Welcome

From the President

Your NPA 

Environmental News

Election Feature

Red Gum Icons

Marine Scene

Conservation Reserves

Your Parks

Naturekeepers

On The Track

Nature Seekers

Letters
To The Editor

Reviews

Marine Scene

Everyone can be involved
Cousteau calls for NSW Sanctuaries
Sanctuaries campaign

Introduction Giant cuttlefish. Photo: Nicky Hammond

Following years of campaigning, December resulted in a huge leap forward in sanctuaries for NSW with the much anticipated final zonings announced for the Port Stephens-Great Lakes and Batemans marine parks. NPA~Marine has been playing a leading role in the creation of these marine parks. Since their announcements 12 months ago, we've been working with numerous stakeholder groups to try to create parks that will best protect our oceanic life whilst also ensuring a balance with fishing interests. A huge congratulations to our Marine Sanctuaries Campaigner, Paul Winn, who has played an invaluable role in these campaigns. Meanwhile our HarbourKeepers and CoastKeepers projects have been progressing with our Coordinator Dave Roe having now certified almost 70 divers to undertake our Fish Surveys. Supported by our HarbourKeepers and CoastKeepers Assistant Michael Vyse, these programs continue to go from strength to strength. With the upcoming election fast approaching NPA~Marine looks forward to seeing a commitment to create a comprehensive, adequate and representative sanctuary network for NSW from all political parties. Nicky Hammond Marine Program Manager

Everyone can be involved
By DAVID ROE, HarbourKeepers and CoastKeepers Coordinator

The great thing about coordinating the HarbourKeepers and CoastKeepers initiatives is seeing how willing people are to contribute their time and skills to improving the NSW marine environment. Some of our volunteers get involved to learn new skills such as those they learn on bush regeneration projects, and some of our volunteers contribute by applying their existing skills. Often these skills are ones that do not appear to be related but are needed just the same. The Fish Survey project provides an excellent example of the range of skills that volunteers can bring to these programs. Volunteer divers all along the NSW coast are using their dive skills to gather data on fish distribution. By undergoing a short training course the NSW dive community is able to turn their dives into a contribution to marine conservation.

Fish Survey Manual cover by Sonja Rose

Volunteers have also worked on an updated version of the Fish Survey Manual, part of the training materials for participants in the Fish Survey course. An office volunteer assisted with writing and proof reading the manual and a volunteer graphic designer has given it a crisp layout and some awesome illustrations. It looks great and is an excellent tool for community education about marine conservation. So there are ways for everyone to get involved. Check out the websites www.harbourkeepers.org.au and www.coastkeepers.org.au to register or contact us to find out if your skills are the very ones we are looking for.

Cousteau calls for NSW Sanctuaries In November, legendary Jean-Michel Cousteau joined Valerie and Ron Taylor and other internationally renowned underwater explorers in a call for more marine sanctuaries for NSW. At an NPA~Marine press conference at Sydney Aquarium, the celebrities called for strong sanctuary outcomes for the Port Stephens-Great Lakes and Batemans Marine Parks. Photo at right shows Nicky Hammond, NPA Marine Program Manager, with Jean-Michel Cousteau and Valerie Taylor at the press conference. Photo: David Kirschner, Sydney Aquarium

Sanctuaries campaign
From NPA Marine Sanctuaries Campaigner PAUL WINN

The good

Mid December saw the announcements of the final zoning plans for the Port Stephens-Great Lakes and Batemans marine parks. NPA~Marine welcomed them as a much needed step towards looking after the future of our marine life and the industries which rely on it. Huge wins included the removal of trawling from the Batemans Marine Park and the removal of commercial netting from the Clyde River and Durras Lake. The Tollgate Islands also received significant sanctuary protection which will help safeguard species such as the critically endangered Grey Nurse Shark.

Durras Lake. Commercial netting has now been removed from the lake following the announcement of the Batemans Marine Park last week. Photo: Paul Winn

The bad

Whilst NPA~Marine congratulates the NSW Government for the final zoning announcements, many key conservation areas were left open to fishing pressures.
Some key habitat and aggregation sites essential for the survival of the East Coast Grey Nurse Shark population, whose numbers are under 500, and which could become extinct in as little as ten years, have been left open to fishing in both parks.
For the Port Stephens-Great Lakes Marine Park the majority of public submissions on the Draft Zoning Plan supported either maintaining the proportion of sanctuary areas or increasing them. However, sanctuary areas in the final Zoning Plan were reduced by almost 3000 hectares compared to the draft.
One last minute blow came from the game fishing sector, which convinced the Minister for Primary Industries, Ian MacDonald, to allow game fishing east of Broughton Island. This came as an unwelcome surprise to representatives on the Advisory Committee who had already reached consensus on this area after arduous negotiation.

And the future

Fingal Island. NPA particularly welcomed an additional area of sanctuary zoning around Fingal Island in the final Zoning Plan for the Port Stephens-Great Lakes Marine Park. Photo: Paul Winn

With six new marine parks created by the NSW Labor Government, less than 7% of NSW oceans are now sanctuaries. This is still a far way from the minimum 20% recommended by leading international marine scientists.

The creation of our two new marine parks again highlighted the conflicting demands placed upon a Minister representing the fishing industry in the planning of marine conservation areas. To ensure appropriate protection for our marine life, NPA~Marine again calls on the NSW Premier to re-evaluate the highly influential role of the Department of Primary Industries within the Marine Parks Authority.
We note with concern the Coalition government's promises to undo the good work already done with the new marine parks for NSW should they come to power in the upcoming state election. This will take us back to the drawing board, jeopardising the future health of our oceans and fisheries.
We hope that upcoming governments will act as responsible custodians of NSW oceans, progressing our emerging sanctuaries network and working towards a world-class comprehensive, adequate and representative system.