Up to 90% of the species found in Australia’s South West marine environment are found nowhere else on Earth. There is a far greater level of unique marine life here than on the Great Barrier Reef. Almost every week new species are being discovered – it is a truly extraordinary region. Despite this, however, less than 1% of the 1.3 million square kilometres in the South West region is protected from threats. The Australian Marine Conservation Society is part of an unprecedented alliance of Australian and international conservation groups that have come together to ensure this incredibly unique area receives protection in a network of large marine sanctuaries.
About the campaign
The South West is globally significant for its outstanding marine wildlife. Less than one per cent of the region from Kalbarrie to Eucla (near the South Australian border) is protected, yet around 90 per cent of it is found nowhere else on Earth. The region contains critical habitat for the world’s largest sea turtle, the leatherback turtle, which can dive up to a kilometre down below the sea surface. It is also the southern most location of major tropical coral reefs in the Indian Ocean. The South West is truly is worthy of protection, but it is also under threat. The South West is under threat from climate change and fishing impacts. Already the region is recognized for the ‘vulnerable five’ group of overfished species, including the dhufish, the pink and red snappers, the breaksea cod and the baldchin grouper. If we are to protect our precious south west oceans, we need a comprehensive system of large marine national parks throughout the region.
Marine protection requires a network of marine sanctuaries.
World-first research by the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and James Cook University published in January 2009, found that a network of marine sanctuaries protects species from local extinction and plays a major role in rebuilding numbers of threatened fish and other species. In 2009 the Australian Government released a draft map of areas to be considered for possible protection. Potentially over half of the 1.3 million square kilometre stretch of ocean – from Kalbarrie in Western Australia to Kangaroo Island in South Australia – could be protected. This means that we have the potential to protect critical areas such as the Perth Canyons, one of only two known places in Australia where blue whales come to feed. Research launched in October 2010 by scientists from the University of Queensland showed that high levels of protection are needed to safeguard the future of the South West’s marine wildlife and fisheries. The region is one of the most spectacular yet least protected on Earth, and it must be better protected.
• Visit the Save Our Marine Life website at www.saveourmarinelife.org.au
• Watch ‘A Tour of Australia’s Southwest Marine Region’