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Newsletters:
November 2005
September 2005
Newsletter - November 2005
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Zoning for Cape Byron and Marine Park for the Manning!
On Tuesday 29 November the NSW Government declared the long awaited
zoning plan for the Cape Byron Marine Park, boundaries of the new
Port Stephens – Great Lakes Marine Park in the Manning Shelf
region and their intention to create a marine park in the Batemans
Shelf region by
April 2006.
These announcement s are important steps forward in the creation
of a system of marine sanctuaries in NSW but SEA remains concerned
that key habitats will not be protected by these parks. Key Grey
Nurse Shark habitats remain outside the park boundaries and areas
such as
Lake Cathie and Queens Lake in the Manning have been overlooked.
On a positive note, the NSW Government committed to declaring the
zoning for the Port Stephens – Great Lakes Marine Park by July
2006 and the for the Batemans Shelf marine park by the end of 2006.
If they meet these deadlines this will be a significant improvement
on the time
taken to activate marine parks.
For more information on the announcements visit the Marine
Parks Authority website
Charting a Course for Healthy Oceans
A report on the 1st International Marine Protected Area Congress
(IMPAC 1)
Our oceans are beautiful and expansive. Yet beneath the shimmering
surface, the life is fading. Oases are turning into deserts and
species are dying out.
Every year, millions of tonnes of marine wildlife are taken from
the oceans. Historically our oceans were thought to hold infinite
marine life. Fish stocks were described as 'inexhaustible' and were
free for the taking. However these initial views were wrong. Our
ocean resources are finite.
Consequently marine life is declining…and fast. For years we
have been hearing about the plight of our oceans and watched helplessly
as reports of the demise of marine species were relayed.
In Geelong, Victoria in late October, over 800 delegates from over
70 countries from around the world attended the first International
Marine Protected Area Congress (IMPAC). IMPAC brought scientists,
conservation and fisheries managers, practitioners, and NGOs together,
to explore potential solutions, to learn more about the latest research,
and to come up with a joint response to the environmental degradation
facing the world’s oceans.
97% of the world's water is held in our oceans. It has been estimated
the value of the ecosystem services provided by our world’s
oceans is over $33 trillion per year! Earth's oceans provide a varied
complex network of habitats, which support billions of life forms.
These ecosystems are delicate. Each and every marine species is
intrinsically linked to others in an intricate food web.Affecting
the abundance and/or distribution of one species will have numerous
consequences on the complex balance of life, which forms our marine
environment.
Globally, protective measures for our oceans have been slow, underdeveloped,
irrelevant, inconsistent, conflicting or totally absent.
Currently only 1% the world’s oceans are protected, compared
to 12% of the land. Even less area is fully protected in sanctuary,
or no-take, zones.
Recently, our increased understanding has resulted in ocean protection
being given a higher priority, and problems have begun to be addressed
through the creation of marine protected areas (MPAs). Attitudes
are slowly shifting, and although adequate protection is still a
long way off, the declining state of the oceans is no longer being
ignored.
IMPAC Impacts
The Congress acknowledged that there are serious challenges ahead
however stated that they are looking towards the future. Useful
ideas emerged including:
· The need to compile a “How To” guide for MPA
creation.
· The need to clearly identify the specific role of a MPA
before its creation, i.e. What are we protecting? What are we protecting
it from? What are the destructive threats to that habitat?
· Measures of effective MPA management should be on-going,
and target both management outputs and long-term ecosystem and socio-economic
outcomes.
· The promotion of the concept of marine ecosystem and resource
management organisations to bridge the gap between conservation
and the marine fisheries sector.
· The need to develop more robust partnerships/collaborations
with all stakeholders and get them more involved in management,
including the development of robust performance criteria.
· The better public packaging of benefits from the creation
of MPAs, to counteract the negativity, e.g. ecosystem services offered
by MPAs. Better messaging could also include identifying MPAs as
ecosystem management tools or a tool within an ecosystem-based management
system.
· An understanding that MPAs are only one management tool
of many to ensure the sustainability of the world’s marine
resources (others include responsible fishing practices, more scientific
research, pollution controls, climate change controls and over-exploitation
controls).
· The need to share knowledge more openly – “conservation
commons” database.
· To accept that there are limitations to our knowledge,
but to recognise that if we wait for perfect science we will miss
out on effective conservation.
