Showing posts with label Australia's Bioregions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Australia's Bioregions. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Australia: excellent News!
Fantastic: Australia's proposed networks of MPAs. Click for detail - detailed maps here.And talking about leadership.
Check this out.
Bravo Tony Burke - this is really bold and visionary!
As one of my smart Ozzie friends explains
The decision is fantastic for a couple of reasons:
- A vast area of the ocean has been afforded protection at various levels – I don’t know the exact pre-Aussie announcement numbers but I think as of 2011, about 7.5M km2 were protected globally so this adds another 40% ish
- It includes a significant backbone of highly protected sanctuary zones in which no extractive activities are allowed (fishing, mining, oil and gas) of some 800,000 km2. This is the largest network of SANCTUARIES in the world.
- Australia is the first country to demonstrate its commitment to marine sanctuaries throughout its EEZ. This sends a clear message globally that highly protected marine “national parks” are recognized as an important strategy in ensuring healthy oceans. Our challenge to date has not been that sanctuaries don’t work, but that we have too few of them globally.
Like in any good compromise, both the more radical environmentalists and the fishermen are unhappy, and the opposition is trying to use this for political gain. I say, screw them all, this is just simply brilliant!
Kudos to Burke and everybody else involved, especially once again Pew under the leadership of Barry Traill, Michelle Grady who lobbied for the South-West Network and Imogen Zethoven of the Coral Sea campaign!
Now..
What about the Grey Nurse in NSW, the Shark fishing within the GBR and the abominable slaughter in Queensland!
Leadership please!
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Valerie, love you always!
Thank you Valerie.
I just met an ozzie diver from Sydney who didn't know who she is, so there.
This is once again about the Coral Sea.
Australia has the opportunity to create the world's largest MPA, but many environmentalists are deeply dissatisfied with the detail planning.
Valerie is one of them and after having given a stellar interview on Radio Australia, she has graciously agreed to narrate the following video.
I just met an ozzie diver from Sydney who didn't know who she is, so there.
This is once again about the Coral Sea.
Australia has the opportunity to create the world's largest MPA, but many environmentalists are deeply dissatisfied with the detail planning.
Valerie is one of them and after having given a stellar interview on Radio Australia, she has graciously agreed to narrate the following video.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
You bet your Wrasse!
This is the proposed Commonwealth marine reserve - details here.Meet Barry.
I must say, kudos to the Australian government!
They have decided to go ahead and establish the World's largest MPA.
Here is the official media release, here are resources about the proposal, here are details about the 90-day public consultation and here are details about public information sessions.
Like always, the various conservation groups are not happy.
This is part of a larger plan to manage Australia's marine bioregions and as I've posted here, there are clear warnings that when it comes to the South West Bioregion, government is not heeding scientific advice and muzzling scientists on top of it. I completely ignore whether the same may be the case in the specific case of the Coral Sea - but when heavyweights like Pew and the WWF express concerns, the proposal may indeed fall short of what would be really required.
As it appears that iconic sites like Osprey and Marion would not be suitably protected I would have to agree.
But perfect or not, it's a great start.
In the end, it's up to the Australians.
The consultation period has just started so there is ample scope for all interested Australians to have their voices heard. As always, the end result will have to be a pragmatic compromise where the legitimate (!) aspirations of all stakeholders will have to be considered. This is only fair and not much different from what is happening in the USA and like there, it has to be applauded. That is, provided that the principles of ecosystem-based management are being rigorously applied - and when it comes to that, I am not too sure!
Let us hope that good conservation will prevail in the end.
But in order for that to happen, the conservationist vote will have to be mobilized.
Here's the online submission page, here is a shortcut via Protect our Coral Sea, and I'm sure many more similar initiatives will follow.
Best of luck!
I must say, kudos to the Australian government!
They have decided to go ahead and establish the World's largest MPA.
Here is the official media release, here are resources about the proposal, here are details about the 90-day public consultation and here are details about public information sessions.
Like always, the various conservation groups are not happy.
This is part of a larger plan to manage Australia's marine bioregions and as I've posted here, there are clear warnings that when it comes to the South West Bioregion, government is not heeding scientific advice and muzzling scientists on top of it. I completely ignore whether the same may be the case in the specific case of the Coral Sea - but when heavyweights like Pew and the WWF express concerns, the proposal may indeed fall short of what would be really required.
As it appears that iconic sites like Osprey and Marion would not be suitably protected I would have to agree.
But perfect or not, it's a great start.
In the end, it's up to the Australians.
The consultation period has just started so there is ample scope for all interested Australians to have their voices heard. As always, the end result will have to be a pragmatic compromise where the legitimate (!) aspirations of all stakeholders will have to be considered. This is only fair and not much different from what is happening in the USA and like there, it has to be applauded. That is, provided that the principles of ecosystem-based management are being rigorously applied - and when it comes to that, I am not too sure!
Let us hope that good conservation will prevail in the end.
But in order for that to happen, the conservationist vote will have to be mobilized.
Here's the online submission page, here is a shortcut via Protect our Coral Sea, and I'm sure many more similar initiatives will follow.
Best of luck!
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