Ashmore and Cartier Islands

The Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands is a group of four small, empty islands that belong to Australia. These islands sit in two separate reefs, called Ashmore and Cartier, and are surrounded by a protected area of water. They are located in the Timor Sea, about 320 kilometers off the northwest coast of Australia and 170 kilometers south of the Indonesian island of Rote.

People first found the islands in the early 1700s. Indonesian fishermen used to visit them to collect sea cucumbers. Europeans discovered the reefs around 1800 and 1811 and later took materials from them. Britain claimed the islands in 1878 and gave them to Australia in 1934. Over time, the islands have been used for different purposes, including by naval ships and for testing.

Today, the Ashmore and Cartier Islands are important for nature. They are home to many seabirds and provide a habitat for fish, turtles, and other sea life. Special protections help keep these animals safe, although some threats like illegal fishing still exist. Traditional Indonesian fishermen are allowed to fish in certain parts of the area under an agreement made in 1974.

History

Early history

People from Indonesia have visited the Ashmore and Cartier Islands since the early 1700s. Europeans found the islands in 1811 when Captain Samuel Ashmore saw them on his ship called Hibernia. Another captain, Nash, found nearby reefs in 1799 or 1800 on his ship Cartier.

In the mid-1800s, people took a special kind of bird poo called guano from the islands. By 1891, there was no more guano left. In 1878, Britain officially claimed the islands. Later, the United States tried to claim them too, but their claim was turned down. In 1906, Britain made sure it still owned the islands.

Australian administration

In 1924, Australia asked to take care of the islands to stop illegal fishing. In 1933, Australia officially became the owner of the islands. During World War II, ships visited the islands, and later they were used for testing weapons. Lights for ships and weather stations were put on the islands in the 1950s and 1960s. Indonesian fishermen still visited regularly. In 1974, Australia and Indonesia agreed that Indonesian fishermen could keep fishing in some parts of the islands. In 1983, Ashmore Reef became a protected area for nature, and in 2000, Cartier Island became a marine reserve too.

Geography and climate

The Ashmore and Cartier Islands are found in the Timor Sea northwest of Australia, sitting on the edge of the Sahul Shelf. Ashmore Reef is known as Pulau Pasir by Indonesians and Nusa Solokaek in the Rotenese language, both meaning "sand island." It lies about 170 kilometres south of Rote Island, Indonesia, and 320 kilometres from the Australian mainland. The islands are surrounded by a territorial sea that extends 12 nautical miles.

Ashmore Reef is shaped like an atoll and stretches about 26 kilometres in length and width. It includes three small islands called West, Middle, and East Islands. These islands together cover roughly 1.12 square kilometres and rise just 2.5 to 3 metres above the water. Cartier Reef, smaller at about 2.3 kilometres long and 4.5 kilometres wide, has one island named Cartier Island, which is only 1 to 2 metres above water. The islands are made from coral and sand, with some grass on Ashmore Islands but none on Cartier Island. The area experiences a monsoon climate, with rainy weather from November to March and dry weather from May to September. The sea temperature changes from about 24°C in July and August to around 30°C in the warmer months.

Governance and economy

The Ashmore and Cartier Islands have no people living on them. They are managed from Canberra by a government group that also looks after places like Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, the Coral Sea Islands, Jervis Bay Territory and Norfolk Island. Soldiers and border guards visit sometimes to help stop people from taking fish without permission.

Nearby, oil is taken from places called Jabiru and Challis. These areas are looked after by a different government group from the Northern Territory for the country's leaders. In 2018, there were special permissions for six oil areas, sixteen places to look for oil, and nine spots kept ready for future use around these islands.

Environment and protection

See also: Birds of Ashmore Reef and Flora of Ashmore and Cartier Islands

The Ashmore Reef Marine Park and Cartier Island Marine Park are special protected areas where only certain activities are allowed. Some parts of these parks are very protected, and boats need special permission to enter. These places are important for many kinds of birds and sea creatures.

Many birds, such as crested terns, white-tailed tropicbirds, and greater frigatebirds, lay their eggs on the Ashmore Islands. The waters around the islands are home to many fish, and sea creatures like dugongs and green turtles also live there. Some plants and animals that are not native to the islands have been introduced and could be harmful to the natural habitat.

Contemporary issues

Fishing

Since 1974, Indonesian fishermen have been allowed to collect resources from a special area around the Ashmore and Cartier Islands, called the MOU Box. They can also visit part of West Island for things like fresh water and to see old grave sites. Fishing is not allowed in certain protected areas of the islands. Most of the fishermen come from the island of Rote.

Over time, some fishermen started looking for sharks instead of their usual catch because there were fewer of those fish left. The Australian Border Force sometimes sends boats to make sure rules about fishing are followed. Fishermen who break the rules can be arrested and their boats taken away.

Migration

In the late 1990s, many people from places like Afghanistan and the Middle East traveled to Indonesia and then tried to reach Australia by boat. The Ashmore and Cartier Islands were used as a place where these travelers arrived. In 2001, the Australian government changed the rules so that people arriving on these islands could no longer ask for safety in Australia from there. Instead, they were sent to special holding places or sent back to Indonesia. The government said this would help control the country's borders better, but others were not sure if it was right.

Later, a court decided that the way the government changed the rules was not allowed. But the government made a new law saying it was okay after all.