2011 – the year of the Big Blue Army in pictures

In 2011 Australia’s Federal Government set about the task of fulfilling commitments it made to the world to protect our marine life.

The process of establishing a network of marine protected areas right around our continent’s shores was an historic conservation undertaking – in fact, it is Australia’s largest. And for the current Labor Federal Government, its successful completion meant not just meeting a primary conservation election commitment, but also generating badly needed proof that it could deliver on big-agenda reforms.

Of the four marine regions to be decided upon, the South West Region from Kangaroo Island to WA’s Shark Bay was the first cab off the rank. It was expected that this region would set the standard for the others yet to come (Kimberley, Top End and East Coast) and in itself make a potentially world-leading contribution to the survival of our marine life.

However the South West could have easily been a ‘tick the box’ exercise with barely any real improvement in protection. Throughout 2011, it has only been the strength of community support for marine sanctuaries and the constant pressure placed on Environment Minister Tony Burke and local Members of Parliament that has given our marine life a fighting chance. And thanks to a last minute flood of calls to MPs, we now have a few more months to make the case for a truly world-leading network of marine sanctuaries by maintaining this pressure.

Below are some of the highlights in pictures that made the community campaign we call Save Our Marine Life so successful in 2011.

During the year a new force for marine conservation was launched, with the Big Blue Army rapidly enlisting over 35,000 active supporters to the cause. Sanctuary supporters frequently took the issue to the streets, to prominent political events and visits from Members of Parliament. Public meetings throughout the towns of the South West regions were hugely successful, raising awareness of the historic opportunity for a sustainable future.

And when the Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke released his draft maps proposing virtually no marine sanctuaries close to shore, the backlash was huge. People got active writing submissions, generating 40,000 submissions in support of sanctuaries in just 12 weeks – a new record for public consultation on a conservation issue!

Members of the community got active and paid for full page newspaper adverts, with business and community leaders doing the same…

And new groups joined the campaign and hundreds of the world’s leading scientists spoke out…as did prominent Australians like Ian Keirnan, Tim Winton, Fiona Wood, Janet Holmes-a-Court, and others.

And of course fishers, tourism professionals, divers and many others joined the call for protection…

So while 2011 saw unprecedented support for our blue planet, it is during 2012 that Australia has the potential to lead the way in turning around the state of our marine environment.

In 1975, Gough Whitlam created the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and stopped oil drilling on our world famous reef. In 1989, Malcolm Fraser took an iconic step forward in global marine conservation and ended whaling in Australia’s waters. 

Environment Minister Tony Burke is one step short of also making history and putting Australia back in first place as a world leader in marine conservation.

But he won’t do it without the Big Blue Army to get him there.

Thanks for your support through a momentous year. Lets make 2012 even more memorable for our marine life.

Click to zoom in on any of these pictures.

Phone messages for MPs turn the tide

Two weeks ago the team at Save Our Marine Life sent out an urgent SOS to help save our sanctuaries. THE big decision on the future of South West marine sanctuaries was imminent, and it looked like the fishing industry’s hired corporate lobbyists were going to have the last word. But then the tide turned…

The reaction from our Big Blue Army of marine supporters to the SOS was inspiring. In an incredible show of support, more than 1,000 people phoned and left messages with local Members of Parliament, sending ripples through Government ranks and a very clear message back to Environment Minister Tony Burke in support of marine sanctuaries.

In fact, we generated so much momentum that Tony Burke realised the political stakes were too high to just sign off on a plan generated by his Department. Instead, the Minister has announced that he is now intervening and taking charge of the process himself.

This decision means that we now have a few more months to make our case for the best possible outcome, turning the tide on the paid lobbyists who thought they were so close to the finishing line just a few weeks ago. We have put marine protection at the top of the Minister’s political agenda and summer gives us the perfect opportunity to put the result next year beyond doubt.

