Commonwealth Marine Park Estate

The Labour government has just this month promised to increase Australia's marine protected area estate. This initiative will see the Commonwealth marine parks increase from 27 to 60 throughout national waters and represents 3.1 million square kilometres. Can you even imagine?

The national marine park estate will include:

• parts of the Coral Sea;
•  the south-west marine region extending from the western end of Kangaroo Island in South Australia to Shark Bay in Western Australia;
• the temperate east marine region running between the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef to Bermagui in New South Wales and includes Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands' marine areas;
• the north marine region including the Commonwealth waters of Gulf of Carpentaria, Arafaru Sea and Timor Sea up to the border between the Northern Territory and Western Australia; and
• the north-west marine area proposed to stretch from the Western Australia/Northern Territory Border down to Kalbarri, south of Shark Bay. 

This represents a massive milestone in terms of environmental protection for Commonwealth marine waters. Detailed information about these marine reserves areas, including mapping and regulatory proposals can be found on the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities website. 

The final push on this government policy will soon be available with the government seeking public comment on whether this proposal should or should not go ahead. Presently, their website just states this comment will be sought in the near future. If you want to keep tabs on when this public comment period is available keep an eye on the following website:  http://www.environment.gov.au/coasts/mbp/reserves/comments.html .
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Deepwater Horizon...nearly two years on!

(Source: Planet for Life)

It is nearly the two year anniversary of the biggest oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico caused by a drilling rig called the Deepwater Horizon. I can't believe that it has been two years, but the effects of this event are still being felt in the surrounding marine and terrestrial environments.

The National Geographic has an interesting article on their website by Brian Handwerk, describing some of the activities that are still being carried out on the beaches and how much effort is still being put into the 'clean-up' activities. It is interesting to also note that it still seems there are significant questions about whether the contaminants that remain within the environment are reason for concern and what health impacts they may pose.

I'm sure there is much research and learnings being generated out of this horrific event, but I don't know if I would like to be living in the experiment. Pin It

Quandamooka people successful in achieving Native Title recognition

The Quandamooka people were today recognised as the native title custodians of "4,408 hectares of land and water on and surrounding North Stradbroke Island, including areas of national parks, reserves, unallocated State land and other leases." The Native Title Tribunal (NNT) has additional information on the determination in a media release on their website. According to the NNT, this determination recognises the Quandamooka peoples' exclusive rights to 2,264 hectares and non-exclusive rights to 22,639 hectares. The recognition of Native Title rights to the Quandamooka people does not however extend onto freehold land or many types of leasehold tenures.

The Native Title claim was over the Quandamooka people's traditional land and seas, known as Minjerribah on North Stradbroke Island. The recognition of the "rights" to these lands is an amazing step forward and one that has been a long-time coming.

The determination also extends to the inclusion of an Indigenous Land Use Agreement, which provides the Quandamooka with economic and employment opportunities. Overall, the agreement recognises the Quandamooka's rights as custodians and managers and protects environmental and cultural values.  The Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM) has additional information about the agreement and the custodian role that the Quandamooka people on their website.

Congratulations to all those that participated in the negotiation of this outcome and I am so glad that there is finally recognition of the Quandamooka peoples' land rights. Pin It

Ningaloo Reef achieves World Heritage listing

Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia has finally been successful in gaining World Heritage status. The Commonwealth Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities now has the esteemed position of having to administer this listing, as it does with all other World Heritage sites within Australian boundaries.

The new World Heritage area is to be known as the Ningaloo Coast World Heritage area and includes: Ningaloo Marine Park (Commonwealth and State waters), Cape Range National Park, Jurabi and Bundegi coastal parks, Muiron Islands and Murion Islands marine management area and Learmouth Air Weapons Range.

The justification or reasons for the nomination and eventual listing of this area are included on the Commonwealth government website but include aesthetic value, underwater scenery, annual aggregation of whale sharks, aggregations of fish and marine mammals, high marine biodiversity, high diversity of marine turtle species, rare and diverse range of subterranean (underground) creatures and diversity of dryland reptile and plant species.

Congratulations to all those who have pushed for this action. It has been a long-time coming, but well worth the wait! Pin It

Coles makes positive steps for sustainable fisheries

WWF has partnered with Coles Supermarkets to make Coles' choices in fish products more sustainable and make sustainably-fished seafood available to the masses! This is a fantastic step. Certainly makes me believe both consumer passion and hard-working non-government organisations can really make a difference. Coles has placed their commitment on their website.

