Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
Encyclopedia
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park protects a large part of Australia's Great Barrier Reef
from damaging activities. Fishing and the removal of artefacts or
wildlife
(fish, coral
, sea shells
, etc.) is strictly regulated, and commercial shipping traffic must stick to certain specific defined shipping routes that avoid the most sensitive areas of the park. The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest cluster of corals and other exotic marine life.
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) are the administrators of the park. They issue permits for various forms of use of the marine park, and monitor usage in the park to ensure compliance with park management. The GBRMPA is funded by Commonwealth Government Appropriations that include an environmental management charge levied on the permit-holders passengers. Currently this is A$
5.50 per day per passenger (to a maximum of $16.50 per trip).
. Its northern boundary is the circle of latitude
10°41'S (running east up to the eastern edge of the Great Barrier Reef at 145º19'33"E), thereby encompassing those few uninhabited Torres Strait Islands
that are east of Cape York, south of 10°41'S and north of 11°00'S. The largest of those island are Albany Island (5.9 km² or 2.3 sq mi), Turtle Head Island 12.8 km² or 4.9 sq mi and Trochus Island 2.2 km² or 0.849424748903577 sq mi. Further islands are Mai Island 0.25 km² or 0.0965255396481338 sq mi, Bush Island 0.2 km² or 0.077220431718507 sq mi, Tree Islet 0.01 km² or 0.00386102158592535 sq mi, Brewis Island 0.05 km² or 0.0193051079296268 sq mi, and a few unnamed islets.
enacted the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975, which created the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, and defined what acts were prohibited on the Reef. The Australian Government also has recognised the ecological significance of this Park by its inclusion in the nation's Biodiversity Action Plan
. The Government of Australia manages the reef through the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and in partnership with the Government of Queensland
, to ensure that it is widely understood and used in a sustainable manner. A combination of zoning, management plans, permits, education and incentives (such as eco-tourism certification) are used in the effort to conserve the Great Barrier Reef.
As many species of the Great Barrier Reef are migratory, many international, national, and interstate conventions or pieces of legislation must be taken into account when strategies for conservation are made.
Some international conventions that the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park must follow are: the Bonn Convention
, Ramsar Site
(for the Bowling Green Bay National Park
site), CITES, JAMBA
and CAMBA
.
Some national legislation that the Park must follow are: Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975,
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, National Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development, National Strategy for the Conservation of Australia's Biological Diversity, Australia’s Oceans Policy, National Strategy for the Conservation of Australian Species and Communities Threatened with Extinction.
Some state legislation that the Park must follow are: Nature Conservation Act 1992, Marine Parks Act 1982, Fisheries Act 1994, Queensland Nature Conservation (Wildlife) Regulation 1994.
For example, the Queensland Government has enacted several plan's attempting to regulate fishing. The East Coast Trawl Management Plan 1999 aimed to regulate trawling through limiting the times when trawling is permitted and restricting gear used. The Fisheries (Coral Reef Fin Fish Fishery) Management Plan 2003 aimed at reducing the annual commercial catch to 1996 levels, disallowing fishing when the fish are spawning
and increasing the minimum legal size of fish.
The Great Barrier Reef was selected as a World Heritage Site
in 1981.
Up until 1999, there were four main zones in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. They were the "Far Northern", "Cairns", "Central" and "Mackay/Capricorn" sections. These zoning sections were created between 1983–1987. Another section, the "Gumoo Woojabuddee" section was declared in 1998. Each section had its own zoning plan. The Great Barrier Marine Park Zoning Plan 2003 superseded all previous zoning plans, coming into effect on 1 July 2004.
In July 2004, a new zoning plan was brought into effect for the entire Marine Park, and has been widely acclaimed as a new global benchmark for the conservation of marine ecosystem
s. The rezoning was based on the application of systematic conservation planning techniques, using the MARXAN
software. On 1 July 2004 the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park became the largest protected sea area in the world when the Australian Government increased the areas protected from extractive activities (such as fishing
) from 4.6% to 33.3% of the park. , the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands National Monument
is the largest protected marine area in the world. The management committee draws inspiration from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority's management strategies.
The current method of zoning is called the "Representative Areas Program", which chooses "typical" areas of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. They can then be protected in "Green Zones" (no-take zones). The Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area has been divided into 70 bioregions, of which 30 are reef bioregions, and 40 are non-reef bioregions.
In 2006, a review was undertaken of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975. Some recommendations of the review are that there should be no further zoning plan changes until 2013, and that every five years, a peer-reviewed Outlook Report should be published, examining the health of the Great Barrier Reef, the management of the Reef, and environmental pressures.
In early 2007, the GBRMPA was one of three nominees for the Destination Award in the World Travel and Tourism Council
’s Tourism for Tomorrow Awards.
On 3 April 2010, The Shen Neng 1, a Chinese ship carrying 950 tonnes of oil, ran aground, causing the 2010 Great Barrier Reef oil spill
.
Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is the world'slargest reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,600 kilometres over an area of approximately...
from damaging activities. Fishing and the removal of artefacts or
wildlife
Wildlife
Wildlife includes all non-domesticated plants, animals and other organisms. Domesticating wild plant and animal species for human benefit has occurred many times all over the planet, and has a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative....
(fish, coral
Coral
Corals are marine animals in class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria typically living in compact colonies of many identical individual "polyps". The group includes the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton.A coral "head" is a colony of...
, sea shells
Sea Shells
Sea Shells is a 1957 album by Peggy Lee, recorded in early 1955.The album was possibly thought by her record company to be too esoteric, hence its later release. It was her last recording for Decca Records. The album is considered one of Miss Lee's more personal records, featuring a mix of love...
, etc.) is strictly regulated, and commercial shipping traffic must stick to certain specific defined shipping routes that avoid the most sensitive areas of the park. The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest cluster of corals and other exotic marine life.
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) are the administrators of the park. They issue permits for various forms of use of the marine park, and monitor usage in the park to ensure compliance with park management. The GBRMPA is funded by Commonwealth Government Appropriations that include an environmental management charge levied on the permit-holders passengers. Currently this is A$
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
5.50 per day per passenger (to a maximum of $16.50 per trip).
Geography
The park lies east of the mainland coast of Queensland, starting in the north at Cape YorkCape York Peninsula
Cape York Peninsula is a large remote peninsula located in Far North Queensland at the tip of the state of Queensland, Australia, the largest unspoilt wilderness in northern Australia and one of the last remaining wilderness areas on Earth...
. Its northern boundary is the circle of latitude
Circle of latitude
A circle of latitude, on the Earth, is an imaginary east-west circle connecting all locations that share a given latitude...
10°41'S (running east up to the eastern edge of the Great Barrier Reef at 145º19'33"E), thereby encompassing those few uninhabited Torres Strait Islands
Torres Strait Islands
The Torres Strait Islands are a group of at least 274 small islands which lie in Torres Strait, the waterway separating far northern continental Australia's Cape York Peninsula and the island of New Guinea but Torres Strait Island known and Recognize as Nyumaria.The islands are mostly part of...
that are east of Cape York, south of 10°41'S and north of 11°00'S. The largest of those island are Albany Island (5.9 km² or 2.3 sq mi), Turtle Head Island 12.8 km² or 4.9 sq mi and Trochus Island 2.2 km² or 0.849424748903577 sq mi. Further islands are Mai Island 0.25 km² or 0.0965255396481338 sq mi, Bush Island 0.2 km² or 0.077220431718507 sq mi, Tree Islet 0.01 km² or 0.00386102158592535 sq mi, Brewis Island 0.05 km² or 0.0193051079296268 sq mi, and a few unnamed islets.
History
In 1975, the Government of AustraliaGovernment of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a federal constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary democracy. The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901 as a result of an agreement among six self-governing British colonies, which became the six states...
enacted the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975, which created the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, and defined what acts were prohibited on the Reef. The Australian Government also has recognised the ecological significance of this Park by its inclusion in the nation's Biodiversity Action Plan
Biodiversity Action Plan
A Biodiversity Action Plan is an internationally recognized program addressing threatened species and habitats and is designed to protect and restore biological systems. The original impetus for these plans derives from the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity...
. The Government of Australia manages the reef through the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and in partnership with the Government of Queensland
Government of Queensland
The Government of Queensland is commonly known as the "Queensland Government".The form of the Government of Queensland is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1859, although it has been amended many times since then...
, to ensure that it is widely understood and used in a sustainable manner. A combination of zoning, management plans, permits, education and incentives (such as eco-tourism certification) are used in the effort to conserve the Great Barrier Reef.
As many species of the Great Barrier Reef are migratory, many international, national, and interstate conventions or pieces of legislation must be taken into account when strategies for conservation are made.
Some international conventions that the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park must follow are: the Bonn Convention
Bonn Agreement (environment)
The Bonn Agreement is a European environmental agreement.Following several oil spills in 1969, the coastal nations of the North Sea formed the Bonn Agreement to ensure mutual cooperation in the avoidance and combatting of environmental pollution....
, Ramsar Site
Ramsar Convention
The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, i.e., to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural,...
(for the Bowling Green Bay National Park
Bowling Green Bay National Park
Bowling Green Bay is a national park in Queensland, Australia, 1,103 km northwest of Brisbane, and 28km south of Townsville and 59 km north of Ayr. It is a Ramsar Convention listed Site...
site), CITES, JAMBA
Japan Australia Migratory Bird Agreement
The Japan Australia Migratory Bird Agreement is a treaty between Australia and Japan to minimise harm to the major areas used by birds which migrate between the two countries. Towra Point Nature Reserve plays a role in the agreement, being an area in Australia used by migratory birds...
and CAMBA
Camba
"Camba" is a word long used in Bolivia to refer to the indigenous population in the western tropical region of the country, or to those born in the area of Santa Cruz, Beni, and Pando ....
.
