Great Sandy Strait

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Fraser Island’s Unique Marine Environment!

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Celebrating and Defending the Great Sandy Strait

Halting the worldwide loss of wetlands is crucial to the conservation of migratory shorebirds. Through the international treaty of Ramsar and agreements between China, Japan and Australia, we have made a commitment to do our part to protect migratory birds by wisely using and managing their environment.

Wetlands of the Great Sandy support eighteen of the 24 species listed under the Japan Australia Migratory Bird Agreement (JAMBA) and the China Australia Migratory Bird Agreement (CAMBA). This includes more than 1% of the total flyway (or world) population of the following species:

¨ Eastern Curlew Numenius madascariensis

¨ Grey-tailed Tattler Tringa brevipes

¨ Lesser Sand Plover Charadrius mongolus

¨ Terek Sandpiper Tringa cinerea - third highest count in Australia

¨ Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus - highest count in Australia

¨ Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponnica

¨ Pied Oystercatcher Haematopus longirostris - fifth highest count in Australia

¨ Greenshank Tringa nebularia - third highest count in Australia

¨ Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola

Seventeen species have had 4% or more of their State totals recorded in the region. These include the Grey-tailed Tattler (7681—42%), Eastern Curlew (6018—33%), Bar-tailed Godwit (13,359—27%), Greenshank (1069—24%) and the Terek Sandpiper (2494—21%). In fact the area supports nearly half of the total known Australian population of the internationally near-threatened eastern curlew, and nearly half of the total bar-tailed godwit, Mongolian Plover and grey-tailed tattlers counted in eastern Australia. The area is ranked first in national importance for eastern curlews and third for bar-tailed godwits and Mongolian Plovers.

The rare little tern (Sterna albifrons), as well as other waterfowl like ducks, black swans, herons, Ibis and brolgas, have also been recorded in the area (G. Brooks pers. comm.).

Information courtesy of Queensland Environment Protection Agency (EPA) and the Australian Heritage Database.

¨ ‘Shorebirds in Focus’ … click here

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Migratory Birds and the Great Sandy Wetland

The coastal wetlands of the Great Sandy Strait are of international significance for migratory shorebirds. They are recognized as among the most important roosting areas for migratory trans-equatorial shorebirds in Australia. At least 45,000 birds use these wetlands as their summer feeding grounds, and some then stay for the southern hemisphere winter—especially the young and old—foregoing the breeding leg of their migration. There is evidence that the strait is of critical importance for non-breeding yearling birds that do not return to the northern hemisphere until the following year.

Flyways—linking continents

Some 1.5 million shorebirds experience an endless summer, flying an annual round-trip migration of 25,000 kilometres from their northern hemisphere Arctic breeding grounds to the wetlands of the southern hemisphere continents. Even tiny birds weighing less than two 20 cent coins make the journey, whatever the weather.

Shorebird flight paths or ‘flyways’ depend on a network of wetlands for shorebirds to feed and replenish their fat reserves during migration. Losses of wetlands on these flyways—even quite small areas—can be disastrous as the shorebirds might not have the strength and energy they need to complete their migration.