Former Australians of the year seek expansions to marine parks program

In a compelling plea to the Prime Minister four former Australians of the Year add their voices to the call for an extension to marine park sanctuary zones in SW Australia.

"The scientific case for sanctuary areas has now been well and truly made."

"Research from Australia and around the world provides compelling evidence of both the benefits and the urgency for action."

Click here for more on this story.

United States readers gobble up SA Marine Parks

The SA Marine Parks blog is currently getting more hits from the US than Australia. Happy to see the interest but why not leave us some comment and help us understand where your interest comes from?

The battle to provide a basic conservation framework for South Australia continues with the conservative side of Government opposing any changes to current controls on the use and management of marine resources.

While Australia is inherently proud of it's marine resources (the iconic environment of the Great Barrier Reef epitomizes this image) it should not be forgotten that Southern Australia has an equally diverse and arguably more unique marine biota.

We will continue to work to achieve an evidence based approach to marine conservation and will target the development of sanctuary zones in those areas that best illustrate this biological diversity.

Thanks to all our readers and contributors for your interest.

Prospects worsen for at-risk tuna

 
Two more species of tuna have been added to the Red List of Threatened Species.
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/news/science-environment-14066250 >

Attacks on marine parks blunted by commitment to science

The NSW marine park audit chief (Prof Robert Beeton AM) has vowed to put science before politics in a move which is expected to blunt the anti-conservation fervor being promulgated by some in the industry. Aided and abetted by outdated science from the fishery sector NSW (like SA) has been plagued by a campaign of mis-information around Marine Parks which aims to force government to pull back from a comprehensive commitment to marine conservation in favor of fishing.

Read more on this here.

Strong science underpins the development of Marine Park plans for South Australia.

A wealth of science published over the last 150-160 years has been bought together to underpin the planning for marine parks in South Australia.  This science has formed the basis of three critical areas of investigation including: 

1. what species and habitats exist in South Australia that are worthy of conservation, 
2. what risks do human activities present to the conservation of these species and habitats and 
3. what strategies are available to us to ensure the long term conservation and protection of these species and habitats.   

This science has been the work of dozens of Scientists many of whom have spent their lifetime enriching our knowledge and understanding of marine and coastal ecosystems of South Australia.

The earliest work to understand the ecology and biodiversity of our coastal waters began in the mid 1800’s (including work by the great British naturalist William Henry Harvey) and continued into and throughout the last century resulting in the publication of literally hundreds of research papers, books and popular press articles describing the richness and uniqueness of the flora and fauna of the South Australian coastline.  Work by such eminent scientists as Prof. Bryan Womersley (1922-2011) told us that southern Australian coastlines have a  richer flora and fauna than any comparable region anywhere else in the world with around (60-90%) of the species being endemic (not found anywhere else in the world).  From this we know that for many of these species, if we do not protect them here in South Australia they will not be protected anywhere else.

With an understanding of what species are present we subsequently developed our knowledge about the threats to the marine environment and the long term survival of these species.  Over that time we have identified numerous activities or processes that will impact and degrade marine ecosystems including stormwater, waste water and industrial pollution, dredging, fishing, aquaculture, the introduction of invasive species and not least ocean warming and acidification through climate change. From this work we have also developed an understanding that you cannot manage these impacts in isolation. In most cases the greatest threats to the marine environment come from the combined effect of many impacting process.

Over more recent times (the last 20-30 years) science has been used to address questions about how best to manage and protect natural resources and ecosystems in order to ensure benefits both now and into the future.  Through this work we have developed our knowledge about the use of different management regimes to address, for example,  the effects of fishing, pollution, aquaculture, dredging and the myriad of other processes that are a part of human impacts on global biodiversity. 

On balance the key outcome from this work has been an understanding that:

1. It is easier and less costly to protect environments from harm than to try and rehabilitate damaged ecosystems.  This is as true for the fishing industry as any other where over-fishing can lead to long term social and economic impacts while fish stocks are being rebuilt. 
2. No-take sanctuary zones provide an important tool for the management of diverse impacts on ecosystems. No-take sanctuary zones provide us with areas where ecological process and integrity are preserved which in turn provides an insurance policy against management failures in areas that are being otherwise utilised.

Over-fishing, pollution and climate change pose unprecedented risks to marine life

While calls for new marine protection strategies in South Australia are at risk of being vetoed by a liberal/family first coalition of skeptics a new international report warns that ocean life is "at high risk of entering a phase of extinction of marine species unprecedented in human history". The work results from a study by an international panel of experts commissioned by the International Programme on the State of the Ocean (IPSO) .

