The Tasmanian Conservation Trust strongly supports Tasmanian Marine Protected Areas Strategy. As part of the Marine and Marine Industry Council during the development of this strategy, we were very pleased with the outcome.

The lack of protection for Tasmania's marine environment is obvious. Just four small marine reserves of Tasmania protect less than 0.05 % of Tasmanian coastal waters. These are located on the east and south east coastline. It is to be hoped that the current proposals for new Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the Davey and Twofold Shelf bioregions get Government support and are declared as no-take reserves in the very near future.

The current system of MPAs is totally inadequate if they are to offer significant protection to biodiversity, or act as useful fisheries management tools. Apart from anything else, most of Tasmania's marine habitats and bioregions are provided no significant protection in the existing system of marine reserves.

The Tasmanian Conservation Trust hopes that a system of MPAs in Tasmanian waters will help protect and manage our fisheries, protect biodiversity, assist in scientific research, provide opportunities for recreation and education, and protect natural values in this spectacular part of our environment.

The Trust believes that the implementation of the marine protected areas strategy will help achieve these outcomes and balance the needs of different interest groups, including commercial and recreational fishers, conservation groups and other members of the broader community as well as fisheries managers.

The Trust strongly endorses the view that that the Tasmanian Marine Protected Areas Strategy continues to make use of the existing Resource Management and Planning System, and in particular the Resource Planning and Development Commission, and does not make use of any new independent statutory authority. This system has demonstrated its integrity, objectivity, fairness and transparent decision-making process.

Natural resource management in Tasmanian waters should embrace no-take MPAs. Apart from the other significant benefits, they can be used to provide vital baseline information for research on fisheries management. They provide additional insurance against stock decline due to unintentional poor fisheries in an environment where even basic biology of most commercially targeted species is poorly understood and ecological processes are largely unknown.

As mentioned above, MPAs can also provide benefits to tourism, recreation and the protection of biodiversity. Compare the less than 0.05% of Tasmania's marine environment protected in no-take MPAs with the level of protection given to terrestrial habitats. A comprehensive, adequate and representative system of MPAs should be set up in all of Tasmania's marine bioregions.

Funding for research into the effectiveness and adequacy of MPAs should be supported by any system of natural resource management. Support for research into the management of MPAs and the identification of the most appropriate locations for future MPAs should also be supported.

Jon Bryan
jonbryan@southcom.com.au