Major new parks for marine protection in south western Australia are one step closer

An important step towards securing the globally significant south west waters of Australia was taken in May when the Commonwealth Government revealed the potential boundaries for a network of new marine protected areas.

Beneath the waters off the coast from Kalbarri in WA to Kangaroo Island in SA lies an extraordinary world. Australian Sea Lion, Albany, WA. Photographer: Andrew Halsall

Beneath the waters off the coast from Kalbarri in WA to Kangaroo Island in SA lies an extraordinary world including massive mountain ranges, canyons and plateaus that are home to corals, seagrasses and wildlife found nowhere else on earth. Yet less than 1% of this region is protected.

The Wilderness Society is part of the Save Our Marine Life collaboration, actively campaigning to create fully protected marine parks across the region. The federal government has identified approximately 650,000 square kilometres for further investigation as marine park including the all important sanctuary zones that, like national parks, provide the best protection for marine wildlife into the future.

It is significant that such a large area has been identified and it includes some of the most important features of the region: the waters surrounding the Abrolhos Islands, west of Kalbarri; the massive Perth Canyon, as wide as the Grand Canyon but far deeper; the Naturaliste Plateau which is like a huge underwater plateau extending out from the south west corner of Australia; and the Diamantina Fracture Zone, a massive underwater mountain range that plunges down 7300m – the deepest point in Australia. Also included is part of the Great Australian Bight and waters off SA’s Eyre Peninsula.

Australia boasts the third largest area of ocean in the world under its care and as a signatory to the UN’s Convention on the Law of the Sea has a global responsibility to manage its marine resources for both economic benefit and conservation.

World-wide and here in Australia, valuable fish stocks are in decline and many other species are disappearing. A network of large marine sanctuaries can allow species to recover which has benefits for marine industries too.

You can help to turn these potential boundaries into permanent protection for the myriad of fish, seadragons, sealions and whales which call this part of Australia home. Visit saveourmarinelife.org.au to learn more about the campaign and register your support for more protection.