Securing a Resilient Future for Australia’s Oceans: a scientific consensus statement on the Federal Commonwealth Marine Park Review
Background
Australia's marine ecosystems face increasing pressure from fishing, ocean warming, habitat degradation, pollution and expanding ocean use. Biodiversity declines are being documented across many Australian marine ecosystems, highlighting the urgent need for effective conservation measures.
Australia has made globally significant progress in establishing marine parks, creating one of the world's largest marine park systems that covers approximately 52% of the national Exclusive Economic Zone. However, the current network does not yet provide the level or distribution of protection required to conserve marine biodiversity, strengthen ecosystem resilience and meet contemporary conservation science.
While approximately 25% of Commonwealth waters are classified as highly protected, only approximately 9.6% of Commonwealth waters surrounding mainland Australia are managed within highly protected no-take zones. Protection remains concentrated in remote offshore and territorial waters, while many productive continental shelf and slope ecosystems, where biodiversity, fisheries and human pressures are greatest, remain under-represented. Furthermore, industrial extractive activities, including trawling and longlining, remain permitted across approximately one third of mainland Commonwealth marine parks.
Contemporary conservation science consistently demonstrates that highly protected marine parks deliver substantially stronger biodiversity, fisheries, ecosystem and climate resilience outcomes than partially protected areas. Effective marine park networks require representative protection across ecosystem types, particularly in areas where biodiversity, productivity and human use are concentrated.
Australia has built a foundation for marine conservation. The challenge now is to ensure that the network becomes ecologically representative, highly protected where it matters most, and sufficiently enduring to conserve biodiversity in the face of accelerating environmental change.
Why now?
Australia is about to undertake a once-in-a-decade statutory Review of the Commonwealth marine park management plans. The Review of the North-west, South-west, Temperate East, Coral Sea and North marine parks networks presents a rare opportunity to strengthen protection across one of the world’s largest marine estates and ensure Australia delivers genuinely effective ocean conservation.
Demonstrable declines in biodiversity, fish populations and ecosystem condition are occurring across Australian marine ecosystems as a result of multiple and interacting pressures, including climate-driven ocean warming, habitat degradation, industrial fishing impacts, pollution and expanding ocean use. Strengthening protection in the places that matter most is therefore essential to maintaining resilient and productive ocean ecosystems.
The Australian Government has committed to protecting at least 30% of Australia’s oceans within highly protected areas. The forthcoming review is the principal mechanism through which this commitment can be achieved. Decisions made during this review will shape the ecological, economic and social future of Australia’s oceans for generations.
What needs to be done?
Achieving an ecologically effective, climate-resilient, and representative marine park network consistent with contemporary conservation science, international commitments, and long-term community support requires five key actions:
Protect at least 30%, as a minimum, of each of Australia’s marine bioregions within highly protected no-take zones (IUCN Ia or II), implemented according to Comprehensive, Adequate and Representative (CAR) principles and with priority given to productive continental shelf, slope, and coastal ecosystems that are currently under-represented.
Commit to and implement no future downgrading, downsizing, or degazettement of existing, highly protected marine park zones.
Remove industrial extractive activities, including trawling, longlining, and mining, from all marine parks.
Adequately resource marine park management, enforcement, monitoring, research, and community engagement to avoid the proliferation of ineffective “paper parks”.
Invest in national communications and education initiatives that improve public understanding of marine park protection levels, ocean stewardship and Indigenous engagement.
Conclusion
Australia has the opportunity to build a globally leading marine park network that delivers biodiversity conservation, fisheries resilience, climate adaptation and long-term ecosystem protection. The forthcoming review represents the best opportunity in a generation to strengthen protections across Australia’s oceans and secure a resilient future for people and nature alike.