Despite years of science and overwhelming community support, the Australian Government has suspended the North Marine Reserve Network and announced a review leaving all our Commonwealth marine sanctuaries at risk of being cut back or erased completely. 

We can't let this occur. Please send a quick submission to help save our precious northern sanctuaries here by 31st March 2015 at Save Our Marine Sanctuaries.

Main points to make in support of marine life: 

1. Retain the existing zoning in all Commonwealth Marine Reserves - at a bare minimum. 

2. Improve and expand the marine national park zones (marine sanctuaries).

3. Implement the marine reserves immediately, with marine national park zones retained and improved. 

Need inspiration to make your submission? Look at our talking points for the north. You can use our talking points as a guide, but they want to hear your view. The review will take your concerns much more seriously if you write using your own words. 

North talking points

• Unprotected marine bioregions: The North Marine Region still contains 9 marine bioregions with no marine sanctuaries despite the Howard Government committing to establishing marine sanctuaries in all of Australia’s marine bioregions over 15 years ago. Please listen to the hundreds of scientists from Australia and around the world who have expressed their concern about the ongoing complete lack of marine sanctuaries in some of Australia’s marine bioregions.
• Limmen Bight: Despite being recognised by both the Northern Territory and Federal Governments as one of the most important locations for marine life in Australia’s north, Limmen Bight (in the Gulf of Carpentaria) still contains no marine sanctuaries and is under threat from potential seabed mining.
• Arafura Canyons: Recognised as a key ecological feature for Australia’s marine life, the Arafura Canyons (north-east of Darwin) are Australia’s largest canyon system in tropical waters. Please establish marine sanctuaries to protect these canyons’ marine life.

If you are a Traditional Owner with sea country or business owner, please contact us for more information at [email protected]

A more detailed guide for contributing to the North Marine Reserve Network can be found here. 

This article by James Woodford is an interesting summary on the current state of marine parks in Australia and another piece on what's happening with marine parks over the border in the Kimberley.

"...if we don’t do a good enough job now we are just going to have to do this again properly in 15 or 20 years....” Professor Hugh Possingham