Save Our Marine Life

Last updated

Save Our Marine Life
Founded2008
Focus Conservation
Location
Area served
Australia
Method Lobbying, Research, Activism
Website Save Our Marine Life official website

Save Our Marine Life (SOML) is an Australian not-for-profit, non-governmental environmental advocacy alliance working to protect and secure Australia's marine life. It is a collaboration of 29 non-profit conservation organisations, both Australian and international. SOML was initially founded in 2008 to raise awareness of the need for the Australian Government to establish a network of large marine sanctuaries in the country's South West marine region. [1] [2] In 2010 SOML became a national campaign in order to drive the completion of Australia's National Network of Marine Parks.

As a result of the SOML campaign and the long-standing Australian Government NRSMPA program (National Representative System of Marine Protected Areas) in 2012 the Gillard Labor Government declared 44 new federal marine parks in the South-west, North-west, North, Coral Sea and Temperate East marine regions, bringing Australia's federal marine park total to 60, covering a total area of 3.3million square kilometers (36% of Australia's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)) - the largest marine parks network in the world.

In December 2013 the incoming Abbott Coalition Government suspended the operation of the 44 new parks before they could commence operation (which was scheduled for July 2014), and commenced an independent review. That review provided its findings to the then Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt in December 2015. The findings were released to the public in September 2016. Whilst endorsing the process undertaken by previous governments to develop the 44 marine parks, the Review recommended changes to zoning in a number of the new parks.

In September 2016 the Turnbull Coalition Government commenced a further public consultation process to develop new management plans for the marine parks in order to change the zoning. In March 2018 the revised management plans were tabled in the Australian Parliament for consideration. Changes to the original 2012 zoning in the parks included removal of almost half the high level protective green ‘sanctuary’ zoning across the network - an area almost twice the size of the state of Victoria and equivalent in area to the loss of half of Australia's national parks on land - the biggest single windback of conservation area in Australia's history.

The alliance groups include:

The creation of the national network crossed political divides and received bi-partisan political support. It was initiated by John Howard's Coalition Government in 1998, and finalised by the federal Labor Government in 2012. In 2014 the Abbott Coalition Government suspended the parks from operation pending a review.

On 1 July 2018 the 44 federal/Commonwealth waters parks created in 2012 commenced operation with revised zoning amidst great concern at the loss of almost half the highly protective green zoning.

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Protected areas of South Australia</span> Areas protected by legislation in South Australia

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Bird Islands Conservation Park is a 3.69-square-kilometre (1.42 sq mi) protected area in eastern Spencer Gulf, South Australia. It is located at Warburto Point on Yorke Peninsula, about 10 km (6.2 mi) south of the town of Wallaroo. In 1991, land additions were made to the park to include the intertidal zone of both islands. In 1999, a larger, mainland section was added to support mangroves, samphire and coastal fringe vegetation.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian marine parks</span> Marine protected areas managed by the Australian government

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The Macquarie Island Marine Park is an Australian marine park near Macquarie Island in the southwest Pacific. The marine park covers an area of 162,000 km2 (63,000 sq mi) and is assigned IUCN category IV. It is the largest of the 14 parks managed under the South-east Marine Parks Network. In June 2023, the federal government announced that the park would triple in size, adding an extra 385,000 km2 (149,000 sq mi) of water to the marine park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern Kangaroo Island Marine Park (state waters)</span> Protected area in South Australia

Southern Kangaroo Island Marine Park is a marine protected area in the Australian state of South Australia located in state coastal waters adjoining both the south coast of Kangaroo Island and a group of islets located to the south of Kangaroo Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cartier Island Marine Park</span> Protected marine park in Australia

The Cartier Island Marine Park is an Australian marine park that covers the Cartier Island and reef surrounds, about 610 km (380 mi) north of Broome, Western Australia. The marine park covers an area of 172 km2 (66 sq mi) and is assigned IUCN category Ia. It is one of the 13 parks managed under the North-west Marine Parks Network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ningaloo Marine Park (Commonwealth waters)</span> Australian marine park west of the Ningaloo Coast of Western Australia

The Ningaloo Marine Park is an Australian marine park offshore of Western Australia, and west of the Ningaloo Coast. The marine park covers an area of 2,435 km2 (940 sq mi) and is assigned IUCN category IV. It is one of the 13 parks managed under the North-west Marine Parks Network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Investigator Marine Park</span> Protected area in South Australia

Investigator Marine Park is a marine protected area in the Australian state of South Australia located in the state's coastal waters in its west adjoining the west coast of Eyre Peninsula and islands in the Investigator Group respectively to the south-east and south-west of the town of Elliston.

References

  1. University of Western Australia, "UWA ecologist worldwide campaign to protect our marine life", published 25 February 2009, retrieved 18 January 2010
  2. "Save Our Marine Life". 23 February 2009. Archived from the original on 6 May 2011. Retrieved 12 March 2018.

Further reading