About Moreton Bay Marine Park

Park features

Moreton Bay Marine Park was first declared in 1993 to protect its unique values and high biodiversity while still allowing people to use it. The marine park covers 3400km² and stretches 125km from Caloundra to the Gold Coast Seaway. It takes in most of the bay's tidal waters, including many river estuaries and extends seawards to the limit of Queensland waters. The landward boundary is generally the line of highest astronomical tide.

Marine and coastal environments

Moreton Bay Marine Park protects a range of marine and coastal environments, within an internationally significant wetland, including rocky shores, coral and rocky reefs, mangroves, saltmarsh, seagrass meadows and sandy beaches. These habitats provide important resources for shorebirds, humpback whales, grey nurse sharks, marine turtles, dolphins, dugong, and numerous fish species.

Moreton Bay is a key landscape feature of the marine park and is one of the largest estuarine bays in Australia. It lies in an ‘overlap zone’ where tropical and temperate species mix. The area’s biodiversity—the variety of species, habitats and ecosystems, and the processes that sustain them—makes the Moreton Bay Marine Park special. The Bay is relatively sheltered from waves and wind by Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island) and Mulgumpin (Moreton Island). Another major feature of the marine park is its proximity to Brisbane, which has one of the fastest growing urban populations in Australia.

Read more about the nature, culture and history of Moreton Bay Marine Park.

Looking after the marine park and island parks

Know your zone

Make sure you are familiar with the entry and use provisions for the marine park zone and designated area you are entering.

Report incidents and breaches promptly

Contact us for:

• breaches of provisions in the zoning plan
• harassment or unauthorised feeding of dolphins
• unusual marine sightings

Contact the Pollution Hotline (1300 130 372) for:

• fish kills.

Contact the wildlife hotline on 1300 130 372 or notify us through the QWildlife App for:

• sick, injured, deceased or stranded marine animals such as turtles, dugongs, whales, dolphins and note tag numbers if any
• crocodile sightings.

Contact Fisheries Services, Department of Primary Industries for:

• marine wildlife trapped in shark nets
• illegal fishing activities in Queensland, including fishing in a marine national park (green) zone (call Fishwatch 1800 017 116).

Contact Maritime Safety Queensland for pollution including:

• oil spills
• diesel spills
• sewage spills.

Contact Queensland Police Service, Policelink for:

• any unsafe boating practices and matters of concern.

Fish-friendly tips

• Prepare well and check your gear.
• Invest in high-quality fishing gear—cheap line, nets and pots break easily and increase the chance of them being lost or abandoned.
• Bring lockable ice boxes and food boxes to secure food from wildlife on beaches.
• Don't use plastic bags if possible— take buckets or bins with lockable lids to stow rubbish, bait and catch.
• Use biodegradable cleaners for hygiene.
• Bring cans rather than bottles.

Fish with the future in mind

Fishing activities are allowed in the marine park, but some restrictions apply to encourage sustainable use.

• Recreational fishing is allowed in all zones except marine national park zones (green zones).
• Two lines or rods per person and two hooks or lures per line are allowed in conservation park zones (yellow zones).

Be aware

• All fishing equipment must be stowed and secured prior to entering a green zone (or any area of zone in which the use of the equipment is not authorised under marine park legislation).
• Take only what you need and leave the rest for another day.
• If it is safe to do so, please retrieve debris when you find it.

Help save bait species

• Look after seagrass meadows, as this helps targeted bait species recover.
• Check your fishing gear regularly and disentangle and release any trapped, non-target species before they die.

Spearfishing

• Limited spearfishing, using snorkel only, is permitted in general use, habitat protection and conservation park zones.
• Spearfishing, with underwater breathing apparatus or using a power head, is prohibited.
• On-the-spot fines apply.
• For further information, visit Fisheries Services.

Other limits may apply

For further details refer to:

• Maps and resources
• Entry and use provision tables

See Fisheries Services to read more about:

• fishing regulations
• bag and size limits.

Stow it... don't throw it!

Help keep Moreton Bay Marine Park beautiful.

• Leave no litter; littering in the marine park is an offence.
• Deposit no other material, without permission, in the marine park—it's also an offence.
• If you ship it in, ship it out—rubbish and waste is your responsibility.
• Don't let anything float away—marine wildlife will ingest fragments of rope, plastic bags and fishing line, causing a slow, painful death.

