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SENATOR THE
HON. IAN MACDONALD - Minister for Forestry and Conservation
A new atlas produced
by the Bureau of Rural Sciences provides a much more accurate picture of
the marine resources of south-eastern Australia, the Minister
responsible for Commonwealth fisheries, Senator Ian Macdonald, announced
today.
Senator Macdonald, while officially launching Marine Matters:
Atlas of marine activities and coastal communities in Australia’s
South-East Region, said that, for the first time, a consolidated
picture was available of an area starting just south of Bermagui in NSW,
to Cape Jervis in South Australia, encompassing Victoria and Tasmania,
and including Macquarie Island.
“The south east is one of the busiest and most important parts of
Australia’s maritime environment,” Senator Macdonald said. “And, as it
is home to 32 commercial fisheries, the region also supports a variety
of industries and a significant number of jobs.
“The Marine Matters atlas shows exactly where the fishing is taking
place, how much is being caught and the value of the catch to the
regional economy.
“The Atlas shows that the region also supports a diverse range of
other industries and activities that deliver benefits to a wide cross
section of Australian society.
“Many of these activities, including shipping and petroleum
exploration, as well as fishing, are illustrated through the use of over
90 full-colour maps.
“Importantly, the Atlas also describes the social characteristics of
the region’s many coastal communities and explores the links they have
to industry — particularly the fishing industry.
“We can examine a stretch of ocean using the atlas, and gauge its
importance to industries such as fishing, its cultural and environmental
values and its importance to local communities.
“This will help us identify communities particularly sensitive to
changing patterns in resource use and resource access. That type of
information is essential if our coastal and marine planners are to get
their decision-making right.
“The Atlas integrates information about the region’s many overlapping
activities, and should prove to be an invaluable, science-based tool for
any coastal and marine planning activity.
“By making this sort of information available, all stakeholders can
be aware of the facts that influence marine policy decisions. We can all
be ‘playing to the same sheet of music’,” Senator Macdonald said.
Copies of the Atlas are available by calling the National Oceans
Office on (03) 6221 5000.
Further inquiries:
Senator Macdonald's office:
David Moore 0417 774 724 or (02) 6277 7270 |
