South Australia needs marine sanctuaries

South Australia is on the verge of one of the most significant conservation decisions in the state's history.

South Australia's coastal waters are amazing with up to 90% of marine life in SA's coastal waters found nowhere else on Earth.

But this unique marine life is under threat from overfishing, pollution and climate change. Less than 1% of the marine environment is protected in marine sanctuaries, the ocean equivalent of a national park.

Support marine sanctuaries

It's easy to show your support for marine sanctuaries and help conserve SA's amazing marine life.

1. Send a message to the Hon. Paul Caica, Minister for the Environment and Conservation to ensure he honours commitments made by the Labor Party at the 2010 state election to put in place marine sanctuaries that meet international standards.

2. In our Marine Campaign Pack you will learn how easy it is to lobby your local politician, send a letter to the editor of a newspaper or call talkback radio.

3. Download a brochure about some of SA's special marine places.

Additional Resources

The resources below explain why marine sanctuaries have been proven to protect marine life, help fish stocks to recover and generate economic and social benefits.

• ConservationBytes is a website by Professor Corey Bradshaw, Research Director of Marine Impacts at Marine Innovation SA: Blog post on marine protected areas and a blog post on the spill over effect .
• 'More than fishy business' is a literature review published by the University of Adelaide that explains how sanctuary zones are benefiting both the environment and fishing interests.
• The Australian Marine Sciences Association have outlined why they support marine protected areas: Position statement on marine protected areas.