The Australian government has released a draft plan that proposes to address harmful industrial activities and increase protection for marine life in offshore waters in the South-east marine region. This is a once-in-a-decade opportunity.

The offshore waters of the South-east are home to some of the world’s most incredible marine life – from blue whales, southern bluefin tuna, albatross and the Great Southern Reef. This region is under more pressure than any other in Australia from threats like industrial trawling, seismic blasting and drilling for fossil fuels, marine heatwaves and pollution.

Yet, just 8% of these offshore waters are currently fully protected in marine sanctuaries.

Right now, we have an opportunity to change that.

The Australian government has released a draft plan that proposes to ban damaging industrial activities like seabed mining and new oil and gas titles, preventing seismic blasting, in all offshore marine parks. It also proposed to double fully protected sanctuaries; the areas that operate like fish nurseries, helping fish populations to rebuild and recover. These areas also provide a safe haven for whales, dolphins, and other marine life. 

Shockingly, the plan also proposes downgrading 11,000 square kilometres of marine sanctuary in Flinders Marine Park far off the north-east coast of Tasmania. The area currently operating as a fish nursery will instead be opened up to commercial fishing - tuna longlining. With south-east Australia’s offshore oceans under intense pressure, proposing to reduce protection is unacceptable. We should be expanding marine sanctuaries, not removing them.

Don’t miss this opportunity! To protect the whales, orcas, little penguins, dolphins, sharks, fishes and fur seals that make south-east Australia’s oceans so special!

By adding your name, you’re helping to: 

• Prevent all new offshore oil and gas titles, including preventing seismic blasting, from every marine park across this vast region of Australia’s oceans.

• Banning damaging industrial activities like seabed mining, offshore aquaculture, renewable energy zones and Carbon Pollution Dumping (CCS) from every marine park

• More than double the area of ocean protected in marine sanctuaries, protecting deep-sea reefs, parts of the Great Southern Reef, marine feeding grounds and rare sharks.

• Oppose cutting around 11,000km2 of the Flinders Marine Park sanctuary area, opening it up to tuna longline commercial fishing 

• Finalise a newly expanded marine sanctuary (the size of Germany!) in the remote wilderness of Macquarie Island. This is the final step to implement crucial new protections for sub-Antarctic marine life like king penguins and albatrosses.

The next review of the region’s marine parks won’t happen for another 10 years. That means what we do now determines how well protected marine life in south-east Australia’s offshore oceans will be for the next decade.

We only have until the 14th of November, so please share far and wide.

🌊 Add your name to send a submission now! 🐋

When you add your name, this is the submission you will be sending to decision makers.