Throughout summer I encourage you to take every opportunity to help grow our Big Blue Army because the bigger we are, the more marine life we save. Let your friends know about the Big Blue Army using our simple widgets here. http://www.saveourmarinelife.org.au/send-to-a-friend

I find it inspiring that community action can be such a powerful force for good. Thanks to everyone that has brought us so close to an historic outcome for our marine life. I’m looking forward to 2012 when we bring it all home.

New report finds marine sanctuaries a vital investment

Today a compelling new study of Australia’s ocean resources was launched with dramatic findings and implications for Australia’s approach to marine protection.

Conducted by the Centre for Policy Development (http://www.cpd.org.au), the report found that establishing a network of marine sanctuaries would help to secure and boost the economic, environmental and social benefits received by Australians.

“Stocking Up: Securing Our Marine Economy” reports that Australia’s marine life, fish stocks and ecosystems are worth $69 billion each year to the national economy, with official accounts currently recognising only $44 billion of this. Overlooked has been $25 billion per year in critical ‘ecosystem services’, which include carbon storage, seafood, recreation and tourism.

CPD’s study also focused on Australia’s South West waters, revealing that the region’s ecosystem services currently contribute at least $2.9 billion per year and would increase if measures to safeguard the region improved. Marine protection is said to be vital in high risk areas where corals and sea grasses exist, such as at Geographe Bay, Cape Naturaliste and the Abrolhos Islands.

Among other findings the report found:

• * there are serious risks to Australia’s oceans and the people who depend on them. Marine resources are likely to come under increasing pressure as global food demand rises, ocean productivity declines, and the risk of ecosystem collapse grows worldwide.
• * Australian fisheries management and marine policies will need to include a buffer against risks. This would support long-term jobs for the $2.2 billion commercial fishing industry, secure resources for developing the $11 billion marine tourism industry, and provide better catches for recreational fishers.
• * Australia’s oceans provide $15.8 billion a year in carbon storage. Sea grasses store 10 to 40 times as much carbon per hectare as forests. Australia’s sea grass meadows are the largest in the world.

 The report’s number one conclusion was that Australia needed to invest in marine protection that met scientific recommendations for areas of coastal shelf, seagrass and coral reefs

The Centre for Policy Development report reinforces the findings of an economic assessment by the respected Allen Consulting Group which found that the creation of marine sanctuaries would lead to a rapid growth in regional tourism, contributing to the injection of up to $55 million per year into the Western Australian economy.

The full report along with key findings can be found at http://cpd.org.au/2011/09/stocking-up/

A record 42,000 demand sanctuaries in consultation period

A huge thank you to the 42,000 people that called for a network of large marine sanctuaries in Australia’s South West during the recent consultation period. This is the highest number of submissions ever sent to a government process on a conservation issue in Australia.

This also represents an enormous community backlash against totally inadequate marine sanctuaries proposed by Environment Minister Tony Burke in May this year. With 8 out of 10 hotspots for South West marine life left unprotected by this original proposal, we would expect some dramatic changes to the final sanctuaries being decided upon around November 2011.

And the number of submissions was merely the tip of the iceberg, demonstrating the breadth and depth of community feelings on the issue.

 There were full page statements from business and community leaders in The Australian and The West Australian newspapers… 

…some of who made online videos to help get the word out there…

There were public meetings…. 

And information stalls…

 There were full page advertisements placed in newspapers totally funded by concerned members of the community calling for sanctuaries… 

And 215 senior scientists, including world leading fisheries and marine scientists, condemned the Government’s proposed sanctuaries as inadequate and unrepresentative. 

And Australians of the Year also banded together to voice their call for marine protection…

Based on the overwhelming support for proper marine sanctuaries, Environment Minister Tony Burke now has a significant re-drafting of these proposed marine sanctuaries on his hands to ensure that they deliver what science says is needed – not what fishing and oil industries may want.  

To ensure that proper protection is delivered we will have to remain vigilant and we will need your help.

