2015-11-09
Australian Greens Senator Rachel Siewert has welcomed Senate support for her motion calling on the Government to reinstate Australia’s world-leading system of marine reserves, noting that Australia has some of the world‘s greatest marine natural resources with rich biodiversity.
“The Senate has supported my motion explicitly calling on the Government to reinstate Australia’s system of marine reserves.
“At the moment the Government is ‘reviewing’ our marine protected areas, despite the fact they were implemented under the previous Government after decades of work.
“Whilst the Government conducts its ‘review’ the management plans that maintain the reserves are not maintained, this means reserves are just lines on the map at the moment.
“I hope Malcolm Turnbull moves to reinstate these management plans for a world-leading network that were halted under the Abbott Government.
“Early action and investment in mitigation plans, adaptation strategies and fisheries management need to be part of efforts to respond to the impacts of climate change on our oceans”.
Motion reads:
*912 Senator Siewert: To move—That the Senate—
(a) notes that Australia has:
(i) some of the world‘s greatest marine natural resources, with rich biodiversity and unique species, and
(ii) the potential for a world-leading system of marine reserves;
(b) recognises that scientific analysis predicts that marine food chains are at risk of collapse due to global warming, overfishing and pollution; and
(c) calls on the Turnbull Government to reinstate Australia‘s system of marine reserves.