SA Best: Don't Cut South Australian Sanctuaries

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I am deeply concerned about the proposed cutbacks to SA's marine sanctuary protections. I urge you, as a key Member of the Legislative Council, to honour your party's election commitment and act on the science and community support for our sanctuaries by rejecting this proposal.

South Australia's marine sanctuaries only make up 5% of our state's waters. They are well established, having been in place for some years now, protecting crucial feeding and breeding areas for our unique marine life - much of which is found nowhere else on Earth. Keeping our sanctuaries in place is the responsible and practical thing to do as they act as an insurance policy for the health of South Australia's oceans and are increasingly a much needed tourism draw card for the state.

The South Australian network of sanctuaries is based on years of scientific assessment and community consultation. Cutting back protection of established protected areas goes against the science, community support and puts tourism businesses and local communities at risk.

The Government's own independent review found that:
- SA's marine parks and sanctuaries are bringing many benefits to our marine life and regional communities; 
- Rock lobsters have grown larger and are more abundant inside Kangaroo Island's Cape du Couedic sanctuary zone since fishing was restricted;
- Sanctuary zones are critical and effective at protecting long-lived, site attached vulnerable species;
- Offshore island sanctuary zones are biodiversity hotspots and important science reference areas;
- Industries such as aquaculture and shipping have continued to operate unaffected by marine parks; 
- The price of locally caught fish has remained stable, commercial fisheries have maintained their catch and value, and regional house prices have continued to increase and;
- Participation rates for recreational activities such as snorkelling, fishing and boating remain stable.

It greatly concerns me that allowing commercial fishing access back into these highly protected areas would be a serious failure of governance by the South Australian Parliament. When the sanctuaries were created, substantial compensation was paid to commercial fishing operators to offset their reduction in access. Yet just over six years later, the Government proposes to allow these same operators back into these areas. These conservation areas were created in the public interest with tax-payer funds.

The wind-back of established conservation areas is a terrible precedent to create. It is contrary to protected area world's best practice, and will pose a significant risk to South Australia's global reputation, particularly with tourism markets, something which has never been more important to maintain, given the damage sustained by tourism businesses as a result of the recent bush fires and the Covid19 pandemic.

The South Australian Government has a responsibility to protect our marine life. I ask you to honour your party's election commitment and listen to the science and respect the evidence presented by the Government's own review and the communities' views. All of South Australia's existing marine sanctuaries should be retained - for our marine life, tourism businesses and regional communities.

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Your message will be sent as an email to SA Best MPs Connie Bonaros and Frank Pangallo.

Right now, members of the SA Parliament are deciding whether they will support proposed cutbacks to our most precious marine sanctuaries.

Losing these sanctuaries – our national parks in the sea – will put our unique marine life, tourism businesses and local communities at risk!

This critical decision now rests in the hands of just a few Members of the Parliament. We must speak up and convince them to Save Our South Aussie Sanctuaries!

Send a message to SA Best’s Connie Bonaros and Frank Pangallo today!

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