Marine Parks - Great for our State

Our unique underwater world

With over 5700km of coastline, South Australia's marine and coastal environments support an abundance of rare and endangered plants and animals including the Australian Sea Lion, Leafy Sea Dragon and Southern Right Whale.

Incredibly, Southern Australia is home to a far greater level of unique marine life than the Great Barrier Reef – up to 90% of our marine species are found nowwhere else on Earth.

Despite this, our coasts and oceans have almost NO real protection.  The current ad hoc collection of aquatic reserves and netting closures provide little to no refuge for the full diversity of marine-life found along our vast coastline.

The Wilderness Society's Campaign

The Wilderness Society has long campaigned for a network of Marine Parks and Wilderness Protection Areas in South Australian waters. Networks of marine protected areas will provide for "seascape" wide conservation – a marine equivalent to The Wilderness Society’s WildCountry "whole of landscape" conservation approach.

Harlequin fish. Photo: James Brook

Wins to date include:

• The creation of the Great Australian Bight Marine Park in 1996 and the subsequent removal of mining rights from the state waters of the park in 2004.
• The passage of the Marine Parks Act through the SA Parliament in 2007. 
• The appointment in 2008 of our South Australian Campaign Manager to the Minister's Marine Parks Council.  

In July 2009, the State Government finally proclaimed outer boundaries for a network of 19 marine parks covering 44% of State waters.  Then in May, the Commonwealth Government released maps outlining large ‘areas of interest’ for marine parks in Commonwealth waters off south west Australia.

These are the two most significant marine conservation iniatives this State has ever seen, but the campaign to secure a healthy future for South Australia's marine environment is far from over.  This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to secure a network of large marine sanctuaries ("no-take reserves") in both State and Commonwealth waters off South Australia - and we need your help!

Real protection or pretend parks?

Marine parks in both State and Commonwealth waters will be "multiple use".  This means large parts of the parks will remain open to extractive activities such as aquaculture, commercial fishing and mining exploration.

Only within sanctuary zones will activities which harm or remove marine plants and animals be totally prohibited. Neither Government has yet made any committments about how big sanctuaries within the new marine parks will be. 

The Wilderness Society is working closely with other international, national and local conservation groups to ensure both initiatives deliver real and effective protection for our coasts and oceans, not pretend parks with insignificant sanctuary zones.

What are sanctuary zones and why do we need them?

Sanctuary zones are also known as marine reserves, marine national parks, fully protected areas and no-take zones.  They are similar to national parks on land - their purpose is not to exclude people but to provide marine life with a much needed refuge from harm.

The world's oceans are under huge and increasing pressure from overfishing, pollution, mining, invasive species, coastal development and climate change.  Networks of large sanctuaries which protect important habitats (such as the breeding and feeding areas of unique, threatened and commercially fished species) are the best way to conserve our spectacular marine ecosystems for the future.

Research from hundreds of marine parks around the world shows that on average, animals become 28% bigger within sanctuaries, species diversity increases 21% and the total biomass of plants and animals grows by a huge 446%.

Take Action:

Do you want our coasts and oceans protected for future generations? Right now, the South Australian and Commonwealth Governments are deciding the fate of our unique marine life.   Do your bit and join us in calling for a network of large no-take marine sanctuaries in SA. 

1. Use the media – write to your local newspaper expressing your support for marine parks or call talkback radio and ask for airtime to debate this important issue.   

2. Tell Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and SA Premier Mike Rann that you expect South Australia's new marine parks to deliver real and effective protection for our unique marine life in the form of large no-take sanctuary zones.

3. If you live in a coastal electorate, contact your local MP and ask him or her to ensure that your local areas of high conservation value are protected by sanctuary zones.  You can find out which state electorate you live in by going to the State Electoral Office website. Once you know your electorate, you can find out who your state member is by visiting the Parliament of South Australia website.  For more information about the high value conservation areas near you, contact our Marine Campaigner

4. Become a volunteer – we are always on the look-out for passionate people to help promote our exciting campaigns.  Whatever your strengths and abilities, we can harness them to protect and promote South Australia’s unique marine environment.

Hunted almost to extinction in the 19th century, the endangered Australian Sea Lion is still being caught today as by-catch in shark fishing nets. This iconic marine mammal along with many other species will benefit from a network of large marine sanctuaries in South Australian and adjacent commonwealth waters. Photo: Valerie Taylor.

Profile – The Australian Sea Lion

The Australian Sea Lion is an endangered marine mammal found only in Australian waters. Hunted almost to extinction in the 1800’s, it is estimated that only about 12,000 Sea Lions remain in the wild today. 3/4 of this population is found within South Australian waters.

This curious, playful and intelligent mammal is particularly at risk of injury from fishing equipment, ship collisions, trawl net entanglements, mining activity and human interference. Over-fishing of vital prey species such as squid, octopus and shellfish has also caused their population to decline.

The establishment of well managed Marine Parks is crucial to the survival of the Australian Sea Lion. A start has been made in the Great Australian Bight Marine Park, however more needs to be done to protect important Sea Lion populations in South Australia.

Protecting key habitat areas and breeding colonies of the Australian Sea Lion from commercial fishing and mining activity within strictly protected Marine Park Sanctuary Zones, will ensure the long-term survival of this iconic marine mammal.