Save Our Marine Life. Australia’s marine life is globally significant, but under threat. Pollution, over fishing, entanglement in nets and destruction of important habitat are just some of the many threats to Australia’s remarkable marine life. If this continues, we risk joining the unprecedented global collapse of marine life where two-thirds of the world’s coral reefs are dead or dying and 90% of the world’s large fish have been fished-out. Australians claim the third largest area of ocean on Earth and have an international responsibility to conserve our oceans. The Commonwealth Government signed the United Nation’s Convention on the Law of the Sea to manage the oceans surrounding our continent for both economic benefit and conservation. However, only four per cent of our 16.5 million square kilometres of oceans around Australia are protected, despite many of our marine species being found nowhere else.
The south west waters of Australia are unprotected
On the east coast of Australia, steps have been taken to protect areas of our marine environment, but in the south west the story is very different. Less than 1% of the 1.3 million square kilometre south west region is protected from threats. The Save Our Marine Life Collaboration is an unprecedented alliance of Australian and international conservation groups that have come together to seek the establishment of a network of large marine sanctuaries in the south west. Read more at this link – www.saveourmarinelife.org.au. Australia’s first NBA basketball player, Luc Longley, is just as passionate about his fishing as his basketball. That’s why he’s produced this video, alerting fishers to the Australian Government’s proposed South West marine sanctuaries and our one chance to get them right so that there’s more fish in the oceans. See more videos about this campaign at the SWEC Video Gallery
Take Action
Click on this link to go to the petition page. Sign the Petition
Marine sanctuaries are needed now
Save Our Marine Life is calling for the creation of a network of large marine sanctuaries around Australia, starting in our South West where the Federal Government is currently considering areas for protection. Why do we need marine sanctuaries? Here’s why.
1. To save valuable species from extinction
Research has proven that marine sanctuaries play an essential role in rebuilding numbers of threatened fish and other species and restoring the abundance and diversity of marine life. Recently, world-first research by the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and James Cook University showed that establishing a network of marine sanctuaries protects species from local extinction. This research demonstrated that small, isolated marine parks simply do not provide the necessary protection for marine life and that creating a network of protected areas will ensure our unique marine life survives and thrives into the future. The research was published in the Proceedings of the US National Academy of Sciences (PNAS): http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2009/03/20/0808007106.abstract#aff-3 The results were also announced on the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies’ website: http://www.coralcoe.org.au/news_stories/marineparks.html This research is part of a vast body of evidence now demonstrating the need for the Federal Government to create a network of marine sanctuaries around Australia, starting in the south west of Australia, where less than one per cent of the marine environment is currently protected.
In January 2011, the University of Adelaide published a literature review with 63 individual science-based studies that provide evidence of the increase in individual fish species numbers and also the decrease in marine predators such as the Crown of Thorns Starfish as a result of a healthier marine environment in a no-take marine sanctuary. These studies provided evidence of the benefits of marine sanctuaries in Tasmania, the Great Barrier Reef and Rottnest Island in WA, as well as overseas studies in New Zealand, the Philippines, the Caribbean and Chile. Read more here: http://bit.ly/gpAjzr. Australia’s leading independent research organisations also support marine sanctuaries, including the Australian Marine Science Association (AMSA) with a membership of 900 marine scientists, the University of Western Australia and the University of Queensland. The AMSA statement on Marine Protected Areas can be seen here: https://www.amsa.asn.au/PDF-files/Submissions/AMSA_MPA_2008_Statement.pdf The University of Queensland Ecology centre consensus statement on design of Marine Protected Areas endorsed by 44 of Australia’s leading marine scientists can be seen here: http://www.ecology.uq.edu.au/docs/Scientific_Principles_MPAs_c6.pdf
Read more reasons why we need more marine sanctuaries
here at the Save Our Marine Life website – Marine sanctuaries are needed now
Science supports marine parks, The West Australian, 21/11/2011 – http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/opinion/post/-/blog/talkingpoint/post/111/comment/1/
Take Action
Click on this link to go to the petition page. Sign the Petition. Save Sandy Seal! See how long you can last in UNPROTECTED Waters Less than 1% of South West Australia’s marine environment is protected. Steer Sandy Seal through the maze of hazards to see just how hard life can be in unprotected waters. Keep your energy up by eating fish. If you run out of energy, game over! This movie has been designed to use Adobe Flash technology. Download it here: http://www.adobe.com/go/getflash
Links
– SWEC’s Video Gallery for Save Our Marine Life on YouTube
– SWEC’s links page and the Marine & Whaling section.