Warming Australia to Cool Southern Seas

Allen, T.J.,
Marine and Coastal Community Network,
10 Parliament Place, East Melbourne, Victoria 3002

While over 80% of the nation¹s population live on the temperate coastal fringe, what have been the drawbacks to conservation initiatives within the region and where do we go from here?

The conservation movement in Australia has arguably been extremely successful in raising the level of public awareness towards specific issues and environments. Historically however, very few of the major conservation organisations have paid attention towards temperate marine ecosystems or the issues they face, while educational resources, both community focussed and schools focussed, are minimal.

A number of opportunities presently exist to rectify this situation. These include 1998 being International Year of the Ocean, the Federal Government development of the world¹s first Oceans Policy and the nationwide move towards a representative system of marine protected areas. The author will elaborate on these opportunities and outline ways in which we might strategically develop and plan an agenda that raises the profile of temperate Australian waters. He will also outline the role and opportunities created by the Marine and Coastal Community Network.