Marine Park gate flaps in the wind whilst the aquaculture horse bolts through
On 1 July this year, the Aquaculture Act came into operation. After many years of campaigning for reform of aquaculture regulation and management, 3 Parliamentary Inquiries, the states longest environment court case against 6 tuna farms off the Lower Eyre Peninsula (won by CCSA and the EDO), and a number of criminal prosecutions under the Dev. Act, legislative reform has occurred. The Act is not the panacea wed hoped for, but it does provide for an advance on the EPAs oversight of proposed aquaculture operations.
1 step forward... 2 steps back
Unfortunately, recent events have shown that even under Labor, we still need to watch PIRSA and Planning SA like a hawk when it comes to aquaculture regulation. The direction of aquaculture planning is in direct conflict with native wildlife including sea lion colonies - its akin to putting a sheep farm in a dingo reserve. Despite the rhetoric of more accountable aquaculture laws, the recent decision (12 Sept 02) to permanently end community rights of Appeal of aquaculture operations off the Lower Eyre Peninsula (via the Interim/instant operation of a Plan Amendment Report amending the Development Plan for that area, making aquaculture Category 1 complying) was a retrograde and unprecedented step undertaken by stealth (we were not aware until after it was gazetted, despite our membership of the States statutory Aquaculture Advisory Committee). This is the first time any area of the sea in this State has been zoned under the Development Act for industrial purposes, and marks an end to the only effective opportunity for community scrutiny of the tuna feedlot industry.
Help us put aquaculture in its placeWe need you to write a quick but firm submission written to the Development Policy Advisory Committee (DPAC) on the Lower Eyre Peinsula Aquaculture PAR (as mentioned above) by 12 November. Tell DPAC that industrial zoning of the sea is not on, and say you want to be heard at that the Adelaide or Pt Lincoln hearings. Email your submission to: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Go to www.planning.sa.gov.au to see the PAR. For more pointers on what to say in the submission go to the CCSA website at: www.ccsa.asn.au or phone 8223 5155 ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ). To see the Aquaculture policies out for comment, go to: www.pir.sa.gov.au/aquaculture. There is a new groundswell of concerned conservationists and experts getting active on ensuring a strong community voice on aquaculture and marine management. To get involved with them, contact Chris Ball, Australian Marine Conservation Society (SA) Branch President, on 8223 5155 or at: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Now is the time to make sure aquaculture is put in the right place, in the right way, not where it shouldnt be, without independent scrutiny.
Glacial intertia of marine conservation
For the past 10 years, aquaculture has advanced at great speed an important opportunity for rural communities. However, despite successive Premiers and Environment Ministers professing the intention to get a System of Marine Parks in place across SA waters, and better integration of marine management so that development decisions on aquaculture, fishing and mining are not made at the expense of our precious marine ecosystems, we are still no further advanced in real terms. SA has only 1 Marine Park (at the Great Australian Bight) and the total area of SA waters protected in any form of MPA is a paltry 3.5% (most of which is multiple use). The international baseline for a minimum level of areas given high protection is moving to 30% of each marine bioregion. Legislative Review and/or advancement of the Fisheries Act and the Aquaculture Act are occurring, but the Coast Protection Acts long overdue Review and evolution into a desperately needed Marine and Coastal Management Act is still on the slow burner somewhere in DEH. The call for implementation of the Marine and Estuarine Strategy of 1998 continues to fall on deaf ears and the status of the Office of Coast and Marine in DEH has been downgraded to a branch. And it is likely that the Fisheries Act review will remove dedicated legislation for the establishment of marine parks and fisheries habitat protection. This will create a legislative vacuum for Marine Parks and Marine Planning measures.
The commitment to see a System of MPAs (including areas of high protection) and Marine Plans in place in SA within 5 years, has suffered delay after delay, and is being further revised to 7 years and beyond due to the lack of resources to implement it. In 7 years DEH will be breathing the dust of the exclusive rights being given to aquaculture operations now the only areas left to marine parks will be those not worth having. This toe in the water policy is simply not adequate and does not match Labors election commitment on marine issues. Recent initiatives such as development of the Pt Adelaide Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary, the commencement of the process of investigating the notion of an MPA at Encounter Bay, and a number of positive but largely ad hoc and minor marine conservation announcements since do not add up to the vigorous program of marine conservation catchup needed. And in the meantime, PIRSA are proposing to move tuna farms into close proximity of the Sir Joseph Banks Group of Islands a Conservation Park!
It seems that wed have to agree with a well known tuna farmer who recently said to the media that Labor have done far more for aquaculture than the previous Liberal Government. Advancing aquaculture as a key industry for this state is important, but not at the cost of basic community rights, and certainly not at the cost of even the most basic marine conservation measures.
Tell the decision makers that our marine conservation laws are not strong enough, decision making on marine issues is not integrated or accountable, and that there must be no further delays in declaring a System of Marine Parks for SA. Write to the following c/- Parliament House, North Tce, Adelaide 5000.The Hon Mike Rann, Premier
The Hon John Hill, Minister for Environment and Conservation
The Hon Jay Weatherill, Minister for Urban Development & Planning
The Hon Paul Holloway, Minister for Primary Industries
The Hon Iain Evans, Shadow Minister for Environment
The Hon Mike Ellliott MLC, Leader of the Australian Democrats
The Hon Bob Such, Deputy Speaker House of Assembly
The Hon Andrew Evans, MLC
The Hon Nick Xenophon, MLC