Commitments include:

• changes in the sources of tuna for their canned products;
• sustainability fished salmon; and
• removal of orange roughy (no longer available). 

Fabulous! Well done to Coles. Pin It

Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Have you ever heard of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? If not, here is a little bit of information about it.

Basically it a massive amount of plastic pollution floating around in the Northern Pacific Ocean circulating with the oceanic currents. Apparently it is quite large, between 0.41 & 8.5% of the Pacific Ocean. It is however difficult to gain a true estimation of its size because it isn't visible in satellite imagery as the material is suspended in the upper water column rather than directly on the surface and much of it is plastic particulates rather than entire plastic containers.

Its presence was originally hypothesized in a paper in 1988, but its presence was 'discovered' by a sailor in 1997 who brought its presence to the attention of the scientific community. It is thought that the patch has formed over time through the accumulation of marine (plastic) pollution collected in oceanic currents, with wind-surface currents retaining the pollution within the Pacific region.

If this was a visible feature on our coastlines I'm sure people would have paid attention to the issue more readily before now, but as it is out of sight, I guess it is also a little out of mind. My hope is that the dissemination of such information will bring about changes to people's habits, particularly in relation to consumption of products within plastic containers to start with (as it has to go somewhere once you're finished with the product) or alternatively just dispose of these items more appropriately.  Reduce, reuse, recycle! Pin It

BP Gulf of Mexico oil well - de-commissioned

According to President Obama the BP oil well in the Gulf of Mexico has finally been sealed, five months after the initial explosion. There is still a significant amount of cleaning up to be finalised and a serious amount of legal wrangling to be completed, but hopefully this means that there won't be any additional direct pollution to this already suffering marine ecosystem. Pin It

Sea Shepherd trial in Japan

It starts today. It is the trial of Captain Pete Bethune from New Zealand, who at the time was a volunteer for the Sea Shepherd organisation 'fighting' the Japanese over the continued scientific whaling activities in the Southern Ocean. This trial is being held in Japan, where Pete has remained in custody since 'boarding' a Japanese whaling boat in the Southern Ocean in February this year. He is being defended by a local Japanese legal team supported by the legal firm which assists the Sea Shepherd organisation generally.

Apparently Pete boarded the Japanese whaling vessel to deliver an invoice for the damage the Japanese whaling fleet did to one of the other Sea Shepherd boats earlier in the whaling season. I await to see how this one plays out in the courts, particularly as this is in being held in the Japanese courts...this could result in an interesting diplomatic power play. Pin It

World Turtle Day activities

Build a sand turtle to save our flatbacks!

Sunday 23rd May 2010 is World Turtle Day and we would like you to join us to build a sand turtle! All around the beaches of northern Australia, groups and individuals will be building flatback turtles from sand to send to Environment Minister Peter Garrett the message 'Save Our Flatbacks'.

What: Create a Flatback turtle out of sand on your local beach to save our flatbacks!
When: Sunday, May 23rd (World Turtle Day) at 3pm
Where:

DARWIN - Mindil Beach (casino side) Click here for a map, 3pm
Perth - South Cottesloe dog beach, 10 am
Broome - Cable beach, 10am
Cairns - T.B.A

Who: Australian Marine Conservation Society and Environment Centre NT (Darwin), The Wilderness Society (Perth & Cairns), Environs Kimberley (Broome), The Turtle Restoration Network (based in the USA).

Darwin Prizes: Awesome prizes will be awarded to the best turtle designs. Prizes include a trip for two to Bare Sand Island to watch turtles ley their eggs and see the hatchlings. This prize is kindly donated by Sea Darwin. Over $1000 in prizes to be won.

Don't live near any of the above locations? No worries - make your own flatback sand turtle on your local beach and email a photo of it (smaller than 100kb in jpeg format) to: sealife@amcs.org.au (please include your names and location.)

This outdoor event will coincide with an online petition that will send a message to our Environment Minister Peter Garrett to "Save Our Flatbacks!", by creating a large network of marine sanctuaries across their home in Northern Australia.

For more information email pruebarnard@amcs.org.au or visit www.sealife.org.au Pin It