We are Western Australians who are passionate supporters of protection for the Kimberley coast. We thank you for your 2017 election commitment to protect the thousand islands of the Buccaneer Archipelago in a new marine park.

We are contacting you to ask that Adele Island and Beagle and Mavis Reefs be included within the boundaries of the proposed Buccaneer Marine Park. These islands off the end of the Buccaneer Archipelago are the jewels of the Kimberley coast; remote, beautiful and among the most pristine coral reefs left in the world. They deserve world-class protection.

Adele Island is a declared Nature Reserve in recognition of its importance as a nesting and rookery site for thousands of seabirds and shorebirds. The outer Buccaneer Archipelago connects to Adele Island, Beagle and Mavis reefs as the boundary of one of the three highest density calving areas for humpback whales in the Kimberley coast. The reefs also support unique coral reef ecology; it is the only place in Australia where mixed assemblages of rhodoliths and coralliths are known to occur.

The oceanic waters around Adele Island, Beagle and Mavis Reefs are already protected within commonwealth marine reserve but the coastal state waters remain unprotected. The final step to secure world-class protection for these pristine reefs is to ensure its coastal waters are protected within the Buccaneer Marine Park.

The protection of the coastal waters around Adele Island, Beagle and Mavis Reefs would ensure this pristine place remains of value to wildlife, to science, and to all West Australians for the future. These reefs are directly offshore from the Buccaneer Archipelago and so it makes sense to protect and manage them in the same marine park. We thank you for the work you do and urge you to ensure that Adele Island and its surrounding reefs are protected.