Observing improving ecology in Simpsons Bay

Certainly with the shorebirds, their numbers have increased dramatically. When we first came here you didn’t see Swans in Simpson’s bay, sometimes you will now see twenty to thirty swans in this area.

I think there are a number of reasons behind this improving ecology of Simpson’s bay.

Obviously the amount of food has increased. The sea grasses and the algal grasses are now increasing – and that’s what the swans and grebes and similar birds like the pacific black ducks depend on.

Part of the reason for increased food supply for birds could be because there is less fishing. This has occurred partly because they’ve increased the size limit of flathead. The increased food may also be because the Oyster leases have disappeared in this corner of Bruny. Some Oyster leases have been held in obeyance by conservation minded landowners to protect the ecology of the bay. It has had an impact.

People used to drive down this beach, and so it wasn’t good for nesting. Now that’s pretty much all stopped. Less people are coming down here and so it gives the birds a better chance to successfully nest. You don’t get overuse of these areas that once occurred, there’s no longer grazing on the dunes.

I think the decline in land-clearance has also made a big difference. Bruny Island had a lot of drains that were built in the swamps and the wetlands. Draining these areas used to disturb and change the composition of the water, the way the water flows worked. Farming has stopped in part of the edge of Simpson’s bay – that all used to be farmed and cleared and drains were built, so that changed the water regime into the bay. That is now changing back to more of a natural water regime. The vegetation along the edge of the bay has now improved and matured and is dominated by native vegetation and some native grasses – it used to be cleared but is recovering which has created and is showing that there is a better balance between the land and the water, the interaction is starting to occur in accordance with its natural cycles.

I suspect that warmer water temperatures are also having an impact – I’ve got no evidence for this – but you’re getting an increase in sea grass and the algal growths. I mean the swans and ducks and grebes love it, both the sea grass and the insects that come with them.

And so it is probably a combination of all of those things. Bird populations as a result of this are doing reasonably well in Simpson’s Bay.

It is so unique, so incredibly diverse, the mixing of fresh and salt water. I just wish that they would declare this a marine protected area.