Save Our Coral Sea Sanctuary

HELP SAVE OUR CORAL SEA SANCTUARY Australia’s Coral Sea Marine Reserve protects one of the last wild places on Earth where healthy coral reefs and ocean giants still thrive. It also created what is effectively the largest recreational fishing zone in Australia’s history.

All this is now at risk...

A snapshot of the Coral Sea Underwater Paradise

Boot and Ashmore Reef Ashmore and Boot reefs are unique in the Coral Sea as the only shallow water habitats that emerge out of the continental slope.

The reefs provide important feeding sites for the Common Noddy and Masked Booby, and serve as remote destinations for live aboard dive-tour operators.

Photo: Mark Spencer

Osprey Reef Described by David Attenborough as the ‘perfect reef’, Osprey Reef is among the top ten dive destinations in the world.

Photo: Nicola Temple

Photo: Lucy Trippett

Breeding and Feeding Black marlin, reaching speeds of 130km/hr, migrate here each year to breed – the only known black marlin spawning event in the world.

Coral Sea Marine Reserve

Marion Reef Marion Reef is the only protected reef of the Marion Plateau, an important breeding area for Wahoo, with healthy numbers of ocean predators and 70 types of bottom dwelling fish found nowhere else in the world. Its stunning lagoon is dotted with around 50 coral bommies that provide crucial reef habitat.

Bougainville Reef Bougainville Reef is the only known whale shark meeting place in the Coral Sea, also home to iconic Potato Cod and Humpheaded Maori Wrasse.

Its healthy corals and unusual underwater labyrinths with caves, tunnels, canyons, spectacular drop offs, and its partially submerged wreck, make it one of the world’s best dive sites.

Photo: Tyrone Canning

Photo: Gary Bell / Oceanwideimages.com

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park

Large oceanic protection – an Australian first Ocean Giants The Coral Sea Marine Reserve is home to the magnificent whale shark, 28 types of whales and dolphins, 52 types of deep-water sharks and rays, and six of the world’s seven sea turtles.

Southern Seamounts The Coral Sea contains a series of seamounts or ancient volcanoes – some higher than Mt Kosciuszko. These towering peaks host an incredible diversity of marine life. Some such as Wreck, Kenn and Frederick Reefs are coral encrusted.

In 2012, just over half of the Coral Sea Marine Reserve was protected in a large sanctuary – a first for Australia in creating protection across an area large enough to protect ocean giants, such as sharks, tuna and sailfish, which are in dramatic decline globally.

The Coral Sea is the cradle to the Great Barrier Reef.

Together, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and the Coral Sea Marine Reserve make the ‘biggest and best’ of Australia’s marine parks.

Photo: Undersea Productions

PROTECTING A GLOBAL ICON A haven for our ocean giants Lying side by side, the Great Barrier Reef, Coral Sea and New Caledonia Marine Parks make the largest and most important protected area in the world –an extraordinary haven for Pacific marine life.

Science supports sanctuaries In 2011, more than 300 eminent scientists globally issued a statement recognising the importance of the Coral Sea, and the need for a large highly protected sanctuary. In 2016 the Ocean Science Council of Australia released a report rejecting any proposed cut backs to Coral Sea protection.

There is overwhelming evidence that sanctuaries boost protection of fish and marine life, and improve resilience against the impacts of extreme weather, climate change and coral bleaching.

Socio-economic benefits Research estimates Coral Sea dive trips alone contribute $10-$11 million dollars to the local economy annually, with approximately 70% from international customers.

It is critical for the North Queensland dive tourism industry that the Coral Sea remains pristine through the implementation of a large Coral Sea sanctuary and protects key dive sites like Osprey, Bougainville, Holmes and Flinders Reefs.

Sanctuaries are tourism powerhouses, enriching coastal communities Photo: Jurgen Freund

COMMUNITY CONSENSUS Our oceans and marine life are an Australian birthright – central to our way of life – an inheritance that we treasure and respect.