Some national legislation that the Park must follow are: Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975,
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, National Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development, National Strategy for the Conservation of Australia's Biological Diversity, Australia’s Oceans Policy, National Strategy for the Conservation of Australian Species and Communities Threatened with Extinction.
Some state legislation that the Park must follow are: Nature Conservation Act 1992, Marine Parks Act 1982, Fisheries Act 1994, Queensland Nature Conservation (Wildlife) Regulation 1994.
For example, the Queensland Government has enacted several plan's attempting to regulate fishing. The East Coast Trawl Management Plan 1999 aimed to regulate trawling through limiting the times when trawling is permitted and restricting gear used. The Fisheries (Coral Reef Fin Fish Fishery) Management Plan 2003 aimed at reducing the annual commercial catch to 1996 levels, disallowing fishing when the fish are spawning
Spawn (biology)
Spawn refers to the eggs and sperm released or deposited, usually into water, by aquatic animals. As a verb, spawn refers to the process of releasing the eggs and sperm, also called spawning...
and increasing the minimum legal size of fish.
The Great Barrier Reef was selected as a World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
in 1981.
Up until 1999, there were four main zones in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. They were the "Far Northern", "Cairns", "Central" and "Mackay/Capricorn" sections. These zoning sections were created between 1983–1987. Another section, the "Gumoo Woojabuddee" section was declared in 1998. Each section had its own zoning plan. The Great Barrier Marine Park Zoning Plan 2003 superseded all previous zoning plans, coming into effect on 1 July 2004.
In July 2004, a new zoning plan was brought into effect for the entire Marine Park, and has been widely acclaimed as a new global benchmark for the conservation of marine ecosystem
Marine ecosystem
Marine ecosystems are among the largest of Earth's aquatic ecosystems. They include oceans, salt marsh and intertidal ecology, estuaries and lagoons, mangroves and coral reefs, the deep sea and the sea floor. They can be contrasted with freshwater ecosystems, which have a lower salt content. Marine...
s. The rezoning was based on the application of systematic conservation planning techniques, using the MARXAN
Marxan
MARXAN is software designed to aid systematic reserve design on conservation planning. With the use of stochastic optimisation routines it generates spatial reserve systems that achieve particular biodiversity representation goals with reasonable optimality.Computationally, MARXAN provides...
software. On 1 July 2004 the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park became the largest protected sea area in the world when the Australian Government increased the areas protected from extractive activities (such as fishing
Fishing industry
The fishing industry includes any industry or activity concerned with taking, culturing, processing, preserving, storing, transporting, marketing or selling fish or fish products....
) from 4.6% to 33.3% of the park. , the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands National Monument
Northwestern Hawaiian Islands National Monument
The Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument is a World Heritage listed, U.S. National Monument encompassing of ocean waters, including ten islands and atolls of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, internationally recognized for both its cultural and natural values as follows:"The area has deep...
is the largest protected marine area in the world. The management committee draws inspiration from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority's management strategies.
The current method of zoning is called the "Representative Areas Program", which chooses "typical" areas of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. They can then be protected in "Green Zones" (no-take zones). The Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area has been divided into 70 bioregions, of which 30 are reef bioregions, and 40 are non-reef bioregions.
In 2006, a review was undertaken of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975. Some recommendations of the review are that there should be no further zoning plan changes until 2013, and that every five years, a peer-reviewed Outlook Report should be published, examining the health of the Great Barrier Reef, the management of the Reef, and environmental pressures.
In early 2007, the GBRMPA was one of three nominees for the Destination Award in the World Travel and Tourism Council
World Travel and Tourism Council
The World Travel & Tourism Council was conceptualized in the early 1980s when a group of CEOs came to the realization that although Travel & Tourism was the largest service industry in the world and the biggest provider of jobs, nobody knew it...
’s Tourism for Tomorrow Awards.
On 3 April 2010, The Shen Neng 1, a Chinese ship carrying 950 tonnes of oil, ran aground, causing the 2010 Great Barrier Reef oil spill
2010 Great Barrier Reef oil spill
The 2010 Great Barrier Reef oil spill occurred on 3 April 2010, when the Chinese bulk coal carrier, ran aground east of Rockhampton in Central Queensland, Australia. The vessel is owned by Shenzhen Energy Transport Co. Ltd....
.
Islands
- Beanley Island
- Beesley Island
- Bewick Island
- Blackwood Island
- Chapman Island
- Clerke Island
- Gore Island
- Haggerston Island
- Hales Island
- Halfway Islet
- Hampton Island
- Hannibal Islands
- Hay Island
- Hicks Island
- Howick Island
- Lady Elliot IslandLady Elliot IslandLady Elliot Island is the southern-most coral cay of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. The island lies north-east of Bundaberg and covers an area of approximately . The island is home to a small eco resort and an airstrip, which is serviced daily by flights from Bundaberg, Hervey Bay,...
- Turtle Head Island
See also
- Perry Island
- Reef HQReef HQReef HQ is the largest living coral reef aquarium. It is located in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. The aquarium was built as a Bicentennial Commemorative project and is a part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority...
– National Education Centre for the Great Barrier Reef