· To be positive and focus our effort on building resilience.
However recognise that for most marine ecosystems, it will not be
just about resilience, but often about recovery. Sanctuaries areas
continue to prove themselves as the most powerful tool for eliciting
marine ecosystem recovery.
· To make improved international cooperation and ocean governance
a priority.
· That small MPAs can help, but that scaling up, will increase
all benefits.
· To recognise that protecting marine extensions of terrestrial
protected areas offer a valuable opportunity to control landbased
pollutants.
· To continue to work hard to maintain marine biodiversity
– with a recognition that there is a need to have different
approaches for different ecosystems.
A mantra often mentioned amongst the delegates was, ‘we have
come far, but have far to go, but let’s not give up’.
A great deal of work has been identified as needing to be done,
whilst much was shown to have been achieved. Additionally it was
identified that
“If the perils of our time are unprecedented, then so are the
opportunities”.
Graham Kelleher, Australian Senior Advisor with the IUCN World Commission
on Protected Areas, best summed up opportunities
that lie ahead with the following quote:
“If there was ever a tide in humanity’s relation to the
sea, it is now. It is demonstrated in conferences and congresses
such as this one, in international agreements, in research into
marine ecosystems and processes, and their relations to the entire
biosphere, and in the gradually increasing understanding by human
communities of these relations. We should ride this tide for the
benefit of the world’s oceans and, ultimately, our own.”
Conference proceedings are expected to be available on the IMPAC
website by early 2006.
A Global Representative System of MPAs
IMPAC 1 recognised that our oceans face overwhelming problems,
such as acidification and climate change, but that these issues
are not on the political agenda. Many at the conference called for
heightening awareness of these issues and the ocean’s provisionof
essential ecosystem services amongst the public, as a way of raising
the political profile of ocean governance and management.
Also highlighted at the conference was the need for scientists to
communicate better with the public and governments.
Whilst the UN has called for a global network of MPAs to be in place
by 2012, Louisa Brook of MPA Global (a collaborative project to
develop a more robust global marine protected area baseline and
to develop alternative scenarios of global MPA networks using spatial
modelling techniques (http://www.mpaglobal.org) identified that
at the current rate of declaration we will not achieve such a network
until about 2060!
Globally, a great deal of research effort is being channelled into
MPA design, evaluation and implementation. Our politicians are starting
to scientists’ callis for more protection for our marine environment
however it is up to us, the community, to encourage them to move
quickly and ensure that our marine wildlife and habitats receive
adequate protection before they are damaged beyond repair.
Issues Emerging from the Conference
Through five themes the conference explored the current situation
in MPA design, management and performance. The themes were Sustainability
and Resilience, Developing MPA Networks, Ecosystem Processes, Effective
Management, and Shared Stewardship.
Each theme had over 30 presentations, and there were over 200 poster
presentations. IMPAC 1 also had four cross cutting issues: Fisheries,
Indigenous and Local Communities, Social and Economic and High Seas,
with reports and concluding comments on each.
Key messages that emerged from the Congress include:
· Protection of the world’s oceans is an urgent issue.
· Adoption of the UN’s 2012 target for establishing
a global network of MPAs is vital.
· Establishing effective MPAs on the high seas (and placing
a moratorium on bottom trawling in the high seas) must be progressed
immediately.
· All stakeholder must work together, particularly conservation
and fisheries sectors.
· MPAs can play a crucial role in preventing the collapse
of world fisheries.
· MPAs displace fishing effort, not eliminate it!
· Think big!
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Newsletter - September 2005
Download
as a PDF (600KB)
Stay Up To Date
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email to us
The Saltwater Environment Alliance
The Saltwater Environment Alliance (SEA) consists of peak environmental
organizations, supported by a range of groups and individuals, who
are working together for a better protected, well managed and healthier
NSW marine environment. SEA aims to ensure that marine sanctuaries
are established in NSW to protect our unique environment and for
the benefit of all users.
Hot Topics
SEA LAUNCH SUCCESS
The Saltwater Environment Alliance (SEA) was launched on National
Threatened Species Day, 7th September 2005, in Port Stephens. The
launch was held on the 'Imagine Cruises' a local whale and dolphin
watching vessel. Attended by Alliance members and local community
supporters, the launch aimed to raise the profile of the importance
of marine sanctuaries in NSW.