Look out for shorebirds

Every summer many shorebirds feed on the rich food reserves in Moreton Bay. In April they leave to fly thousands of kilometres to breed in Arctic and sub-Arctic regions. Each time these birds are disturbed by people, dogs or vehicles they waste valuable energy reserves. This makes flying to breeding grounds and producing healthy young more difficult. In all areas of Moreton Bay Marine Park:

• dogs must be kept under control or secured when near shorebirds.
• always go slow and go around groups of birds when walking, driving or boating.
• aircraft must not land or take off near groups of feeding or roosting shorebirds.
• Motor vehicles are prohibited in the tidal lands and tidal waters of Bullock Creek Claypan (PDF, 225.3KB)
• Motor vehicles are prohibited in the tidal land and tidal waters of Redland Bay Claypan (PDF, 132.4KB) .

Bait gathering

Moreton Bay's sandbanks and mudflats are sources of bait, but these areas are also home and food for fish, crabs, shorebirds, turtles and dugong.

• Bait gathering is prohibited in marine national park (green) zones.
• Bait gatherers are required to replace seagrass sods in an upright position after removal.
• Bait worms, eugaries/pipis or yabbies can be collected by hand, fork or yabby pump and the use of other equipment is prohibited (bag limits may apply). Information on fishing bag and size limits can be obtained from Queensland Fisheries.

Restoring the seagrass, mud, or sand after bait digging helps stabilise sediment and allows regrowth of seagrass beds.

Go slow for those below!

Moreton Bay Marine Park has a number of go slow areas to protect turtles and dugong from boat strike in critical feeding and resting areas. In these areas:

• all vessels must travel off-the-plane or in displacement mode.
• motorised water sports, such as tubing, are prohibited.
• all vessels must be operated so as to avoid hitting turtles or dugong.

To protect dugong in southern Moreton Bay there are four go slow areas where vessels larger than 8m must travel at 10 knots or less.

Go slow areas for natural values protect the natural integrity of a location for all marine park users to appreciate and enjoy the undisturbed values and beauty of an area without the disturbance of fast moving vessels. In these areas:

• all vessels must travel off-the-plane or in displacement mode.
• motorised water sports, such as tubing, are prohibited.

For further details refer to:

• Go Slow areas map (PDF, 5.8MB)
• Moreton Bay Marine Park User Guide (PDF, 13.6MB)

Share the water

Any water craft can encounter whales and dolphins. For their and your safety, please know the rules for watching marine mammals.

Take care when anchoring

Anchors can easily pull up seagrasses and will crush and break fragile corals. Anchoring is prohibited at Flinders Reef, Flat Rock and Myora marine national park zones. Outside these areas:

• ‘Drift’ over seagrass meadows and reef habitats including coral reefs when fishing.
• Anchor in sand well away from fragile habitats such as seagrass meadows and coral reefs.
• Use the correct anchor for the habitat in which you are located
• Consider use of other methods to anchoring, such as electric motors with spot lock enabled.
• Motor up to your anchor, when retrieving it, to prevent dragging.

Where there are no approved moorings anchoring limits apply to prevent damage to seagrass, coral and bottom-dwelling animals and to manage vessel numbers.

• A permit is required to anchor for more than 14 consecutive days in one area.
• The time limit resets if a vessel is moved during the period and anchored at least one nautical mile from the area.
• A vessel can anchor in one area for a maximum of 30 days in any 60 day period.
• A vessel cannot navigate in the marine park for more than 120 days in any one period of 12 months unless it is a vessel that is transferring passengers or vehicles in the marine park, moored in a designated mooring area, or navigating under a permit.

Only in open water

• Sewage discharge from vessels is prohibited in certain areas of the marine park, boaties must refer to Maritime Safety Queensland's Vessel-Based Sewage Discharge Restrictions.

Leave only bubbles

When diving or snorkelling:

• be properly weighted before entering the water
• practice buoyancy control and test gear and techniques over sand, well away from any coral
• secure gear, such as the secondary regulator, so it does not catch on coral
• never lean on or hold corals and avoid hovering over corals when taking photographs
• never stand on or rest on coral
• quietly observe marine wildlife and avoid interrupting their natural behaviour
• do not handle marine wildlife as they may bite or sting
• never chase, grab or attempt to ride free-swimming marine animals or block their path
• when planning to dive at Cherubs Cave, Flat Rock or Henderson Rock, refer to the summary of grey nurse shark designated area restrictions in the entry and use provisions table or the zoning plan for more detail.

