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Marine Protected Areas
Commercial and recreational fishing may be affected by management arrangements applied within marine protected areas (MPAs). With the release of Australia’s Oceans Policy, the Minister for the Environment and Heritage announced that implementation of the National Representative System of Marine Protected Areas (NRSMPA) would be accelerated as a key component of a strategy to protect marine biological diversity and give security for industry access to ocean resources.
There are currently 12 Commonwealth MPAs, not including the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. These MPAs range from small areas complementing State MPAs to large MPAs that extend from coastal waters to the edge of the Exclusive Economic Zone. Proposals for representative MPAs under the NRSMPA will also be developed as part of the Regional Marine Planning Process. Areas of known significance will, however, continue to be assessed for protection in accordance with the existing processes.
In line with the Commonwealth’s policy of multiple-use MPAs where appropriate, seven of the 12 Commonwealth MPAs allow commercial or recreational fishing subject to varying degrees of regulation. Under the EPBC Act, a management plan must be prepared to provide for the protection and conservation of the protected areas. A management plan has been produced or is currently being prepared by Environment Australia for each Commonwealth MPA. The EPBC Act provides opportunities for community and industry involvement in the declaration, management and planning of Commonwealth MPAs. Extensive consultation is undertaken with all stakeholders, including peak industry associations, management advisory committees, fisheries managers and operators.
The process for developing the South East Regional Marine Plan, including the identification of candidate MPAs was completed in 2006. To assist the development of the South East Regional Marine Plan BRS developed Marine Matters, an atlas of uses of the marine environment in the South East. The development of the South East Regional Marine Plan involved varying levels of consultation with stakeholders such as the fishing industry. The candidate MPAs include areas which allow particular fishing activities. The Department of Environment and Heritage undertook a risk assessment of fishing gears to determine which fishing gear were compatible with the objectives of the MPA zones. Details regarding the process undertaken in the development of the South East Regional Marine Plan process and the outcomes can be found on the Department of the Environment and Heritage website.
The process for continued development of Regional Marine Plans and within this identification of candidate MPAs is ongoing, to be finished by 2010. In order to assist this process BRS and collaborators developed the Atlas of Australian Marine Fishing and Coastal Communities (National Atlas). The National Atlas focuses on mapping and analysis of Australian wild capture commercial, recreational and Indigenous fisheries and their adjacent coastal communities. It is the first Australia-wide, comprehensive and authoritative mapping of fishing activities and their related coastal communities and provides decision makers with a credible scientific resource for informing current and future marine and coastal planning initiatives.