What is a marine park?

A marine park is a type of marine protected area (MPA), an area of the ocean or shore that has limits on human activity. They have been around for a long time, and include places like scientific research areas, shark nursery areas, seasonally closed areas, or bird conservation areas. Each ype of MPA protects different things for different reasons.

When we talk about “marine parks” in Tasmania we are talking about protecting areas that have special wilderness values, like national parks on land. These marine parks can have different zones with different rules. Some can allow for things like fishing, but they often should include “sanctuary zones” where lots of human activities are restricted.

The target date for Tasmania to have a system of marine parks for all its different marine areas (bioregions) has passed. That deadline has clocked over without there having been any serious action on the issue for the last decade.

Many areas still have little or no meaningful protection.