary layers.
In CCS, seismic blasting is used to map potential reservoirs within the seafloor geology and then required to map the movement of stored CO2 at regular intervals for the life of a project.
Seismic surveys use loud air guns (4,000 in³ array) towed behind seismic vessels in a grid pattern through the ocean. Low frequency blasts of up to 250dB are fired every 4-10 seconds, 24 hours a day for months on end. Sound from seismic blasting can travel for hundreds of kilometres underwater and creates internal waves of pressure as it moves through the ocean.
ENDS
Media contact: John Cooke – 0433 679 780