Environment Minister Donna Faragher said the State Government has invested more than $700,000 in providing three new boats to step-up the management of three Western Australian marine parks.

Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) has taken delivery of the three vessels which will boost the agency’s marine wildlife protection operations.

The first is a 5.8 metre rigid inflatable Naiad, which will be the main operational vessel in the Shoalwater Islands Marine Park off Rockingham.

Costing $145,000 and built by Kirby marine in Henderson, the boat has been named ‘Kgaiup Spirit’ (pronounced ‘Ky-up’), which means ‘water spirit’, a name gifted by Noongar cultural advisors Violet Newman and Dino Dempster.

“‘Kgaiup Spirit’ will be used for general marine park patrols, educating park users and for responding to injured animals such as seals,” the Minister said.

“It will also be used during diving operations to monitor the condition of the park’s marine plants and animals and for other operations such as maintenance of zone markers.”

The two other vessels are 9.3 metre catamarans, each built at a cost of $280,000 by Elite Marine, also of Henderson.

One has been stationed in the Marmion Marine Park that surrounds Hillarys Boat Harbour, while the other replaces the department’s existing Nature Protection Branch boat.

Marmion Marine Park was the State's first declared marine park and due to its proximity to the Perth metropolitan area, has the highest visitation of all of the State's marine parks. The vessel named ‘LaKela’ (Noongar for ‘dolphin over water’) will also patrol around Carnac Island and the Swan Estuary Marine Park.

The third vessel, named ‘Pseudorca III’ after the false killer whale, will be used for a range of wildlife management operations State-wide including monitoring marine wildlife tour operators, responding to marine animal rescues including whale and dolphin entanglements and strandings, shark hazard management, and sea search and rescue as required.

Mrs Faragher said that the new boats were tangible evidence of the State Government’s commitment to providing resources for existing marine parks.

“This commitment will substantially improve DEC’s capacity to deliver the objectives contained in the management plan for, and new zoning system in, the Shoalwater Islands Marine Park for nature conservation, public enjoyment, education and sustainable use,” she said.

The Minister also recently announced the creation of the Walpole-Nornalup Inlets Marine Park, the first marine park off the State’s south coast.