The migration of humpback whales along the east coast of Australia has been making headlines as eager whale watchers catch glimpses of the majestic mammals.

However, there is a fight in progress on the west coast of the country to protect humpbacks and their calving waters.

The controversial Kimberley gas hub has been given conditional go-ahead from Western Australia's environmental watchdog, the EPA (Environmental Protection Authority), despite four of the five board members reportedly standing aside due to conflicts of interest.

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Conservation group Sea Shepherd said EPA's own chairman has admitted threats to whales, dolphins, turtles, dugong and fish from dredging, oil spills, industrial discharges, noise, light and vessel strikes.

“Australia was once a whaling nation, however nowadays Australians are amongst the most passionate defenders of whales in the world," Jeff Hansen, Sea Shepherd’s Australian Director said. 

"Sea Shepherd receives overwhelming support in Australia. We simply could not do what we do, defending the Australian Antarctic whale sanctuary, without the support of the Australian public.

“However, the very same humpback whales that are being targeted by the Japanese whalers this summer in the Southern Ocean face a new threat in their calving grounds - Woodside's proposed gas hub in a place called James Price Point, just north of Broome."

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The area is known to be the biggest humpback nursery in the world. Between 1 July and 17 July, 259 whales have been recorded by scientific survey just a few kilometres south of James Price Point and 23 calf and cow pairs have been sighted.

Former Greens leader Bob Brown was present at the Sea Shepherd campaign launch last week.

“There are alternative sites for Woodside's factory, but not for the whale nursery there - or the living Indigenous culture, including the songline-linked dinosaur tracks, 130 million years old, on the shoreline of James Price Point."

Sea Shepherd's vessel the Steve Irwin departed Melbourne on Saturday to arrive in Broome on Saturday 4 August, where a number of local and international media, and other guests will board for a voyage to James Price Point to draw attention to issue.