Devising Better Conservation for Australia's Marine Parks

Australia's coral reefs and marine parks are considered to be the best in the world. Home of the Great Barrier Reef, a listed UNESCO World Heritage Site, Australia's waters are filled with all manner of coral, fish, and other marine creatures. What most people don't know, however, is the extent at which Australia's other coastal regions are teaming with all sorts of diversity and life. There is so much more to marine areas in Australia than the Great Barrier Reef, and with new proposed changes to the management of these reefs may see the destruction of these unheard of zones due to ignorance from government officials in charge of managing these reefs.

Namely in reference to the 2012 Australian Federal Government proposed marine park network around Australia, which sees to protect 10% of Australia's coastal and marine areas. This network is in lines with the Aichi target that set a goal of protecting 10% of all coastal and marine areas in an effective and equitable manner. However, since the proposition of this network of parks, not much has happened. The re-zoning of the Great Barrier Reef in 2004 was considered a great success for fisheries and conservation of biodiversity, it was a true tale of triumph of management. Not only did these plans help the fisheries industries, but it was beneficial for the environment as well. However, the parks planned by the Federal Government have been predicted to fail in protecting the most ecologically crucial parts of the ocean whilst boosting an economically unsustainable industry.

This is because, in the plans that have been proposed have failed to meet one of the key criteria of the Aichi target for protected areas. They are massively under-representative of the natural biodiversity of the regions they are needed to protect. Instead, what is protected are areas that experience the least amount of stress and are generally poorer in species representation (they are all located outside of where normal human activity occurs). This is especially ironic and embarrassing for the government, as the 2004 zoning of the Great Barrier Reef pretty much set the standard for global marine park development.

As the first country to undertake such a massive overhaul of policy for conservation, Australia really needs to up their game and should be concerned that they are not setting a high enough bar. Currently, a review is occurring to address the shortcomings of the original plans and create more representative parks. If we could achieve such great things in the past, we have an obligation to set the same high standards now.