‘Sickening’ threat to Aussie oceans undermines global protection
Plans to slash back Australia’s marine reserves have prompted a backlash from more than 1400 scientists, writes Michael Slezak.
Growing global momentum to protect the world’s oceans from overfishing could be undermined by Australia, warns renowned conservationist David Suzuki and more than 1400 other scientists.
Australia is considering the world’s biggest downgrading of a protected area with a reduction in the size of its network of marine reserves, which were created in 2012 as what was then the world’s largest network.
‘‘If Australia does something progressive in 2012, and then walks back from that, what the hell are we going to expect [from] international cooperation?’’ said Suzuki, who described the move as ‘‘sickening’’.
In 2016, US president Barack Obama created the world’s largest marine reserve by expanding a reserve off Hawaii, joining Chile, France, Kiribati, New Zealand, Russia and the UK to create areas where fishing is banned. But the Australian government has now announced draft plans to reduce by 40 per cent the amount of its marine parks that are ‘‘no-take’’ fishing or construction zones.
According to WWF-Australia, that would represent the world’s largest downgrading of protected areas on record. More than 433,000 sq km would be downgraded to allow commercial fishing – more than half of that in the Coral Sea marine park, adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef.
A statement signed by Suzuki and 1461 scientists described Australian waters as a ‘‘global asset’’ and called on the government to increase protections. ‘‘They support six of the seven known species of marine turtles and more than half of the world’s whale and dolphin species. Australia’s oceans are home to more than 20 per cent of the world’s fish species and are a hot spot of marine endemism,’’ the statement said.
‘‘It’s absurd to think this is really Australia’s water,’’ Suzuki said. ‘‘These oceans belong to the world – you just happen to be the caretakers in that particular area.’’
Jessica Meeuwig, director of the Centre for Marine Futures at the University of Western Australia, said Australia’s move set a dangerous international precedent and was particularly dangerous given
It’s absurd to think this is really Australia’s water. These oceans belong to the world – you just happen to be the caretakers in that particular area. David Suzuki, left
the Trump administration is also mulling cuts to protected areas. ‘‘Australia will pip Trump to the post,’’ she said.
The Trump administration is examining 27 protected areas for the rollback of protections, with a leaked memo revealing 10 – including the two marine parks established by Obama – earmarked to allow ‘‘traditional uses’’ such as mining, logging and hunting.
She said Australia’s unwinding of protections would help normalise radical moves to unwind protection in the US, as well as set a poor example for other countries.
Suzuki, who owns a house in Queensland’s Port Douglas and has spent a lot of time on the Great Barrier Reef, is angry about Australia’s rollback.
‘‘We’ve used the land and air to spread potent pesticides and toxic compounds. We’ve really f---ed up the land that is our ecosystem. And now we go into the oceans that cover 70 per cent of the planet and we’ve trashed that,’’ he said.
Suzuki said Australia needed to face up to the interconnected issues of climate change and ocean health, both of which it was failing to address.
‘‘I’m sorry Australia, wake up,’’ Suzuki said. ‘‘When you’ve got something that [other countries] would die for – you’ve got sunlight up the ying yang, why isn’t Australia the world leader in this incredible form of energy? It makes me sick. You’ve got great research facilities. You’ve got great scientists. You’ve got everything going to be a world leader in the energy of the future and you’re not doing it. And it’s not surprising then that you are doing the same to the oceans. What is it going to take for Australia to wake up to the opportunities?’’