The Australian Government recently released its "sustainable ocean plan", setting eight national priorities for managing marine waters and supporting ocean industries.
The plan covers Australian waters extending 200 nautical miles offshore from the coastline, as well as waters around external territories.
The government has described it as the first written direction agreed by governments and interest groups for Australia’s ocean. It aims to sustainably manage 100 per cent of those waters.
Action areas cover aspects such as ocean industry growth, work with First Nations peoples, and the protection and restoration of marine environments. Collaboration, knowledge, and finance form three of the supporting priorities.
First Nations peoples, seafood businesses, researchers, and government agencies contributed to the plan, alongside representatives of the defence, ports, tourism and energy sectors. The government said more than 800 people and organisations were involved over two years.
The plan recorded that 99 per cent of Australian trade by volume moves by sea, while undersea cables carry 99 per cent of the country’s digital connectivity.
Marine protected areas cover 52 per cent of Australia’s ocean, or about 4.6 million square kilometres. Of the total ocean area, 24 per cent has a high level of protection. The government is working towards protecting at least 30 per cent in highly protected areas by 2030, a separate target from sustainable management of all its waters.
Reviews are under way of five management plans for Australian Marine Park networks, which together cover 44 parks. The plan identifies those reviews, which involve stakeholder consultation, as the main opportunity to reach the 2030 protection target.
The government plans to establish a national ocean steering committee with representatives from all levels of government and a national ocean advisory group bringing together stakeholders and technical expertise. It said expressions of interest for advisory group membership will open soon. The bodies will guide progress reporting through ocean.gov.au.