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23 December 1998 |
Ref 98/294 |
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The development of an Oceans Policy for Australia will be one of the most significant environmental initiatives this decade, according to the country's largest marine science institution - CSIRO Marine Research.
Dr Nan Bray, Chief of CSIRO Marine Research and a campaigner for a national policy, says that Australia has taken a global lead and the policy will be welcomed by scientists, conservationsists and by ocean users who currently contribute more than $70 billion to the national economy.
However, Dr Bray is calling for the policy to be further supported by the necessary deep ocean and coastal research programs - and State backing - to give credibility to the Federal Government policy.
"Australia's coastal and deep ocean environment is currently returning around $70 billion a year to the Australian economy and growing at four times the rate of our economy.
"This is where the new businesses and new jobs will be created. The challenge is to have the kind of research and monitoring in place to ensure that Australia benefits from responsive and well-managed development of our oceans.
"We can now have a fresh shot at being the lucky country by investing in substantial coastal and oceans research projects.
"With increasing recognition of the value of these resources, Australia is taking a global lead in oceans and coastal management and stewardship," Dr Bray says.
Dr Bray says an Oceans Policy and the accompanying Marine Science and Technology Plan were drafted earlier this year and the Federal Government should be congratulated for progressing such an important initiative in the International Year of the Ocean.
While requiring funding to make it operable, successful implementation also requires a unified Federal and State approach to the Oceans Policy.
"If we want to implement policies that promote development of oil and gas, tourism, wild fisheries and aquaculture but also take a strong conservation position, we have to be in on this together.
"There is a growing community recognition that marine resources create real wealth and need to be managed not only for today but for tomorrow," she says.
Dr Bray says that under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Australia has one of the largest marine jurisdictional zones in the world.
She says some priorities for marine research should be -
- Defining the boundaries of Australia's Marine Jurisdiction.
- Assessing the nature and extent of marine life and harvestable resources from the coast to the deep ocean.
- Nationally, there is only one multipurpose, blue-water research vessel, funded to operate only six months of the year. Marine science needs 2-3 such vessels, funded for year-round operations.
- Only five per cent of our EEZ has been mapped and at the current rate it would take more than 100 years to complete.
- Seafloor mapping to determine mineral and oil and gas deposits.
- Development of an ocean observing system combining data from satellites, commercial shipping, ocean moorings and profilers for climate and deep oceans research.
- Better coordination of marine data management.
Dr Bray says the income from the entire marine area from the coast to the deep ocean currently represents about 16% of the gross national product, and is the most vigorously growing sector of the Australian economy.
"To put this in perspective, this is a larger economic contribution to the nation than either agriculture or mining, neither of which show anything like the growth recorded by the marine sector.
"In terms of climbing economic value, business growth and job creation, no other sector shows this kind of strength. Continuing research is vital to continuing sustainable growth," says Dr Bray.
More information from:
Dr Nan Bray 03-6232 5214
Mr Don Michel 03-6232 5478
(Australia's largest scientific research organisation)
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