Declared Fish Habitat Area summary - Cleveland Bay
Crocodile Creek
Location
Adjacent to Townsville, stretches from south-east of Ross River to Cape Cleveland including Sandfly, Alligator, Crocodile and Cocoa creeks and the Blacksoil and Salmon Creek coastal wetland systems adjacent to Bowling Green Bay.
Plan number
Size
21,810 ha
Management level
A
Declaration dates
28 March 2008 (original declaration)
Local government
Townsville City Council
Management features
Protection of valuable commercial, recreational and Indigenous fisheries resources; wetlands buffer zone from industrial and residential development; protection of remaining undisturbed habitat.
Habitat values
Extensive seagrass beds (dominated by Halodule and Halophila species); mangrove-lined estuaries, 21 mangrove species dominated by spotted or red mangrove (Rhizophora stylosa), Yellow mangrove (Ceriops australis) and Grey mangrove (Avicennia marina); intertidal mud and sand flats; intertidal marshes and saltpan; nursery habitats for highly productive and valuable commercial fisheries.
Fisheries values
Commercial, recreational and Indigenous fisheries resources; banana and tiger prawns; mud crabs; barramundi; mullet; shark and threadfin salmon.
Unique features
Surrounded by National Parks, Bowling Green Bay Ramsar wetland, the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area- and Cleveland and Bowling Green Bay Dugong Protection Area; important area for fisheries and fish habitat research.
Other values
Important national and internationally significant habitat complex supporting endangered turtles and dugong.
Further references
Baker, R & Sheppard, R 2005, Fisheries resources of Cleveland Bay (Townsville), Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries.