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Many of Australia’s 750 major river estuaries and bays are at risk of the sort of ecological collapse that recently turned part of the Gippsland Lakes into toxic ‘green pea soup’, one of Australia’s leading environmental scientists has warned.
But the good news, according to CSIRO Land and Water Chief Graham Harris, is that scientists have recently achieved a breakthrough in understanding of the processes involved in the collapse of coastal ecosystems - and so, better ways to prevent it.
Estuaries, particularly in populous areas of Australia, have undergone a century-long assault from land clearing, erosion, urbanisation, pollution, nutrient runoff, acid soils, introduced pests, the damming of rivers and dredging of river bars, he said.
The result is that estuaries naturally sparkling clear and full of sea-grasses and fish become turbid, dominated by algae - often toxic - and devoid of native water life.
‘Our most important recent advance is the discovery there is a point-of-no-return, or hysteresis, where the system flips from one type to the other,’ Dr Harris explained.
‘Once you reach this point, it becomes extraordinarily difficult, if not impossible, to change the estuary back to the way it used to be.
‘This means it is of the greatest importance to look at what we are doing on the land in the catchments of our bays and estuaries, and to manage our activities far better - before the coastal ecosystem reaches that point.
‘This will involve adopting more sustainable farming and forestry methods, curbing urban runoff, effluent and other forms of pollution and reducing the overfishing of estuary fish stocks.’
Dr Harris said one of the key insights to emerge from research into our estuaries is how we have altered the natural coastal water balance.
‘We have dammed the rivers inland, preventing the periodic flushing which once kept the estuaries clean and fresh. We have cut through river bars, allowing the salt water to push upstream, turning the mildly brackish estuary as salty as the sea.
‘This saline water in turn triggers a boom in anaerobic bacteria, which begin to unlock huge amounts of nutrients from the mud. Salinity and warmth cause layers to form in the water. These still layers and a vast food supply create perfect conditions for algal blooms. Gradually the water body turns stagnant.
‘We are seeing this sort of thing quite clearly in the case of the Swan and Canning rivers in WA, and the Gippsland Lakes in Victoria. There are many other examples all round the coast,’ he said.
‘Once these systems were clear, mainly fresh or brackish water, which was occasionally flushed out by episodes of heavy rainfall. That no longer happens, because we have dammed the rivers and taken the fresh water.’
Dr Harris believes there is as powerful a case for using ‘environmental flows’ to clean out Australia’s coastal bays and estuaries, as there is for using them to maintain our inland rivers and wetlands.
‘In Australia, with its low and variable rainfall, flushing the system is incredibly important to maintaining the balance, and preventing it from tipping over the point of no return.’
He also warned that suburban canal development round Australia is ‘a potential time bomb’ for toxic algae, because it has low flushing and high salinity, accompanied by high runoff of nutrients and chemicals. This risk is already evident in established canal developments in Adelaide.
Much of the new understanding of how coastal ecosystems function was pioneered by CSIRO in the Port Phillip Bay Study, which attracted international acclaim.
Dr Harris said that, working with the new Cooperative Research Centre for Coastal Zone and Estuarine Water Management (CRCCZEWM),
in association with the National Land and Water Resources Audit, CSIRO is now embarking on a national assessment of the continent’s 750 main estuaries.
‘The aim is to assess the condition of each, see how many are approaching the point of no return, and what can be done through a national approach to better catchment and water management to save them.’
Courtesy The Queensland Fisherman
The fish trade, recreational anglers and consumers now have a book its publishers describe as the ‘definitive guide’ to seafood.
Called the Australian Seafood Handbook - an identification guide to domestic species, it is said to be the first comprehensive and fully illustrated guide to Australia’s major seafood species (in whole and filleted form).
With a foreword by Peter Doyle, doyen of the seafood industry, the book was launched in Sydney by Federal Fisheries Minister Mark Vaile.
The ‘Doyles on the Beach’ restaurant at Watson’s Bay was the setting for what was described as a gathering of seafood luminaries, from fishing interests, to fish wholesalers and retailers, restaurateurs and consumer representatives.
Written by Peter Last, Gordon Yearsley and Bob Ward from the CSIRO, the guide took five years to research and prepare, and many hours were spent gleaning information from most of the country’s major fishing ports, national and overseas fish markets, research voyages from the tropics to the sub-Antarctic, fellow scientists, and fishing industry representatives.
‘The guide is sure to grace the boats and bookshelves of commercial, recreational and trade interests and feature in the kitchens of many professional chefs and consumers,’ said Peter Dundas-Smith, executive Director of the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation which sponsored the Handbook project.
‘As well as being the definitive guide for commercial fishing, the guide also meets the interest of Australia’s five million recreational fishers.
‘Recreational fishing is a substantial industry in its own right and the guide brings a new level of information to the sporting enthusiast who also has an interest in the health of this industry.
‘The guide also really helps the consumer choose the right seafood for a particular recipe or menu. Unlike the red meat and poultry industries, when it comes to seafood variety, the Australian consumer has 20 times the choice for tonight’s dinner,’ Mr Dundas-Smith said.
‘The Handbook is user-friendly. It carries colour photographs of all our 600-odd major commercial seafood species, how to identify them, their protein fingerprints, descriptions of their fishery and habitat, and remarks about the species - which includes flesh type, taste and flavour in some cases. Descriptions and photos of the fillets of each fish are also provided.
‘A huge advantage for consumers is the book’s ruling on uniform marketing names for seafood right across the country - whether they are buying fresh at a market or eating in a restaurant.’
The Handbook retails for $39.95 and special waterproof paper editions are available at $75 a copy.
The Australian Seafood Handbook is available from the Australian Seafood Extension and Advisory Service (phone (07) 3406 8617, fax (07) 3406 8677), CSIRO Publishing and most larger bookshops.
Courtesy The Queensland Fisherman
The Fisheries Group of the Department of Primary Industries has published Queensland’s Fisheries Habitats, Current Condition and Recent Trends - the first report of its kind on the condition of habitats that sustain Queensland’s fishing industries.
Department spokesman Brad Zeller said the report is the first in a series that will provide regular updates of the condition and trend of major Queensland habitats that support the State’s fisheries.
The report brings together information on the current documented changes in habitats supporting major fisheries including freshwater streams and riparian zones, mangroves, seagrass, saltmarsh and coral reefs. It also highlights fishery habitats where more information is required to assess changes.
Fisheries Resources Officer and author of the report, Mr Brad Zeller of the Fisheries Group Resource Condition and Trend Unit, said ‘the report was a major step forward in bringing together information on pressures affecting freshwater, estuarine and marine fisheries habitats and their current condition.’
‘He said ‘recent surveys of riparian vegetation, melaleuca forest, tidal wetlands and seagrass have shown different levels of change due to natural and man-made causes including losses of some habitats in some areas.’
It is important that we understand these changes and how they impact on fish stocks worth more than $250 million to Queensland’s economy each year.
Fishery habitat monitoring and Statewide reporting of changes to fishery habitats are important functions undertaken by DPI to provide up-do-date information to Queensland’s fisheries managers to allow enhanced management of these habitats.
The report will also prove a valuable reference for other groups interested in the sustainable use of our streams, estuaries and sea including fishers, community groups, local councils and State Government Departments.
Copies of the report are available from the Resource Condition and Trend Unit, GPO Fisheries, GPO Box 3129, Brisbane QLD 4001.
Comments from the public to improve the content of future reports in this series is encouraged. The next fisheries habitat condition and trend report will be published in 2000.
For further information telephone Fisheries Resources Officer Brad Zeller, (07) 3224, 2236.
Courtesy The Queensland Fisherman
Summary of First and Second Meetings
The National Oceans Advisory Group, established as part of Australia’s Oceans Policy, has met twice since it was established in May 1999.
The role of the Advisory Group is to provide the National Oceans Ministerial Board with a source of non-government advice on cross-sectoral and cross-jurisdictional issues. The diversity of membership also provides a valuable forum for exchanging information and views between the various sectors with an interest in the planning and management of Australia’s marine jurisdictions.
The Advisory Group has 16 members selected for their expertise in oceans issues. Members represent a wide range of sectors including various industry bodies, research institutions, and conservation organisations. The Advisory Group is chaired by Prof Russell Reichelt, Director of the Australian Institute of Marine Science.
The members are drawn from the following organisations: the Australian Marine Conservation Society; World Wide Fund for Nature Australia; the Australian Seafood Industry Council; the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association; the Australian Shipowners Association; the Australian Institute of Marine Science; the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission; the Torres Strait Regional Authority; the Marine and Coastal Community Network; the Association of Australian Ports and Marine Authorities; the Minerals Council of Australia; Tourism Council Australia; and Recfish Australia. Mr Sam Bateman from Centre for Maritime Policy, University of Wollongong and Mr Martijn Wilder of Baker and McKenzie Solicitors are members in their personal capacities.
The Advisory Group held its first meeting on 20 July 1999 at Parliament House, Canberra. Its second meeting, also at Parliament House, was held on 22-23 September 1999. A third meeting is planned for December 1999.
Much of the first meeting involved briefing and discussion on work by federal government departments to implement the Oceans Policy, with presentations and discussions on the regional marine planning framework and an overview of the preparatory work being undertaken by Environment Australia on the South-east Regional Marine Plan.
The second meeting produced a comprehensive work program, discussed the scope and content of a National Oceans Forum planned for early 2000, identification of major issues of concern to NGO’s regarding Oceans Policy and Regional Marine Planning, the Regional Marine Planning framework, and possible models for the South-east Regional Marine Plan Steering Committee.
The Advisory Group agreed that regional marine plans should take their general scope from the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea and cover all marine waters including estuaries, claimable seabed and continental shelf margins, and certain high seas areas where this would be in Australia’s national interest or where Australia may carry port state responsibilities.
Members also agreed that while RMPs should not interfere with existing sectoral and jurisdictional arrangements, they should also move towards simplified, comprehensive regulatory regimes that minimise legislative or regulatory conflict and duplication.
The Advisory Group discussed the scope and content of the National Oceans Forum that will be held in Hobart in February 2000. The
Forum, to be hosted by the Advisory Group, will focus on a number of issues including regional marine plan models and processes, the definition and delivery of ecosystem-based management, indigenous issues, and community participation, understanding and awareness.
For further information contact:
National Oceans Advisory Group
Secretariat
Marine Group
Environment Australia
GPO Box 787 Canberra ACT 2601
Email: oceans@ea.gov.au
Phone: 02 6274 1548
or
Sam Bateman
Centre for Maritime Policy
University of Wollongong NSW 2522
Email: sam_bateman@uow.edu.au
Phone: 02 42214883
Jervis Bay, situated approximately 200 kilometres south of Sydney, is renowned for its white sandy beaches, high cliffs and clear water. The Jervis Bay region contains remarkably diverse natural vegetation and supports a rich diversity of life including a number of threatened plant and animal species. The area contains many sites of Aboriginal and European cultural heritage and offers a wide range of recreational opportunities. A significant proportion of Jervis Bay and environs is afforded protection through a number of conservation reserves including the Jervis Bay Marine Park, Booderee National Park (Commonwealth) and NSW Jervis Bay National Park.
Despite the uniqueness and importance of the Jervis Bay region, and the extent of its protected areas, the region is subject to a number of activities and processes that may lead to its eventual degradation. Changing land use within catchments, ad hoc decision making and increased use of major water bodies for tourism and commercial purposes are three key processes which have had a number of impacts, of which loss of habitat and deteriorating water quality are amongst the most critical. Management of the area to maintain the conservation values of both the land and the water, while permitting activities such as controlled urban expansion, is a complex process involving many different organisations.
The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has commenced a project entitled, Conservation through Cooperation: Integrated Management of Jervis Bay. The project commenced in mid-January 1999 and has a duration of two years. The project has been made possible through a grant from the Commonwealth Government’s Coasts and Clean Seas Initiative, funding from NSW NPWS and in-kind contributions from Shoalhaven City Council.
The aim of the Jervis Bay integrated management project is to develop guidelines for a cooperative and integrated approach to management in order to better protect the natural and cultural values of the land and waters of the Jervis Bay region. The guidelines are to be developed amongst the region’s stakeholders including the three levels of government, the community and the private sector.
To achieve this aim, participation will be sought from stakeholders throughout the life of the project to ensure a high level of ownership of, and commitment to, the project outcomes. Through a series of workshops and public fora, stakeholders will be invited to examine a range of issues such as water quality, threatened species management, habitat corridor manage-ment, pest and fire management and sustainable tourism. Stakeholders will be asked to consider these issues from an integrated management perspective, including how stakeholders can work together to achieve common goals, how strategies can be developed to resolve or minimise conflict and how clear communication amongst stakeholders can best be facilitated. Once the guidelines for cooperative and integrated management or Jervis Bay are developed, stakeholders will be asked to endorse or ‘sign off’ on the guidelines which will formally indicate their commitment to them.
It is anticipated that the collaborative development of guidelines, or a system, to facilitate the long-term protection of the conservation values of the land and waters of Jervis Bay, will provide a strong basis for sustainable management of the region and a model for ecosystem management which may be applied elsewhere.
If you would like to become involved in the process of developing guidelines for cooperative and integrated management of Jervis Bay, information about workshops and the public forum can be obtained from Kate McConkey at the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, Nowra District Office, phone (02) 4429 5131.
Courtesy Marine and Coastal Community Network
The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea recently granted Australia provisional measures to halt Japan’s experimental fishing program for Southern Bluefin Tuna (SBT).
The Australian Government has welcomed the landmark decision as recognising the
agreement in place to ensure a balanced approach to fishing for the important SBT stock.
In a decision handed down in Hamburg, Germany, the Tribunal granted the bulk of the provisional measures sought by Australia and New Zealand in the proceedings relating to Japan’s unilateral experimental fishing for Southern Bluefin Tuna.
The Tribunal ordered that Australia, Japan and New Zealand:
shall each refrain from conducting an experimental fishing program involving the taking of a catch of SBT, except with the agreement of the other parties or unless the experimental catch is counted against its annual national allocation;
shall ensure, unless they agree otherwise, that their annual catches do not exceed the annual national allocations at the levels last agreed by the parties of 5265 tonnes, 6065 tonnes and 420 tonnes, respectively; in calculating the annual catches for 1999 and 2000, and without prejudice to any decision of the arbitral tribunal established under Annex VII of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), account shall be taken of the catch during 1999 as part of an
experimental fishing program;
• should make further efforts to reach agreement with other States and fishing entities engaged in fishing for SBT, with a view to ensuring conservation and
• promoting the objective of optimum utilisation of the stock;
• should resume negotiations without delay with a view to reaching agreement on measures for the conservation and management of SBT;
• shall each ensure that no action is taken which might aggravate or extend the disputes submitted to the arbitral tribunal; and
• shall each ensure that no action is taken which might prejudice the carrying out of any decision on the merits which the arbitral tribunal may render.
Most importantly, the decision means all fish caught by Japan under its experimental fishing program must be included in the 6065 tonne limit that the Tribunal has imposed upon them.
The Tribunal has therefore quite properly prevented Japan from unilaterally increasing its catch by almost 20 per cent.
Australia, Japan and New Zealand are required to submit to the Tribunal an initial report not later than 6 October 1999 on their compliance with the provisional measures prescribed by the Tribunal.
For further information contact Nicholas Harford (office of the Attorney-General), phone (02) 6277 7300 or 0419 423965, or Andrew Hall (office of the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry), phone (02) 6277 7520 or 0419 996766.
Marine conservation is the focus of a new action plan designed to help Australia’s governments establish and manage future marine protected areas.
Known as the Strategic Plan of Action for the National Representative System of Marine Protected Areas: A Guide for Action by Australian Governments, the plan was jointly developed by State, Territory and Commonwealth agencies and has been endorsed by the Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council.
The new plan will help establish and maintain a comprehensive system of marine protected areas to protect marine biodiversity and contribute to the ecological viability of marine and estuarine environments. It lists 34 actions to be undertaken by the Commonwealth, States and the Northern Territory to advance marine protected area development in Australia over the next three years. These actions centre on establishing marine protected areas, clarifying key concepts for the system, understanding threats to the marine environment and assessing how marine protected areas perform.
It points to the need to start identifying where marine protected areas need to be put, what size and shape they should be and how they work to protect the diversity of marine life and ecological systems. Specifically the plan indicates where Australian governments, industry and the community can provide help to each other and at the same time provide continued international leadership in the field of marine conservation and protected areas.
The Plan complements the Interim Marine and Coastal Regionalisation for Australia and the Guidelines for Establishing the National Representative System of Marine Protected Areas, both published in 1998.
Copies of the Plan can be obtained from Environment Australia’s Community Information Unit on 1800 803 772, or viewed at the following Internet address: www.envirornnent.gov.au/net/marine/spa.html.
For further information contact Rod Bruem (office of the Minister for the Environment and Heritage), phone (02) 6277 7640 or 0411 128582, or Dr Conall O’Connell (Environment Australia), phone (02) 62741919.
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URL: http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/MarStudies/1999/5.html