THE GREAT BARRIER REEF NEWS

AUSTRALIA ANNOUNCES PLANS TO PROTECT THE GREAT BARRIER REEF
Wednesday, September 4th, 2013 By Ilaria Bertini
    


The coalition has announced a $40 million (£23m) trust fund to promote the maintenance of the Great Barrier Reef and tackle poaching and illegal fishing, but environmental groups say more needs to be done.

Whilst the country is waiting for next Saturday’s general elections, the Australian government has approved a protection policy for one of the country’s top natural beauties and the world’s largest coral reef system, the Great Barrier Reef.

The Reef is facing several threats. Climate change is warming oceans and causing coral bleaching, which completely alters the ecosystem. Pollution, mainly due to farm runoffs, is severely affecting water quality, while overfishing has impacted on the food chain, breaking the reef balance.
The new policy will look at improvements on coasts, the reduction of crown-of-thorns starfish, a destructive species for the reef that rely on coral polyps, and a crackdown on environmental fines for poaching, especially related to turtles and dugong hunting.

The Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) has recognised positive elements of the new measure but added that the real threat is industrialisation.
Felicity Wishart, the Great Barrier Reef campaign director for AMCS said, “The new emerging threat to the Reef’s coastline is mega port development, dredging, dumping and increased shipping. The public knows it. UNESCO knows it. Scientists know it. And fishermen know it. But the Coalition has ignored this.”

“The Coalition has been promising a far reaching vision for over a year to address the concerns of the World Heritage Committee. This policy has fallen short, but there is still time.
“A commitment to ban dumping of dredge material in the Reef’s waters would make the Coalition’s Reef policy one worth celebrating,” Wishart added.
The AMCS has urged the next government to increase protective policies for Australian ‘spectacular oceans’.

http://blueandgreentomorrow.com/2013/09/04/australia-announces-plan-to-protect-the-great-barrier-reef/
Paul Toogood via flickr

OCEANS 13 - AUSTRALIA'S OCEANS AND THE 2013 FEDERAL ELECTION 
Tue 3 September 2013

Australia’s oceans are the richest, most biodiverse on the planet and, with an ocean jurisdiction twice the size of our land, there is a lot at stake this federal election.

With the election called for 7th September, we are urging politicians of all persuasions to commit to protecting Australian’s spectacular oceans. One of our top election priorities is the Great Barrier Reef. Rapid industrialisation is threatening the largest, most treasured reef system on the planet and our next government must turn this around. Read more here and ask your local politician and candidates to sign the Reef Pledge here.

The next Australian Government must make the protection of our oceans and their marine life a high priority. To help you see where different parties stand this election, we’ve taken a look at their policy announcements, platforms and positions and summarised how they stack up on protecting our oceans.

We also asked the parties to complete the following:

In 300 words of less, if your party were to form government what would you do to protect Australia’s marine environment, threatened marine species like whales, sharks and turtles and marine World Heritage Areas including the Great Barrier Reef?

Their responses are provided under our policy assessments.  

In alphabetical order...

Australian Greens

The GreensThe Australian Greens have committed to stopping dredging and dumping within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area, to protecting pristine areas of the Reef from new coal and gas ports and to increasing funding for measures to tackle poor Reef water quality. The Greens supported the creation of the world’s largest network of marine protected areas around Australia, will maintain Federal Government oversight of environmental approvals for projects which threaten our marine environment and support greater action to reduce climate change. The party supports a national container deposits scheme to reduce marine debris.

View the Australian Greens 300 word response to our question. 

Australian Labor Party

Australian Labor PartyThe Australian Labor Party has delivered the world’s largest network of marine reserves, and we are seeking their commitment to adequately fund the management of the new network. The ALP has committed to retain Federal Government oversight of environmental approvals for projects which threaten our marine environment. In government the ALP introduced a two-year ban on super trawler fishing in our waters, although is yet to commit to a permanent ban. The ALP has committed to establishing a 'Reef Bank' to support improved Reef conservation measures and to investing in tackling agricultural pollution threats to the Great Barrier Reef. It is yet to announce any measures to protect the Reef from industrialisation including committing to ban dredge spoil dumping.

View the Australian Labor Party’s 300 word response to our question. 

Liberal National Party Coalition

Liberal National PartyThe Coalition has announced it will suspend the plans for Australia’s new marine reserves, despite the previous Coalition Government (under Howard) having instigated the national network of marine reserves process. The Coalition has committed to establishing a Threatened Species Commissioner and a 'Reef Trust' to fund coastal habitat restoration and water quality improvements for the Great Barrier Reef. They have also announced funding for turtle and dugong conservation and reducing ghost nets in our northern waters. The Coalition is yet to release any policies on tackling industrialisation threats to the Great Barrier Reef. They have not yet committed to ban dredge spoil dumping within the Reef. The Coalition has announced they will abandon the price on carbon pollution. They are yet to support a ban on super trawlers operating in Australian waters.

TAKE ACTION - let Tony Abbott know your views on our marine parks! 

Keep watching this space - we’ll update this further as we hear more from the parties

http://www.marineconservation.org.au/news.php/110/oceans-13-australias-oceans-and-the-2013-federal-election