Blue is the New Green: Support Marine Parks

Help us block a Marine Park Moratorium

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The NSW Shooters Party has introduced a Bill to Parliament to place a 5 year moratorium on the creation of new marine parks and the expansion of sanctuary areas within existing marine parks.

This follows a strong campaign by this party to discredit marine parks with fictitious claims of no science and damage to local economies. This is despite overwhelming scientific support, increases in tourism and huge community support for marine parks.

The NSW Labor Party threatens to damage their legacy of marine parks by offering their in principle support for the Bill. They have said they would support the Bill provided the current marine parks reviews (for the Solitary Islands and Jervis Bay marine parks) were allowed to proceed. Following that no new marine parks will be created for a 5 year period, and no new sanctuaries within existing marine parks will be permitted during marine park reviews.

An alliance of 38 conservation organisations representing more than 590,000 Australians has condemned the State government's support for this Marine Parks Amendment (Moratorium) Bill as a dangerous set back for marine conservation in NSW. View our collective media release here

Currently just 6.7% of NSW oceans are fully protected in sanctuaries, whilst international recommendations are for a minimum 20%.

Whilst NSW is at risk of halting the creation of any new marine parks, the South Australian State government is meanwhile creating a network of 19 marine parks covering 44% of State waters whilst the Australian Government is in the process of creating a system of marine parks for all its commonwealth waters.

The Bill has had its second reading and will be introduced into the Upper House during the next parliamentary sitting starting 31 August 2010.

Your urgent support is needed now to block this Bill

Click here to fill out your online letter