The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority proposes to use the funding to increase patrols of the Marine Park, investigate the use of new enforcement technology and continue the currently high level of enforcement of Dugong Protection Areas within the Marine Park. This year, additional funding of $230 000 has also been provided for further enforcement of Dugong Protection Areas.

As part of day-to-day management of the Marine Park, aerial surveillance and boat patrols are used to monitor vessel activity. The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS), Coastwatch, the Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol (QBFP) and the Queensland Water Police all undertake surveillance for illegal activity within the Marine Park.

The Authority is increasingly focussing on a co-ordinated multi-agency approach to management, using available resources in the most efficient way. All aerial and vessel surveillance is currently being reviewed to ensure maximum coverage of the Marine Park by all agencies involved in enforcement activities-Coastwatch, the QBFP, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) and the Water Police.

Of particular interest will be the heavily trafficked 'green zone' in the Far Northern Section and the new closed areas that have been introduced as part of the Far Northern Section Zoning Plan. It is proposed to develop tactical and strategic programs with external agencies to use remote night surveillance, radar and cover/saturation enforcement action to further target illegal activities.

Another area of high priority relates to illegal line fishing occurring throughout the Marine Park around protected reefs. These activities will also be given increased attention in regard to surveillance and enforcement of Marine Park zoning regulations.

The Authority has re-established its Enforcement Co-ordinating Committee, which brings together Queensland Parks and Wildlife Enforcement Co-ordinators and external agencies patrolling the Marine Park. A workshop to be held in coming months will investigate the cost and effectiveness of new technology to detect both pollution and fishing infringements in protected areas, including Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS), radar and undersea surveillance systems.

VMS provides a means of tracking the location of vessels using satellite monitoring systems. Vessels are fitted with a transmitter which is polled by a ground station at predetermined intervals. Vessel identification, speed and position can be recorded. The Queensland Fisheries Management Authority is fitting VMS to the Queensland trawl fleet and has proposed to extend the technology to other fisheries over the next few years. The Authority is seeking to have access to this system.

Also under scrutiny is undersea surveillance, involving the placement of an array of acoustic sensors on the sea floor to monitor traffic levels and allow for more targeted enforcement. Local and over-horizon radar will also be investigated as a potential means of providing information on vessel movements and activity patterns.