Ashmore Reef/NW Shelf

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Ashmore Reef

by Bird-O

Ashmore Reef islands are no stranger to territorial controversy. They are where the Children Overboard incident occurred, which involved a boat-load of immigrants trying to reach Australia. When guano-mining was big business in the late 1800s, there were fights between American and British interests.

Ashmore Reef. The three islands are just visible as black smudges equally distanced along the bottom edge of the reef. West Island, the largest of the three, is triangle-shaped. Access to the island is via the channel to the northeast.

It’s also about 50 miles from Timor and a traditional fishing ground with the name Nusa Solokaek in local dialect, meaning sand island. The British made it part of the Commonwealth in 1934 but it wasn’t protected as a National Nature Reserve until 1983. Long-standing indigenous use by our neighbours, is still recognised, with allowance for fishing by some traditional vessels. Perched on the edge of the continental shelf, Australia’s interests these days, are maintained by international laws for maritime sovereignty. Nevertheless, in more recent years, there have been disputes over oil and gas rights for nearby areas.

Birders traveling here in ten years ago would have&hellip Read more