 Join the Big Blue Army and we’ll keep you informed of developments in the run up to the final decision in a few months time.  

Thank you for your support. Join at http://www.SaveOurMarineLife.org.au

Media Release 5 August, 2011

170 Marine Scientists Raise Alarm About Poor Protection For South West Marine Life

More than 170 marine scientists from Australia and overseas have joined together to raise concerns that critical areas for marine life in the South West of Australia have been ignored in a Federal Government plan for new marine parks.

The 173 scientists have sent Environment Minister Tony Burke a “statement of concern” about the proposed plan and highlighted that no marine sanctuaries have been proposed for 3 of the 7 bioregions in the South West, defying the government’s own commitment to establish a representative reserve system.

“If implemented as proposed, the marine reserves would cover less than half of the mapped habitat types within the South West planning region in highly protected areas,” the scientists state.

The scientists identified the Abrolhos Islands region, Rottnest Shelf, Perth Canyon, Geographe Bay, Albany Canyons, Recherche region, Great Australian Bight and Kangaroo Island Canyons as being in need of a high level of protection.

“We are greatly concerned that what is currently proposed in the Draft South West Plan is not based on the three core science principles of the reserve network design: comprehensiveness, adequacy and representation.”

The ‘statement of concern’ also urges the Federal Government to significantly increase protection of critical areas in a network of sanctuaries.

“Networks of protected areas, with large fully protected core zones, are essential to maintain healthy ecosystems over the long term – complementing responsible fisheries management.”

The scientists also emphasized that less than 3.5% of the continental shelf in the South West where both extraction of resources and biodiversity vales are most intense are properly protected in the government’s plan.

“The ability of such small isolated areas to maintain connectivity and fulfill the goal of protecting Australia’s marine biodiversity is limited.”

Public consultation on the proposed plan by the Federal Government is open until Monday, 8 August.

Media enquiries: Paul Sheridan, 0410 516 656

Download full statement here:   South West Marine Region Science Statement Of Concern

Community leaders call for action

The full page 'statement for sanctuaries' made by prominent community leaders

The group published the full-page advertisement in Western Australia and highlighted that many areas close to the coast are under enormous pressure and stocks of rock lobster and dhufish are in decline.

The group has also urged all Australians to say their say in the future of marine life by sending a submission to Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke at www.saveourmarinelife.org.au

“Fish thrive and breed in sanctuaries, local economies grow by attracting more visitors to these National Parks in the sea, and fisheries can benefit,” the message in the advertisement reads.

“But the Federal Government’s proposal is inadequate. It protects less than 3% of our continental shelf and gives no protection to many of our special ocean places.”

The group includes leading businesspeople Janet Holmes à Court, John Poynton and Jock Clough; authors Ben Elton and Tim Winton, musician John Butler; fashion designer Liz Davenport; Dr Fiona Wood; basketball star Luc Longley and celebrity chefs Anna Gare and Ian Parmenter.

Public consultation on the proposed plan by the Federal Government is open until Monday, 8 August.

New research shows marine sanctuaries a hit with fishers

Finally – confirmation of something most people didn’t need a report to tell them. The overwhelming majority of fishers support marine sanctuaries.

In the west coast’s most comprehensive survey to-date on community attitudes to marine issues, leading market research company Patterson Market Research sampled the opinions of 604 West Australians from across Perth metropolitan area and also country WA.

Six out of 10 West Australians who regularly fish believe marine life is in decline and an even greater number, 72 per cent, support the creation of marine sanctuaries off the cost to protect fish stocks and other marine life.

The research also found that almost two-thirds of West Australians support protecting at least 30 per cent of the waters off the WA coast in marine sanctuaries.

Marine sanctuaries are the missing piece of the puzzle to manage and protect WA’s oceans. West Australians have wanted hotspots for unique marine life protected for many years and most fishers now understand that the edge of large sanctuaries will be the best fishing spots in the future.

