Scientists say South Coast Marine Park fails to provide meaningful protection as debate over park intensifies

The marine park proposed to span 1100km along WA’s south coast fails to provide meaningful protection to sea life, according to scientists pressing the State Government to expand proposed sanctuary zones. The debate over the proposed South Coast Marine Park has intensified, with more than 30 leading Australian marine scientists penning a submission this week urging the Government not to miss a “once-in-a-generation” opportunity. More than 1.3 million hectares of water are set to be included in the State Government’s South Coast Marine Park spanning from east of Bremer Bay to the South Australian border. The proposed maps, which are currently under consultation, would see 25 per cent of the park locked away in “look but don’t take” zones while the remaining 75 per cent would remain open to commercial and recreational fishing. Esperance locals opposed to the proposed marine park have been vocal in their criticism, expressing concerns about the impact current park plans would have on the commercial industry and the lifestyle of local fishers. In a public demonstration of their opposition, about 1000 people gathered in April, many holding anti-marine park placards. It was one of three rallies in Esperance since the consultation period started. In the submission sent to Premier Roger Cook on Tuesday, the 34 scientists commended the WA Government for its commitment to marine biodiversity but said current plans did not go far enough. The submission calls for the sanctuary zones to include at least 30 per cent of the proposed park area. “We recognise that marine parks must balance protection and access but argue that these management plans are weighted far too heavily towards access,” it said. “Careful management of marine biodiversity is essential to the future prosperity of WA in terms of tourism, fisheries, transport and climate change mitigation.” The Wen Family Chair in Conservation at The University of Western Australia, Professor Jessica Meeuwig, who led the submission, said many of the current sanctuary zones were not large enough to have a significant impact. “Sanctuary zones of 100sqkm or greater are reported to lead to exponentially greater conservation outcomes, yet in the current plan, only 11 of the 32 proposed sanctuary zones exceed 100sqkm,” she said. “We are particularly concerned that the Government is considering providing no protection across the band of water from the shoreline to 200m offshore throughout the marine park. “This habitat is essential to connectivity and supporting many of the fish species unique to the Great Southern Reef such as western blue groper and King George whiting.” The Great Southern Reef is the interconnected system of reefs that span the southern coast of Australia and is home to unique wildlife, including endangered Australian sea lions and southern right whales. UWA’s Australian Research Council Laureate Professor Thomas Wernberg said the reef was a major economic contributor. “The Great Southern Reef contributes around $10 billion to the economy each year,” he said. “There is therefore both a strong ecological and economic imperative to ensure the GSR has adequate protection.” Co-founder of Reef Life Survey and University of Tasmania Professor Graham Edgar said well-protected marine parks provided a refuge for ocean wildlife and the best insurance against overfishing. “Effective protection of the Great Southern Reef is essential to so many of its species that live nowhere else and have deep evolutionary ancestry going back to Gondwana,” Professor Edgar said. “We urge the Cook Government to listen to the science.” Professor Meeuwig said five decades of research had made clear that highly protected areas were key to ocean recovery. “That clarity is why we have come together to encourage the Cook Government to seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to protect the Great Southern Reef, internationally renowned for its amazing biodiversity, but also so very fundamentally important to the socio-economic wellbeing of Western Australians,” she said. While the WA Government has committed to establishing the South Coast Marine Park this year, it will determine the final design after the public comment on the draft plan closes on June 16. Public consultation contributions can be made at the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions website at dbca.wa.gov.au/get-involved/have-your-say.