Marine Parks' first anniversary
1 October 2015 marks one year since South Australia's network of marine parks became fully operational.
More than ten years in the making, the parks were designed through the most comprehensive community consultation ever undertaken in South Australia, backed by the best available science.
Highlights
Over the last 12 months, DEWNR has focused on learning more about the marine environment, helping the community enjoy marine parks safely and responsibly and encouraging kids and families to get involved with marine activities.
Learning about our marine environment
We have:
- conducted one of the first marine park ecological monitoring expeditions to Nuyts Archipelago Marine Park and Western Kangaroo Island Marine Park
- employed marine park regional coordinators across the state to undertake compliance, education and ecological monitoring
- released the independent Regional Impact Assessment Statements (RIAS) for Ceduna, Kangaroo Island and Pt Wakefield.
Helping you enjoy marine parks
We have:
- conducted over 1,500 shore-based compliance patrols and over 80 boat patrols of sanctuary zones
- installed over 90 marine park sanctuary zone signs around the state at boat ramps and beach access points
- distributed more than 300,000 recreational fishing guides to bait & tackle shops and information centres
- incorporated marine park sanctuary zones and recreational fishing rules in PIRSA’s SA Recreational Fishing Guide App.
Getting the community involved
We have:
- celebrated with a ‘Marine Fun Day’ at the SA Museum with over 2,000 kids and families undertaking fun activities
- involved school students in marine education activities including a mini museum
- hosted NaturePlay SA’s first ‘park of the month’ in Encounter Marine Park
- conducted Science Week and Sea Week activities in Kangaroo Island’s marine parks.
What's next...?
Over the next year, DEWNR's priorities for marine parks include:
- publishing marine park ‘baseline’ reports for the 19 marine parks which detail socio-economic and ecological condition data against which we can measure change over time
- delivering on the Government’s recreational fishing election commitments by completing the second round of recreational fishing grants, opening reservoirs for fishing access and working with PIRSA on the artificial reef and habitat enhancement trial
- continuing to encourage the community to do the right thing in our marine parks by increasing ‘on-water’ presence, improving intelligence reporting and successfully prosecuting repeat offenders
- conducting an ‘Immerse yourself in a marine park’ holiday programme over summer in partnership with non-government organisations and commercial tourism operators, to encourage more people to visit our iconic marine parks.
See more of our marine parks
Students dive in to science in marine parks
Students dive in to science in marine parks
During National Science Week in 2014, Natural Resources Eyre Peninsula held and Science Week funded bioblitz at Sleaford Bay (Tannana Wambiri) in the Thorny Passage Marine Park.
Tracking dolphins in Kangaroo Island’s marine parks
Tracking dolphins in Kangaroo Island’s marine parks
On South Australia’s idyllic Kangaroo Island, a group of dedicated local volunteers are helping to track the island’s dolphin population, cataloguing each animal by photographing their dorsal fins.