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 The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park - a great environmental success story garryruss.mp3
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Professor Garry Russ (below), from James Cook University’s School of Marine and Tropical Biology, looks at the history of the protection of an Australia icon and how successful that protection has been. |
| Marine reserves are those areas of the marine environment that have banned all human extraction activities, the most common of which is fishing.
Australia has had the world's largest marine reserve, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, which is 358,000 square kilometres in area. This includes by far the world's largest 'no take' area of 115,000 square kilometres - one third of the entire marine park.
This remarkable conservation success story has its origins in the 1960s where, as late as 1969, 80% of the reef was under oil drilling rights (typically given to overseas companies) and there remained great debate about the actual ownership of the reef.
Was it State (Queensland or New South Wales?) or Federally owned or, as some suggested, owned by the Queen?
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One of the consequences of the debate was an enormous rise in support for the protection of this Australian icon that was evident among Australians across the nation. | During the 1970s, the conservation and status of the Great Barrier Reef involved several large royal commissions in the 70s.
Oil drilling was eventually banned in 1975, but the first form of conservation zoning did not begin until the mid 80s.
The no take zoning started modestly, involving about five percent of the Park and these areas were largely the most northerly where local populations were low.
The main purpose for the no take zones was the conservation of species and habitats and it soon became clear to the park authority that the reef needed more protection, a proposal backed by 95% of respondents to a national survey in 1993.
The new zoning proposal, the Representative Areas Program, divided the reef into 70 bioregions, comprising 30 reefal zones and 40 interreefal areas (right). When the legislation was passed in 2003/04, every major political party supported it, a considerable achievement for any issue.
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While support was high, when the actual identification of 'no take' zones began, this generated - not unexpectedly - local opposition as recreational or commercial fishers realised it was their local fishing spots that were involved. This translated into media attention and political focus. However, following two rounds Garry Russ and colleagues have been involved in comprehensive monitoring of marine life within the various park regions - both on inshore and offshore areas from the coastal reefs to The Continental Shelf and from Cairns to Gladstone. There has been a rapid increase in many species. For example, the large Coral Trout, one of the prime targets of recreational and commercial fishers has shown a dramatic increase in numers across the various park regions. Since the Coral Trout is a large (over 65 cm and 4 - 6 kg) predator that mainly eats other fish, its increased population also demonstrates that many smaller species are also thriving.
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is not only an Australian icon, but a good example of global best practice. Text: V.B. August 08
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For example, the large Coral Trout (see below), one of the prime targets of recreational and commercial fishers has shown a dramatic increase in numers across the various park regions. Since the Coral Trout is a large (over 65 cm and 4 - 6 kg) predator that mainly eats other fish, its increased population also demonstrates that many smaller species are also thriving.
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The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is not only an Australian icon, but a good example of global best practice. Text: V.B. August 2008
All photos supplied by Garry Russ, Coral Trout photo by P. Mantel.
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