OCEAN RESCUE 2000 -
MEETING THE CHALLENGES OF TOMORROW, TODAY
Dianne Vella-Below
Education Officer Ocean Rescue 2000
ustralia's marine environment is amongst the most diverse of any country in the world. Cold southern waters and warm northern waters provide a range of environments ranging from temperate kelp forests to tropical coral reefs. The protection and subsequent conservation of such areas is essential, while still allowing access to, and use of, marine resources and sites.
The challenge today is to achieve ecologically sustainable use and maintenance of marine biodiversity. A significant contribution to achieving this is by expanding the existing system of marine parks and reserves (known as marine protected areas, or MPAs) to ensure that representative examples from each environment are conserved. Also, areas which are particularly important to marine species, as their preferred habitat, need to be maintained to ensure future generations can thrive. This includes fish stocks which require protection.
Communities can sometimes be hesitant about such changes, fearing that their access to, their use of, and the commercial value of the area may dwindle if an MPA is established. Others can be highly supportive of the concept. The main difference seems to be due to a lack of understanding about the benefits of the declaration process and the knowledge that the opportunity does exist for them to become involved.
Ocean Rescue 2000 has been working since 1991, in collaboration with State and Territory governments to create a National Representative System of Marine Protected Areas. The Commonwealth Department of Environment, Sport and Territories (DEST), the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) and the Australian Nature Conservation Agency (ANCA) are working together to provide policy and technical guidance and management to the States and the Northern Territory. This has led to the development of strategic State, Territory and Commonwealth approaches to the development of marine protected areas in the relevant jurisdictions. Included in this work has been the development of geographic information systems and coastal atlases, installation of underwater trails, data collection and inventory, community involvement initiatives and habitat mapping.
As education forms an integral part in ensuring a successful outcome, the Authority was commissioned to produce a video as part of the National Education Program (which the Authority manages) for Ocean Rescue 2000. This video was designed to assist planners, conservation groups and government agencies to understand the process involved in establishing a marine protected area. A series of case studies were used to highlight the process of establishing marine protected areas. Examples include the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (Queensland), Ningaloo Marine Park (Western Australia) and The Solitary Islands Marine Reserve (New South Wales).
The challenge today is for scientists, managers and user groups to work together to ensure the conservation of these representative areas. By working together, this can be achieved and protection of these marine environments ensured for future generations.
Further information about the video kit can be obtained by contacting Dianne Vella-Below at the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (Townsville office).
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
PO Box 1379 TOWNSVILLE QLD 4810. Phone: (077) 500 700, Fax: (077) 726 093
E-mail: registry@gbrmpa.gov.au