The launch also featured the release of the Marine Sanctuaries in
NSW Consensus Statement and highlighted some of the treasures of
the local marine environment through a DVD presentation.
MANNING SHELF BIOREGION
After three years of silence the NSW Government finally released
the Manning Shelf Bioregional Assessment in May 2004. This document
highlights areas of environmental significance within the Manning
Region, and proposes a number of possible sites for a marine park.
However, the NSW Government continues to remain silent on where
they believe the marine parks should go.
This silence has lead to a significant scare mongering campaign
from those opposed to preserving our unique and diverse marine environment.
Currently less then 0.02% of marine waters are protected in marine
sanctuaries within the Manning Shelf Bioregion, falling far short
of the 20-30% recommended by the World Conservation Union (IUCN).
It is vital that the NSW Government immediately announces a new
marine park for this region to provide adequate protection for this
unique environment.
Some of the important features of the Manning Shelf Bioregion mentioned
in the assessment include:
· Port Stephens and the Karuah estuary containing the largest
areas of mangrove and endangered saltmarsh vegetation community
in NSW
· Wallis Lakes containing the largest seagrass beds in the
region
· Smith's Lake is the largest example of an intermittent
coastal lagoon in NSW
· Significant Grey Nurse Shark critical habitat - an average
of 38% of Grey Nurse Sharks sighted in NSW are recorded between
Wallis Lake and Port Stephens
· Important ecosystems of near offshore reefs and islands
such as South West Rocks, Laurieton, Cape Hawke and Sugarloaf Point
for endangered species.
· Areas in less impacted parts of major estuaries such as
Limeburners Creek, Saltwater Lake, Macleay River Delta, Macleay
Arm, and the Manning River contain important values of estuarine
vegetation and ecological communities.
WHERE ARE WE AT?
NSW marine protection lags far behind other states and the Commonwealth.
The Howard Government recently increased sanctuary level protection
of the Great Barrier Reef to 33%, Queensland has acted swiftly to
properly protect the critically endangered Grey Nurse Shark habitat
and Victoria has established a network of fully protected areas
along its coastline.
In contrast the NSW Government has stalled on its responsibility
to protect our marine environment, with less then 3% of NSW marine
waters in marine sanctuaries.
WHY MARINE SANCTUARIES?
The importance of Marine Protected Areas (MPA's) in the preservation
of our unique marine environment cannot be understated. MPA's can
take various forms and provide different levels of protection, with
the most important type of MPA's being Marine Sanctuaries, or 'no
take zones'.
Marine sanctuaries are marine areas that are strictly protected
from extractive uses such as mining and fishing but allow for non-extractive
uses including recreation - diving, snorkeling, boating, surfing,
swimming - research, education and tourism.
Currently <3% of NSW marine waters are protected within marine
sanctuaries.
Research has shown that marine sanctuaries have positive effects
on the ecosystems, habitats and species protected and can also provide
other benefits including:
· Improving number of fish by up to 90%:
· Increasing the size of individual fish by over 30%;
· Improving the diversity of fish by over 20%;
· Providing sites for educational activities;
· Increasing community awareness and understanding of marine
conservation issues.
JOIN THE MARINE SANCTUARIES IN NSW CONSENSUS
STATEMENT
The Marine Sanctuaries in NSW Consensus Statement highlights the
need for marine sanctuaries in NSW marine environment, the Consensus
Statement details various scientific statements supporting the importance
of marine sanctuaries not only here, but also around the world.
The Consensus Statement calls on the NSW Government to create a
comprehensive, adequate and representative system of marine sanctuaries
in NSW encompassing 20-50% of NSW marine waters by 2010.
To join the Marine Sanctuaries in NSW Consensus Statement please
contact us
CREATURE FEATURE
Grey Nurse Sharks are critically endangered with less then 500
individuals left on the east coast of Australia. Hunted almost to
extinction because of their appearance, these harmless and majestic
creatures need urgent protection. This can only be provided by establishing
marine sanctuaries in 16 key habitat areas along the NSW coastline.
PLANT PROFILE
Seagrass meadows have only recently been recognised as one of the
most important elements in shallow marine ecosystems.
They play a vital role in fisheries, help to clean coastal waters
and provide coastal defence from erosion. Wallis Lake in the Manning
Shelf Bioregion is home to the largest area of seagrass in the NSW.
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