Look but don't touch

The creatures that shelter under rocks and in tide pools are vulnerable to exposure.

• Never put your hands or fingers under crevices or rock ledges in tide pools.
• Leave shells on the shore—they are potential homes for hermit crabs.
• Always return creatures and rocks to their original position when exploring tide pools.

Leave it in the marine park

It is an offence to remove almost any material, such as rock or coral, from the marine park without permission. Read about limited collecting. Depositing any material in the marine park without permission is also an offence.

Let animals find their own food

• Never leave out food, scraps or bait or deliberately feed wildlife – it’s an offence.
• It is illegal to feed dolphins unless it is part of a strictly controlled program.
• It is best to secure food in lockable boxes.

Looking after the marine park from home

Remember, what goes down the stormwater drain, sink, toilet or onto your garden in southeast Queensland eventually reaches the marine park. Nutrients and fertilisers, that are washed into rivers and oceans by heavy rains, promote heavy algal growth on seagrass meadows and corals blocking sunlight, which they need to survive.

• Keep nutrients, chemicals and pollutants out of the marine park
• Keep plastics and other rubbish out of drains and creeks.
• Keep the local park and gardens clean.
• Pick up after the dog.
• Use biodegradable cleaners.
• Use biodegradable herbicides in the garden.
• Reduce the use of fertiliser in the garden.

If you’re visiting the islands of Moreton Bay:

Be pest-free!

Our precious marine park islands are among the most pest-free islands in the world. They need your help to stay this way.

• Please Be pest-free! (PDF, 573.6KB) before your visit.

Before you visit, please check that your boat, clothing, footwear and camping gear are free of soil, seeds, parts of plants, eggs, ants and insects (and their eggs), spiders, lizards, toads, rats and mice.

Be sure to:

• unpack your camping gear and equipment and check it carefully as pests love to hide in stored camping gear
• clean soil from footwear and gear as invisible killers such as viruses, bacteria and fungi are carried in soil
• check for seeds in pockets, cuffs and hook and loop fastening strips, such as Velcro.

While you are on the islands or before setting off from home:

• remove soil, weeds, seeds and pests from your boat, gear and clothes before moving to a new site
• wrap seeds and plant material, and place them in your rubbish bin.

Everyone in Queensland has a General Biosecurity Obligation to minimise the biosecurity risk posed by their activities. This includes the risk of introducing and spreading weeds and pests to island national parks.

• Please see the guidelines on caring for parks for more information about protecting the environment and heritage in parks.

Park management

Moreton Bay Marine Park contributes to the conservation and reasonable use of significant marine natural resources. This is achieved through zoning, designated areas, regulations and permits. The marine park is used for a wide range of activities from recreational and commercial fishing to scientific research. Commercial oystering occurs under the Oyster industry management plan for Moreton Bay Marine Park (PDF, 2.0MB) .

The marine park is managed as a multiple-use marine protected area via a zoning plan. This approach recognises that people use and value marine park resources in many different ways. Unlike a national park on land where everything is protected to the greatest possible extent, the marine park allows for a range of recreational and commercial activities through a system of zoning.

Marine park management is all about Moreton Bay and adjoining coastal waters remaining a diverse, resilient and productive ecological system that can be enjoyed in the future.

Tourism information links

Brisbane Visitor Information Centre
www.visitbrisbane.com.au
Queen Street Mall, Brisbane QLD 4002
ph (07) 3006 6290
fax (07) 3006 6250
email visit@brisbanemarketing.com.au

Moreton Bay Discovery Centre
www.manlyharbourvillage.com/product-page/moreton-bay-discovery-centre
William Gunn Jetty, 1 Wyvernleigh Close, Manly, QLD 4179
Ph (07) 3348 3524

Redlands IndigiScapes Centre
http://indigiscapes.redland.qld.gov.au
17 Runnymede Road, Capalaba Qld 4157
ph (07) 3824 8611
email indigiscapes@redland.qld.gov.au

Redcliffe Central Visitor Information Centre
www.moretonbay.qld.gov.au/
Redcliffe Parade, Redcliffe
PO Box 66, Redcliffe QLD 4020
ph (07) 3283 3577
fax (07) 3283 3644
email redcliffe.tourism@moretonbay.qld.gov.au