ASFB Home > Potential Changes in Prey Population Structure Following Removal of Predators by Fishing

Planning a Comprehensive, Adequate and Representative System of Marine Protected Areas in Tasmania

Karen Edyvane and Peter Bosworth

Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment, HENLEY BEACH, AUSTRALIA

Theme: TH3

The island State of Tasmania contains some of the most diverse and distinctive marine flora and fauna in Australia, and the world. However, ecologically, many habitats and ecosystems are under-reserved as Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Tasmania. In particular, kelp communities, wave-exposed rocky habitats, drowned river valleys (i.e. Macquarie Harbour, Port Davey, Derwent River, Huon River), soft-bottom benthos, estuaries, beach habitats and offshore deepwater habitats, are not reserved in Tasmania. Entire coastal regions such as Bass Strait, and the western, northern and southern coast of Tasmania, and the warmer water habitats and ecosystems of the Twofold Shelf bioregion, currently lack any protection or reservation in MPAs. As of May 2001, Tasmania had reserved five MPAs, comprising a total area of 82 888 ha or 3.5% of its State coastal waters (i.e. 2 356 040 ha). However, 98.3% of this area comprises a single MPA, the recently reserved subantarctic Macquarie Island Marine Reserve. Of the nine bioregions recognised along the coast of Tasmania, only two bioregions have any marine habitats: ecosystems formally reserved as MPAs. Within these areas, the level of comprehensiveness (i.e. reservation) and adequacy of these MPAs (i.e. size of MPAs, replication) is extremely low, with three out of the four MPAs less than 100 ha in size. To address the gaps in the current system of MPAs, Tasmania is committed to establishing a comprehensive, adequate and representative (CAR) system of MPA, with the nine Interim Marine and Coastal Regionalisation of Australia (IMCRA) bioregions of Tasmania providing the regional planning framework for defining the representative system. The planning process and guidelines for the establishment of a Tasmanian representative system of Marine Protected Areas (or TRSMPA) have been recently defined through the development of a `Tasmanian Marine Protected Areas Strategy' (DPIWE 2001). This Strategy defines a policy, consultation and technical framework for identifying, selecting, prioritising and establishing a CAR system of MPAs, based on the best available science. Significantly, the Strategy provides a technical framework and guidelines for the establishment and management of the TRSMPA including: criteria and methodology for identification of candidate MPAs; criteria and methodology for the selection and prioritisation of MPAs and MPA management categories; consultation on community participation in the TRSMPA and individual MPAs (including provisions for socio-economic assessment); performance assessment and reporting for the TRSMPA); and outlines the planning process for the TRSMPA via an independent statutory planning authority (i.e. Resources, Planning and Development Commission).