Proposed amendments to SA’s Marine Parks

This engagement closed 31 December 2021, the final report is available here.

The original engagement information follows:

We are seeking your feedback on the proposed changes to 4 South Australian marine park management plans.

What's being decided?

We are proposing the following changes to 4 marine park management plans:

Nuyts Archipelago Marine Park

• reinstating the original boundaries of the Isles of St Francis Sanctuary Zone with a Special Purpose Area overlaid in the northeast region to allow for commercial abalone fishing only

Neptune Islands Group (Ron and Valerie Taylor) Marine Park

• revising the North Neptune Islands Sanctuary Zone with a northeast extension to the outer boundaries of the marine park

Upper Gulf St Vincent Marine Park

• reinstating the original boundaries of Clinton Wetlands Sanctuary Zone and allow for shore-based recreational fishing at one site

Southern Kangaroo Island Marine Park

• creation of a new Sanctuary Zone at D’Estrees Bay with a Special Purpose Area that allows for shore-based recreational line fishing.

Background

In 2018 the state government commissioned an independent review of marine park Sanctuary Zones (SZs), taking into consideration the economic, social and environmental values held by regional communities and the commercial and recreational fishing sectors.

Based on the feedback received during 6-week public consultation in 2020, the Minister for Environment and Water adopted a set of management plan amendments and the changes were proclaimed on 17 September 2020.

The Parliamentary process is now complete for 2 of the 6 2020 amendments.

To resolve the Parliamentary process for the remaining 4 marine parks and sanctuary zones, we encouraged further discussions between the peak South Australian commercial fishing and conservation bodies; seeking a fair balance between their interests. The feedback from these discussions has led to revised management plan amendments which are now available for public consultation.

In addition, changes are also proposed for the management plan of the Southern Kangaroo Island Marine Park. Collectively these proposed amendments (termed the ‘2021 Proposed Amendments’) have been carefully considered to balance access to important high-value fishing areas whilst also addressing environmental concerns of the conservation and scientific communities.

Importantly the 2021 Proposed Amendments do not replace the 2020 Amendments but some of the changes made in 2020 will be amended. The 2021 Proposed Amendments and the 2020 Amendments that remain unchanged are summarised here:

• Nuyts Archipelago Marine Park – A 2021 Proposed Amendment to reinstate the original boundaries of the Isles of St Francis Sanctuary Zone with a Special Purpose Area overlaid in the north east region to allow for commercial abalone fishing only. The 2020 Amendment to increase the size of Nuyts Reef Sanctuary Zone remains unchanged.
• Neptune Islands Group (Ron and Valerie Taylor) Marine Park - A 2021 Proposed Amendment to revise the North Neptune Islands Sanctuary Zone with a north east extension to the outer boundaries of the marine park.
• Upper Gulf St Vincent Marine Park - A 2021 Proposed Amendment to reinstate the original boundaries of Clinton Wetlands Sanctuary Zone with a Special Purpose Area that allows for shore-based recreational fishing at one site. The 2020 Amendment to include Windara shellfish reef within the marine park remains unchanged.
• Western Kangaroo Island Marine Park - The 2020 Amendment to decrease the size of Cape du Couedic Sanctuary Zone remains unchanged.
• Southern Kangaroo Island Marine Park - A 2021 Proposed Amendment to add a new sanctuary zone at D’Estrees Bay with a Special Purpose Area that allows for shore based recreational line fishing.

Get involved

To inform your feedback:

• read the impact statements
• view the maps and draft management plan amendments for each park in our documents section.

Have your say by:

• joining the online discussion
• emailing your feedback to DEWMarine@sa.gov.au
• posting your written feedback to:
  
  Department for Environment and Water
  Science, Information and Technology Branch
  Attn: Team Leader, Marine Science
  GPO Box 1047 ADELAIDE SA 5000

Please note: Your responses will be made publicly available in full on the Department for Environment and Water’s website unless you indicate that you wish for these to remain confidential. Please also note that any responses that are made on a confidential basis may still be subject to access under Freedom of Information laws.

What are the next steps?

Once public consultation has closed, comments will be collated and a consultation report will be made publicly available on this website.

The Minister for Environment and Water will consider all feedback before finalising the amendments to the management plans.

The approved changes, once authorised by the Governor, will be laid before Parliament for 14 sitting days.