The report highlights the principle risks to the world's oceans coming from: over-fishing, pollution and climate change acting together in ways that have not previously been recognised. The report highlights that most, if not all, of the five global mass extinctions in Earth's history carry the fingerprints of global carbon perturbations - i.e. global warming, ocean acidification and anoxia or lack of oxygen. These three factors — the 'deadly trio' — ARE PRESENT in the ocean today and when considered in context with two key additional stressors (overfishing and pollution) they combine to undermine ocean resilience. For more on this story goto: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13796479

Thank you for supporting SA Marine Parks

The fiction of sustainable Australian Fisheries

The Australian Sea Lion faces extinction in the face of continued mortality as a by-catch from commercial fisheries and government inaction.

With only around 11,000 individuals left in the wild the ongoing mortality of this species, estimated to exceed 2% per year from fishing related causes alone, puts the species in danger of extinction within a few decades.

Recent proposals for Commonwealth Marine Parks have failed to provide an adequate level of protection and the situation is made more dire as South Australian Marine Parks face being closed down by fishers before they have even started.

To read more about the fate of this species and the failure of Government to provide a meaningful level of protection follow this link.

Six out of 10 WA fishers support marine sanctuary zones

WA Research Findings:

• Six out of 10 people who frequently fish (fished more than 12 times in the past year) support protecting at least 30 per cent of the waters of WA’s coast in marine sanctuaries.
• 63 per cent of West Australians believe that marine life in WA’s waters is in decline.
• Eight out of 10 West Australians would like the state and federal governments to work together to establish marine sanctuaries off the WA coast.
• 67 per cent of people support protecting at least 30 per cent of waters directly off the coast from Perth, such as the Perth Canyon, in a marine sanctuary.

Read more - from CCWA

SA needs no take sanctuary zones

View the Wilderness society video about the need for World Class Sanctuary Zones in SA Marine Parks:

http://youtu.be/IuDMcQ11hnM

Planned marine parks necessary: scientists

A group of researchers are studying fish off the northern coast of Kangaroo Island in a bid to make 19 planned South Australian marine parks effective. This story by Stateline last year, interviews marine ecologist, Simon Bryars about his work on western blue groper and harlequin fish, research that is vital to the design of sanctuary zones.

Another Harsh Reality, Collapse of World Ocean Fisheries

... caught between plagues of jellyfish, overfishing, nutrient pollution, bioaccumulation of toxics in marine mammals, carbon emissions turning our oceans acidic, the oceans phytoplankton declining by about 40 per cent over the past century, dead zones, garbage patch’s, increasing ocean temperatures and changing currents - our entire marine food chain seems to be in peril.

To read more goto http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article28126.html

Marine parks debate on Radio National

Prof Hugh Possingham (Professor of Mathematics and Ecology at the University of Queensland; Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions) and Prof Robert Kearney (Emeritus Professor in Fisheries at the University of Canberra) were interviewed by Geraldine Doogue on Radio National about marine parks. Here is the link to the podcast.

Does fishing kill fish?

Professor Hugh Possingham is Director of the ARC Centre of Exellence for Environmental Decisions at the University of Queensland. He has been involved in planning terrestrial and marine parks. This is his recent article about whether marine reserves work.

Marine sanctuaries draw in tourists

A leading Western Australian researcher says the introduction of marine sanctuaries off the south west WA coast would generate millions of dollars in tourism revenue.
Read more here.

Fisheries prof claims rejected

This article shows advice provided by the Scientific Working Group to the Minister for Environment and Conservation, rebutting Prof Robert Kearney's appraisal of the DENR fact sheet titled, 'Science shows marine park benefits'.

Costa Rica creates 2.47 million acre marine park

Last week, Costa Rica's President Miranda signed a decree declaring the marine park, called 'Seamounts Marine Management Area', which is larger than Yellowstone NAtional Park, near the Cocos Islands,

The wonderful and heart lifting part of this new declaration is that Costa Rica declared a national day of pride in honour of the announcement.

Read more...

Conservation Council supports marine parks

The peak environmental body for South Australia is promoting the key messages found in this article.

Scientists talk fish - will there be any left by 2050?

World famous oceanographer and marine biologist, Sylvia Earle, talks fish with the BBC.
Click here to see a short clip of her talking about why our oceans are in peril - our 'luxury tastes'.

The ABC Science Show's Robyn Williams talks global fish stocks with three fisheries scientists.
The oceans will be populated by small fish. Large predatory fish will be gone. Over the last 100 years large predatory fish have declined by 2/3. More than half the decline has occurred in the last 40 years. Higher temperatures will lead to lower production and less fish. The demand for fish is increasing but the supply is not. Fishing effort has increased each year since the 1950s, but recently the catch has not increased. Have we reached 'peak fish'?

