Arafura Sea
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The Arafura Sea is a shallow arm of the Pacific Ocean overlying the continental shelf between Australia and New Guinea. It is bordered by the Coral Sea to the east, the Timor Sea to the west and the Gulf of Carpentaria to the south. The sea is 1290 kilometres (800 miles) long and 560 kilometres (350 miles) wide. The depth of the sea is primarily 50-80 metres (165-265 feet) with the depth increasing to the west. As a result, during the last glacial maximum the Arafura sea formed a large plain along with the Gulf of Carpentaria and the Torres Strait connecting Australia and New Guinea forming the continent of Sahul, easing migration of humans from Asia into Australia. As a shallow tropical sea, its waters are a breeding ground for tropical cyclones.
It is potentially a place for shrimp and demersal fishing. Shrimps available in this sea are penaeid sp in addition to basic fishes, nemipteridae sp and other kind of fish.
In a world where marine ecosystems and fish stocks are generally collapsing, the Arafura Sea stand at the global maximum of marine biodiversity. This sea, however, is coming under intense pressure from illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing activities. If this trend persists, the fish protein dependent communities that surround the sea will face a considerable challenge in sustaining their livelihoods.
Increasing economic growth and maintaining environment quality are two main challenges to achieve sustainable development in coastal areas of the sea. Utilization of marine and fisheries resources for economic development of particular area must be conducted in coordinative manner and through appropriate approaches which take into consideration the sustainable aspects of the environment.
Established in 2002, the Arafura and Timor Seas Expert Forum (ATSEF) seeks to promote economically and environmentally sustainable management of the seas.
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