PUBLIC feedback is being sought on a proposal to increase the number of marine parks around the State. Tasmanians for Marine Parks coordinator Michael Jacques said the campaign to declare more marine parks has recently released maps showing new marine park proposals across the state.
“Only 1.7 per cent of Tasmania’s mainland waters are currently in highly protected marine parks, well behind other States,’’ Mr Jacques said.
Feedback is being sought from the public, and a range of public events are being planned across the state.
“For over two thirds of the distance around the Tasmanian coast, there are no marine reserves. The north of the state is particularly missing protection for unique ocean areas,” he said.
“At present, the protected marine parks around the Tasmanian coastline only extend from Bicheno in the northern East Coast around to Port Davey, in the South-West.
“Scientists are telling us that there are a range of species and habitat types across that area that aren’t protected in any of the existing MPAs.
Tasmanians for Marine Parks is a community campaign asking the State Government to complete a network of high-quality marine parks along the Tasmanian coast.
“Tasmania has declared no new Marine Protected Areas since 2007 when a moratorium on new marine parks was announced. The State Government has recently renewed that moratorium.’’
Professor Graham Edgar, a marine ecologist with the University of Tasmania, has spent the past 40 years studying marine parks.
“Tasmania is not just behind the other states of Australia and the Commonwealth, but it’s almost unique in the global sense in doing nothing over the past decade,” he said.
“Populations of marine life are declining more rapidly than off Tasmania than other states. This is reflected in fisheries catches, which have dropped two-thirds in the past 20 years.’’
Mr Jacques said current marine parks including those at Maria Island, Tinderbox, or Governor Island had been a success and had not caused significant disruption to current uses like recreational or commercial fishing.
“Combined with other strategies, marine parks are a quick and affordable way to improve the health of our oceans.
“I can understand why people get scared about environmental debates that seem to impact on their jobs or on the things that they like to do.
“I’d ask people just to keep an open mind and not be scared by any extreme statements that massive areas of Tasmanian coasts are going to be locked up. That isn’t going to happen. The proposals are modest and only affect a relatively small percentage of the coastline.
“We want to have a new kind of conversation with Tasmanians about the marine environment that respects science and recognises the many different things that people value in the marine environment.” said Mr Jacques.
For more information go to: http://marinelife.org.au