Will marine parks increase the value of real estate!!!!

Sadly the national press is gobbling up all the specious arguments of the anti- marine parks lobby who have variously claimed, without any evidence to support them, that fish prices will go up and house prices will go down if we bring in marine parks.

Meanwhile in the real world, active conservation programs continue to provide dividends to communities through improved resource protection.  It is not apparent, at least to this observer, how a small area (probably 10-15% of State waters) under active protection will reduce the value of houses?  Most people will continue to fish where they want to and in most cases, due to spillover benefits, they will catch more fish for less effort.

Just go elsewhere in Australia and watch the recreational fishers line up on the boundaries of marine parks - why are they there?  Because that is where they catch most fish - right next to the area that has been protected.  On this basis marine parks will attract fishers to regional communities and will improve the value of real estate.

Recreational fishing group supports Marine Parks

Recreational fishing group Fishers For Conservation recently posted this article:

In my life I have watched the numbers of fish my family love to catch and eat dwindle and have observed the habitats and ecosystems I grew up with change significantly, and not for the better. I have no doubt that we need to take action, now. But what should we do? Lately Marine Parks have been grabbing the headlines as some people tout them as the solution to all our problems, and others are up in arms with a ‘not in my backyard’ mentality.
There is not one simple answer, but perhaps there is one simple approach that can bring about the positive change we need. The biggest problems Australian inshore oceans face are pollution, destructive fishing practices, and a fundamental error in the way we manage our fisheries…

To read the full article, go here.

Widespread support for marine parks

In a recent speech to the SA Parliament Mark Parnell argued that:

"There is in the community view that the conservation of biological diversity also has an ethical basis. We share the earth with many other life forms which warrant [our] respect, whether or not they are of benefit to us. Earth belongs to the future as well as to the present. No single species or generation can claim it as its own."

To read the full text of this speech then follow this link.

The other side of marine parks

For a compelling summary of the issues around the marine parks debate have a look at this letter to the Yorke Peninsula Country Times

"Marine parks have been the subject of detailed studies, reports and field surveys here in South Australia for the best part of two decades. It is full of science and backed by some of the best scientific advice and minds in the country. These are people who passionately care about our environment and about ensuring it isn’t squandered for those generations to come, is preserved for the good of the environment and not used solely for the recreation of the few."

To read the full article go to:
http://www.ypct.com.au/your-view/8688-the-other-side-of-marine-parks.html.

Predator fish in oceans on alarming decline, experts say

This article reports on a recent meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a prestigious scientific organisation that asks "2050: Will there be fish in the ocean?"
Predator fish in oceans on alarming decline, experts say

Two fantastic presentations that you MUST watch for inspiration…

Dr. Enric Sala, marine ecologist, delivers a presentation about marine protected areas that provides a great summary of the science:

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/enric_sala.html

One of the most famous marine biologists in the world, Dr. Sylvia Earle, gives an inspirational talk about protecting our precious and beautiful oceans:

http://www.ted.com/talks/sylvia_earle_s_ted_prize_wish_to_protect_our_oceans.html

Leading Marine Science Association calls for minimum 10% no-take zones

The Australian Marine Sciences Association, the peak body representing marine scientists in Australia has called for a minimum target of 10% full no-take protection by 2012.

In their 2008 position statement on Marine Protected areas AMSA makes a number of key recommendations including that:

1. Where detailed planning has not been undertaken, a goal should aim to protect all major marine ecosystems, with a minimum target of 10% of all habitat types under full no-take protection 2012.
2. Rare and vulnerable ecosystems or communities should be provided with greater protection – up to 100% where an isolated ecosystem or habitat type is endangered. 
3. No-take reserves should lie within larger multi-use protected areas, designed to provide limited harvesting opportunities which will not prejudice biodiversity assets. 
4. AMSA supports improved fisheries management in conjunction with the development of MPA networks.

Click here to read the full statement.

"Sustainable fisheries" - what does this really mean?

A common argument from the fishing industry is that we do not need marine parks because South Australian fisheries are already managed sustainably. This argument is invalid for one simple reason: Sustainable fishery management is about ensuring fishery productivity. This does not mean that the fishing practices don’t cause environmental harm or that the fishing practice is sustainable for other species in the ecosystem.

The simplest definition of a sustainably managed fishery is one that maintains fish stocks. In other words, a fishery in which the recruitment of new fish balances the removal of fish through catching or natural mortality. So, while fishery stocks may be managed so that we can maintain, or even enhance, the fishable biomass of the target species, this does not mean that other species in the ecosystem are similarly sustained or protected.

