Conservation scientists advising the federal government have called for fossil fuel activity in the location of Woodside’s proposed multibillion gas project to be urgently reviewed to protect the stronghold of an endangered sea snake.
The dusky sea snake, Aipysurus fuscus, was placed on the country’s threatened species list this week and is known only to exist on a small number of reefs off the Western Australia Kimberley coastline.
The official conservation advice from the Threatened Species Scientific Committee said the snake’s last remaining stronghold was Scott Reef.
Global heating was damaging the coral reefs that provide habitat for the snake, the advice said, and warmer temperatures were directly affecting the species. Oil spills and marine noise was also likely affecting the snake.
Last month it was revealed the WA state government’s Environmental Protection Authority had assessed Woodside’s Browse basin project as unacceptable. The project will drill at Scott Reef.
The advice said Scott Reef should be designated a “critical area” for the snakes’ protection “from known and potential impacts caused by the local fossil fuel industry, including development of the Torosa gas field”.
Fossil fuel industry activities across the Browse Basin and elsewhere in Commonwealth waters of the Timor Sea should be urgently reviewed, the advice said, “to determine if known and potential impacts to the dusky sea are adequately considered and avoided”.
All “excessive or constant marine noise” needed to be eliminated “including from drilling and shipping”, the advice said, which could cause “fatal or debilitating barotrauma or stress-related reductions in immunity, feeding and growth of sea snakes – including the dusky sea snake – at nearby reefs and shoals”.
But the advice also said the effects of marine noise on snakes were “poorly known and under-researched”.
A range of other steps were needed, the advice said, including extensive monitoring and research into the snakes and their habitat.
Joe Rafalowicz, head of climate and energy at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, said the listing of the snake should be a “wake-up call” for Woodside and the federal environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, who will need to make a decision on the Browse project.
He said that Plibersek’s commitment to “no more extinctions” under the Labor government “will ring hollow” if she does not immediately follow her own departments advice to protect Scott Reef from the fossil fuel industry.
“Crucial reforms to our national nature law have stalled in parliament – which means Woodside can get away with drilling for gas in critical habitat for the dusky sea snake, as the species was listed after Woodside’s approval document was submitted.”
Jess Beckerling, the executive director of the Conservation Council of WA, said Woodside wanted to drill up to 50 gas wells around Scott Reef.
“The government must heed its call for an urgent review of potential impacts from Woodside’s plan,” she said.
“To protect the endangered dusky sea snake, and all the other marine life at Scott Reef, the government must refuse Woodside’s Browse gas proposal.”
Guardian Australia has approached Plibersek for comment.
Woodside said in a statement it had considered environmental impacts on all listed species and developed management plans for its proposed Browse project, including the dusky sea snake.
“While the Browse development would occur in the vicinity of the Scott Reef region, no activities or planned impacts are expected to affect the type of complex reef habitats that are the primary habitat of the dusky sea snake.”
No physical contact was expected on Scott Reef, the statement said.
“We expect the management measures and commitments we have previously made to mitigate any potential environmental impacts associated with Browse to be relevant to the dusky sea snake.”