Australians have made their support for sanctuaries known through surveys, at public events, in the hundreds of thousands of submissions sent during consultation processes, and in their communications with their local MPs.

WE ARE SCIENTISTS “The Coral Sea is one of the last great wild and untouched areas of our planet. Not only is it beautiful and fascinating but it is also an insurance policy against the momentous changes that our planet and ocean are going through. Let’s keep it wild and untamed before it is too late!”

Ove Hoegh-Guldberg FAA Professor and Director, Global Change Institute, University of Queensland, and member of the Ocean Science Council of Australia

WE ARE DIVERS “I personally believe that it is the duty of the Australian government and the people of this country to maintain the Coral Sea’s integrity, to protect it while there is still something left to protect.”

Valerie Taylor, Professional Diver, Explorer and Film-maker

WE ARE FISHERS “My wife and I moved to Queensland from Sydney because of the great spear fishing, scuba diving and surfing. So I was very happy to see our country protecting a big part of the Coral Sea to help keep fish populations healthy within and around the sanctuaries. I urge the Australian Government to protect our Coral Sea sanctuary.”

Conrad Norton-Taylor, Recreational Fisher

WE ARE BUSINESS OWNERS “Our business depends on a healthy ocean, and we work hard to be good stewards of the marine environment.

Dive expeditions to the Coral Sea are sustainable both economically and environmentally as long as the federal government helps protect this important tourism asset.

We urge the government to protect the Coral Sea’s marine sanctuaries so that the iconic reefs and internationally recognised dive sites like Osprey Reef and Bougainville are protected for the benefit of all.”

Mike Ball, Cairns, Dive Expeditions Operator

World-class conservation and recreation working hand in hand

Photo: James Sherwood / Bluebottle Films

As well as a large sanctuary to protect our ocean giants, the Coral Sea Marine Reserve created what is effectively the largest recreational fishing zone in Australia’s history.

RECREATIONAL FISHING Many of Australia’s most popular fishing destinations have been marine parks for years, and people who fish there know that this protection is helping ensure they stay that way.

It’s no surprise that scientific surveys of Australian recreational fishers show a clear majority support sanctuaries.

Around 200,000 square kilometres of the marine reserve, including world-renowned fishing grounds for oceanic gamefish like black marlin, were set to become the exclusive sites of recreational and charter fishing targeting tuna and billfish. All this is now at risk.

By protecting crucial feeding and breeding areas, we can ensure that we have fish for the future, while also having great fishing opportunities.

PROTECTING THE LAST SEA TREASURE Australia’s Coral Sea Marine Reserve is a beacon of hope, protecting one of the last wild places on Earth where ocean giants still thrive and healthy vibrant coral reefs still pulse to the rhythm of life.

Cradling the Great Barrier Reef, the Coral Sea Marine Reserve demonstrates an excellent balance for conservation, recreation and business to work hand in hand – a global icon with huge benefits to Queensland and to Australia’s reputation, economy and local livelihoods.

But its future is far from safe.

In 2012 Australia made history by creating the world’s largest network of marine sanctuaries, including our Coral Sea sanctuary – the result of more than a decade of science, overwhelming community support (including from the majority of fishers) and work by all sides of politics.

Despite this, the former Abbott Government suspended the national network of sanctuaries, leaving them unprotected and at risk from expansion of industrial commercial fishing – adding to the continued uncertainty for local business and communities.

Divers, fishers, businesses and communities are coming together across Australia.

Together we created the Coral Sea Marine Reserve and, with your support, we will protect it for future generations.

Join us as we work together to save our Coral Sea Sanctuary

www.SaveOurSanctuaries.org.au

Save our Marine Life is an alliance of leading conservation organisations working to protect Australia’s marine life and way of life

Printed on 100% recycled paper

Front and back cover image: Jurgen Freund