Many fisheries have significant detrimental impacts, including habitat destruction and / or the by-catch of non-target species.

Two examples that illustrate the potential for so called “sustainable” fisheries to have a significant impact are:

• the destruction of benthic habitats, e.g. associated with bottom trawl fisheries such as prawn fishing
• impacts on endangered species (including deaths of endangered Australian sea lions) from activities such as gillnet fishing.

Studies on Australian prawn fisheries have shown that by-catch can be as high as 10 tonnes of by-catch per tonne of prawns caught. In many cases this by-catch comprises rare, threatened or endangered species. In South Australia these include pipe fish and sea horses, sea squirts, sponges, giant cuttlefish and a number of commercially important species including under-size whiting and berried blue crabs.

Similarly gill-net fishing in South Australia has been identified as a key threat to the survival of Australian sea lions, listed as vulnerable under the EPBC Act. More than 80% of Australian sea lions – Australia’s only endemic seal - live in South Australian waters. Recent work by SARDI Aquatic Sciences has demonstrated that by-catch of Australian sea lions in the shark gillnet fishery represents a key threat to their survival.

In summary – the term "sustainable fishing" in South Australia only means that the productivity of fish stocks are managed. IT DOES NOT MEAN that fishing is free of impacts on the environment or that ecosystem integrity is maintained. In fact, fishing remains one of the most significant threats to marine biodiversity and the survival of many key species that contribute to the richness and diversity of coastal waters.

This is why we need sanctuary zones – to ensure that there are some "no-take" areas that remain free of the destructive impacts of fishing.

Alliance of Conservation Groups Voice Strong Support for SA Marine Parks

In a recent press release  "Save Our Marine Life", an alliance of conservation groups Australia wide, argued that

 "Negative claims about proposed marine parks in SA threaten to mislead coastal communities about the significant benefits these parks deliver in protecting fish and the marine environments"

The alliance is working to achieve a better understanding within the community about the real benefits from marine parks.

Read more about what they said.

Reasons for establishing marine parks

•  Up to 85% SA marine life is unique/endemic
•  our oceans are under pressure
•  the science is clear
•  marine sanctuaries are critical to both boosting our fish stocks and keeping our marine life healthy
•  < 1% of waters of SA are protected (from fishing and mining interests)
•  South Australians love the coast
•  coastal lifestyles are important to South Australians
•  Marine sanctuaries will protect what we hold dear and ensure healthy oceans
•  Marine Parks do not stop fishing
•  Marine sanctuaries provide high level protection to protect marine life (and boost fish stocks)

Share Marine Parks

If you want the opportunity to actually share in the benefits of marine parks then you need to share the link to the Marine Parks Blog.

Use the buttons below to communicate with your colleagues - get the message out there - we are all committed to the realisation of marine parks in South Australia.

Less than 1% of our oceans are protected

Great article by Moses Amweelo who says (amongst other things)...

"Our oceans give us life - they provide us with oxygen and food, and they contain over 80% of all life on Earth. In exchange, we plunder them of fish, choke them with pollution and heat them up through climate change.

Despite the critical role that oceans play in our lives, they are still the least protected areas of our planet. Currently, less than 1% of our seas and oceans are protected. "

Link to this article here

The price of fish?

According to the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics, the gross value of production of Fisheries in Australia for 2008 was worth $2.19 billion. However, since 1998-99 the total volume of fisheries production has increased by 1% but the return on that produce has fallen by some 22%. This decline can be attributed to a reduction in the value of key species in international markets primarily in response to the increasingly strong Australian dollar.

 

"Historically, Australia has been a net importer of fisheries products in volume terms but a net exporter in value terms. This disparity reflects the composition of Australian fisheries exports compared to imports. Australian fisheries exports are dominated by high value species such as rock lobster, tuna and abalone, while imports largely consist of lower value products such as frozen fish fillets, canned fish and frozen prawns." (ABARE 2008)

Most of the seafood consumed in Australia is actually imported whereas most of what we catch goes to export.  The price of seafood in Australia is thus largely determined by the complex interplay of international markets and currency fluctuations rather that local measures to manage and protect the ecological integrity of coastal waters.

Protecting natural assets - protecting tourism

The Tourism and Transport Forum, a peak tourism organisation points out:

"In 2006 domestic and international nature-based tourists spent approximately $23 billion during their travels in Australia."

"... the task of securing Australia’s globally important biodiversity has never been more urgent .."  

(Tourism and Transport Forum Australia Natural Tourism Partnerships Action Plan (2007) available at http://www.ttf.org.au/Content/ntpi07.aspx




Tourism needs healthy ecosystems and thriving wildlife; marine parks will deliver a healthy and sustainable marine environment