There’s now no excuse for Environment Minister Tony Burke to do anything else but follow the science and establish a comprehensive network of marine sanctuaries around Australia.

Research Findings:

• Six out of 10 people who frequently fish (fished more than 12 times in the past year) support protecting at least 30 per cent of the waters of WA’s coast in marine sanctuaries.

• 63 per cent of West Australians believe that marine life in WA’s waters is in decline.

• Eight out of 10 West Australians would like the state and federal governments to work together to establish marine sanctuaries off the WA coast.

• 67 per cent of people support protecting at least 30 per cent of waters directly off the coast from Perth, such as the Perth Canyon, in a marine sanctuary.

Download summary Summary – WA attitudes to sanctuaries – PMR

Download full report PMR attitudes to marine sanctuaries – final report

Proposed South West Marine Parks Plan falls well short – media release 5 May 2011

Critical feeding and breeding areas for unique marine life have been left out of proposed new sanctuaries in South West Australia released by the Federal Government today.

View our short video of what happened here on YouTube:

What proposed South West sanctuaries mean for our marine life

Without a comprehensive network of large marine sanctuaries, the proposed marine plan for Australia’s South West marine region will be insufficient to safeguard the future health of the region’s ocean life, fish stocks and coastal lifestyles, said the Save Our Marine Life alliance.

Save Our Marine Life, a national alliance of conservation groups, reacted with concern to the Federal Government’s proposed plan for new marine parks in Australia’s South West marine region. “The proposed network of marine parks fails to protect some of the most important marine life of the South West. Vital areas are missing from the proposal which are critical for unique species,the Australian Sea Lion and the blue whale, the largest and one of the most endangered creatures on Earth,” said, Tim Nicol of the Conservation Council of Western Australia.

SOML welcomes inclusion of the amazing deep-water Naturaliste Plateau and Diamantina Fracture Zone in the proposals for full protection as marine sanctuaries. However, closer to shore, key iconic areas are not proposed for protection from oil spills and overfishing including the Abrolhos Islands, Perth Canyon, Geographe Bay, the Margaret River Capes area, Albany Canyons and the waters west of Kangaroo Island “Many of WA’s and SA’s most important hotspots for marine life remain under serious threats from oil drilling and trawling. A significant waste of taxpayer money would occur if the federal government does not base its final decision on the available scientific evidence,” said Michelle Grady of the Pew Environment Group.

“Australia’s leading marine scientists agree that a network of large marine sanctuaries is needed in the South West to safeguard marine life and help fish stocks to rebuild,” said Dr Jill St John of The Wilderness Society

“The federal government went to the 2010 election promising to secure the highest protection for important and special places in Australia’s oceans and would provide adequate funding to do so. Next week’s Budget must deliver on this”, said Chris Smyth of the Australian Conservation Foundation.

“Australia’s South West has a greater level of unique marine life than the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, but currently less than one per cent of it is protected,” said Michelle Grady of the Pew Environment Group.

“A network of large marine sanctuaries in the region would safeguard important hotspots for marine life and fish stocks”, said Darren Kindleysides of the Australian Marine Conservation Society. “If the federal government fails to deliver on its election commitment to improve protection of our unique marine life, the end result could be less fish in our oceans,” said Tim Nicol, of the Conservation Council of WA.

“The federal government has all the evidence it needs to make an informed decision to create a network of large sanctuaries for marine life in Australia’s South West,” concluded Paul Gamblin of WWF Australia.

Additional information:

Significant social and economic benefits would result from creating large marine sanctuaries and establishing the south west as a mecca for ecotourism and sustainable fishing:

• A recent independent economic study by the Allen Consulting Group, “The Economics of Marine Protected Areas,” found that the establishment of marine sanctuaries would deliver economic benefits for Western Australia. Fisheries including the lucrative Western Rock Lobster fishery would see an overall benefit resulting from spill over of fish from sanctuaries and more stable and sustainable catches.

