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State of Conservation Heard and McDonald Islands 1998

Heard and McDonald Islands

Australia
Factors affecting the property in 1998*
  • Management systems/ management plan
International Assistance: requests for the property until 1998
Requests approved: 0
Total amount approved : 0 USD
Missions to the property until 1998**
Information presented to the Bureau of the World Heritage Committee in 1998
The Committee, when it inscribed this property on the World Heritage at its last session (Naples, 1997), had requested documentation on the marine resources surrounding this property. The Australian authorities have informed the Centre that the Australian Antarctic Division has recently granted Commonwealth funding to collate and analyse existing data on the benthic environments surrounding this property, including the territorial sea. In accordance with Australia’s plans to establish a marine protected area in the region, the project aims to assess whether the 12 nautical miles, territorial sea provides a representative sample of marine biodiversity in the region. To enable such an assessment, a comprehensive research program will be undertaken to clearly identify the marine values of the area. A report on the project is expected within six months. As an interim measure, the Australian authorities have submitted a 1992-report entitled “The Conservation Values of the Seas Surrounding Heard Island and McDonald Islands” which has been transmitted to IUCN for review.

Action Required
Decision required: The Bureau may wish to adopt the following text and transmit it to the Committee for noting: 
“The Bureau invites the State Party to submit a report, before 15 April 1999, on the findings of the project to establish a marine protected area so as to enable it to review the report at its twenty-third session in mid-1999.”
Conservation issues presented to the World Heritage Committee in 1998

The Committee, when it inscribed this property on the World Heritage at its last session (Naples, 1997) had requested documentation on the marine resources surrounding this property. The Australian authorities have informed the Centre that the Australian Antarctic Division has recently granted Commonwealth funding to collate and analyse existing data on the benthic environments surrounding this property, including the territorial sea. In accordance with Australia’s plans to establish a marine protected area in the region, the project aims to assess whether the 12 nautical miles territorial sea provides a representative sample of marine biodiversity in the region. To enable such an assessment, a comprehensive research programme will be undertaken to clearly identify the marine values of the area. A report on the project is expected within six months.

Analysis and Conclusion by World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies in 1998

The Bureau invited the State Party to submit a report, before 15 April 1999, on the findings of the project to establish a marine protected area so as to enable it to review the report at its twenty-third session in 1999.

Summary of the interventions
Decisions adopted by the Committee in 1998
22 COM VII.27
Reports on the State of Conservation of Natural Properties Noted by the Committee

VII.27 The Committee noted the decisions of the twenty-second extraordinary session of the Bureau as reflected in the Report of the Bureau session (Working Document WHC-98/CONF.203/5) and included in Annex IV on the following properties:

  • Heard and McDonald Islands (Australia)
  • Shark Bay, Western Australia (Australia)
  • Wet Tropics of Queensland (Australia)
  • Belovezhskaya Pushcha/Bialowieza Forest (Belarus/Poland)
  • Iguacu National Park (Brazil)
  • Dja Faunal Reserve (Cameroon)
  • Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks (Canada)
  • Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area (China)
  • Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area (China)
  • Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area (China)
  • Los Katios National Park (Colombia)
  • Morne Trois Pitons National Park (Dominica)
  • Nanda Devi National Park (India)
  • Whale Sanctuary of El Viscaino (Mexico)
  • Royal Chitwan National Park (Nepal)
  • Sagarmatha National Park (Nepal)
  • Arabian Oryx Sanctuary (Oman)
  • Huascaran National Park (Peru)

The Committee noted that the Bureau's decision reflected the suggestion to establish an informal contact group on mining and World Heritage and that the IUCN "Draft Policy on Mining and Protected Areas" will be circulated.

  • Kamchatka Volcanoes (Russian Federation)
  • Virgin Komi Forests (Russian Federation)
  • Skocjan Caves (Slovenia)
  • Thung Yai-Huay Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuaries (Thailand)
  • St. Kilda (United Kingdom)
  • Ha Long Bay (Vietnam)
  • Durmitor National Park (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia)

The Committee noted the UN official name for the State Party: Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

  • Mosi-oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls (Zambia/Zimbabwe)
Read more
Next 1999
Report year: 1998
Australia
Date of Inscription: 1997
Category: Natural
Criteria: (viii)(ix)
Documents examined by the Committee
WHC-98/CONF.203/8Rev.
arrow_circle_right 22COM (1998)
Exports
Next 1999

* : The threats indicated are listed in alphabetical order; their order does not constitute a classification according to the importance of their impact on the property.
Furthermore, they are presented irrespective of the type of threat faced by the property, i.e. with specific and proven imminent danger (“ascertained danger”) or with threats which could have deleterious effects on the property’s Outstanding Universal Value (“potential danger”).

** : All mission reports are not always available electronically.


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