Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

The Greens will not be supporting this motion. I am sure that does not come as a surprise to the movers of the motion. The Coral Sea is a very important natural area. It also is an important heritage area. The Coral Sea provides essential habitat for an abundance of species, including critically endangered hawk’s bill turtles and endangered green turtles, 25 species of whales and dolphins and 27 species of seabirds. It is one of the last places on earth where populations of shark, tuna and bill fish—for example, swordfish and marlin—have not yet been severely depleted.

The underwater landscape of the Coral Sea is highly varied, with reefs, lagoons, inlets and cays, and with plateaux, canyons and underwater mountains. It is an important area for smaller fish that gather in these habitats seeking refuge. It has endemic species that are found nowhere else in the world. The majority of reefs in the Coral Sea lie on the Queensland Plateau. This area contains about 440 species of demersal fish. The seafloor of the Coral Sea, and its reefs, lagoons and cays, are different to those in the Great Barrier Reef. There is less hard coral and a greater proportion of sponges and coloured algae. Many species of starfish, brittle-stars, feather-stars and sea cucumbers are rich in this area.

This area is also an important source of life for the Great Barrier Reef. The ocean currents flowing west from Vanuatu replenish the biological communities that grow on the emergent reefs of the Coral Sea. In turn, these communities are important sources of recruitment for the Great Barrier Reef. This area is an undisturbed habitat for nesting green turtles and, as I have said, it is also important for other turtles such as loggerhead turtles, the olive ridley turtle, and the hawk’s bill, the flatback and the leatherback turtles. In other words, this is an important area for turtles.

As I have said, there are many species of seabird. It is an important breeding area for seabirds. It is also a regionally important area for the east coast humpback whale. In other words, as I was saying, this is an extremely important area. If you look at this in the context of what is happening globally to our oceans you would know that our great fish species are being substantially depleted globally. So this is important not just for the Great Barrier Reef and for the region; we know that 90 per cent of the world’s big fish—such as shark, tuna, marlin, groper and snapper—have vanished in the last 50 years from overfishing. We believe that there is also danger of other fisheries collapsing or facing collapse. We believe very strongly that we need to be protecting this area.

This conservation zone is being put in place so that the dialogue over what areas should be included in marine protected areas can begin. It is important, we believe, that this conservation zone be put in place to allow the discussion that Senator Boswell has been talking about. The issue at hand here is whether the proclamation of the Coral Sea Conservation Zone is having specific impacts. Then we need to look at the consequences of disallowing this proclamation. We do not want to be sidetracked or distracted by conspiracy theories or speculation and concern about possible future acts. The proclamation of the Coral Sea Conservation Zone does not prevent or impose upon the rights and activities of commercial fishers, recreational fishers and/or tourist operators operating within the Coral Sea. What it does is put in place some interim protection and data collection measures—that’s threatening: data collection measures!—that ensure that a proper consultation and planning process can be undertaken so that we can have an informed debate about the future management of the Coral Sea. It does not and should not cost existing users or prospective users of the Coral Sea—commercial or recreational fishers—anything. Existing commercial fishers already have licences and permits which will be continue to be recognised. Tourist operators running—