• An independent economic study of the south west waters found that creating marine sanctuaries would lead to a 20 per cent increase—$55 million per year—in eco-tourism revenue for the region. Activities such as whale, dolphin and seal watching would continue to grow as the region’s attraction as a marine destination increases.

• A study just released by the ARC Centre for Excellence for Coral Reef Studies (CoECRS) and James Cook University has found that big marine parks are cheaper to manage per hectare than small ones, and sanctuary zones are cheaper to manage than multiple-use zones.

• Scientists and the Western Australia (WA) government agree that WA’s valuable reef fish are in serious decline. The pink snapper and red snapper, Western Australian dhufish, baldchin groper and breakseacod, now referred to as the ‘Vulnerable 5’, would benefit from marine sanctuaries.

• Public support for marine protection is high. Research conducted by Essential Research for the Save Our Marine Life alliance found that 75 per cent of West Australians believe that there are not enough of such measures in place.

Bunbury Dolphin Discovery Turns it on for SOML

Save Our Marine Life spokesperson Tim Nicol in the 'dolphin infested' waters of Koombana Bay, on media day with the Bunbury Dolphin Discovery Centre.

The Dolphin Discovery Centre in Bunbury WA gave a timely vote of support for Save Our Marine Life this week through a joint media conference calling for marine sanctuaries for dolphins, marine life and ecotourism.  We got a front page in the Bunbury Mail as a result!

http://www.bunburymail.com.au/news/local/news/general/sanctuaries-to-save-local-fish-stocks/2140080.aspx

The local wild dolphin population turned it on for the announcement too.  The Bay’s resident females were joined by pods of males from the open ocean and a school of herring seeking shelter under the Centre’s tour boat brought the attention of at least 60 dolphins onto us.  The sonar was so loud you could hear it from the boat and in the water you could feel it vibrating your spine as the dolphins turned on an encyclopedia of dolphin behavior, hunting, jumping off waves, tail slapping, swimming all around the boat, and generally being awesome.

It was a fantastic reminder of how amazing our marine life is, and why we need our Big Blue Army to protect and enhance these incredible experiences for future generations.

The Dolphin Discovery Centre is also now home to Save Our Marine Life’s other mascot “Leafy” the seadragon, along with marine education displays which will promote our marine life to thousands of people over the holiday weekend, so if you are in Bunbury looking for something to do –  head along and check it out, and hopefully see some dolphins (all dolphins are wild and even on tours its up to the dolphins if they want to interact).

Check out their website at http://www.dolphindiscovery.com.au/

Catch the wave – join the Big Blue Army

 We’re now entering the final phase in our campaign to save Australia’s marine life.

For this last big push we’ll need a virtual army of supporters to get us across the line, and we’ll need all the help you can give.

After years of online emails, on-ground activities and meeting with MPs we now have government on the brink of releasing maps of marine hotspots that it thinks should be protected around the country starting with Australia’s South West. This is a huge achievement we should all feel proud of.

Once released we will have just three months to comment and convince the government that large marine sanctuaries are critical for the future.

But how good are these maps?

Truth is, we don’t know. However what we do know is that for some even one marine sanctuary will be too many, and with the backing of vested interests they will be heard, loudly.

If we’re to give a voice to the overwhelming majority of Australians who love our marine life; if we are to convince the government that sanctuaries is what we want, then we need to build a real force for marine sanctuaries right around the country.

That’s why Save Our Marine Life has launched the Big Blue Army and is calling for you to help grow its ranks. Once you’ve signed on at www.saveourmarinelife.org.au , grab our Facebook profile picture and tell all your friends, order a free sticker, send out emails, or tweet about it.

The more people we have, the more marine life we can protect. It’s as simple as that.

With maps just around the corner, we haven’t any time to lose.

The Big Blue Army. We can’t do it without you.