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ANUSC Environmental Issues

As scuba divers, we not only have an interest in the marine environment but also a responsibility to protect it. The ANUSC has an environmental officer to keep us abreast of marine issues, compile club responses to proposals and coordinate activities, such as Clean Up Australia Day.

Hot issues

• May 2008: Comments are due by the 2 June 2008 for the following marine park reviews:
  
  • Jervis Bay Marine Park Review - act now and have your say through the club submission to support one of our diving 'backyards' (to find out how see here).
  • Solitary Islands Marine Park Review- this one is further afield but the club does play here too: http://www.mpa.nsw.gov.au/simp-zoning-plan-review.html
• As of July 2007, Two submarine cable protection zones have been declared off Sydney. Following consultation, exceptions were made for anchoring on a number of wrecks inside the zones. Details on the zones and anchoring restrictions are in these PDFs:
  • Northern zone declaration and Explanatory notes
  • Southern zone declaration and Explanatory notes
• Recently found in Australia is a pest sea slug, Spurilla neopolitana.
• We have a page with information about the proposed ban on diving with Grey Nurse Sharks for non-commercial divers by the NSW Department of Primary Industries, and how you can help lobbying against this proposal.
• A recently (May 2004) held seminar at Fisheries Cronulla about the endangered Grey Nurse Shark reported about the current state of research. Michael McFadyen presented the following summary at a recent SCAN meeting: GNS-Seminar-May2004.pdf
• Great Barrier Reef representative areas plan
• Coral bleaching

Things you can do

• Coral friendly diving
• Follow the Grey Nurse Shark code of conduct when you're diving around sharks.
• Follow the NSW legislation when diving or boating around marine mammals.
• 30 Things You Can Do for the Marine Environment
• For people with cars, big and small, also for people without cars, just homes: Greenfleet

Club responses to environmental proposals, and other submissions

• Letter to NSW Fisheries re nurse sharks at the Sir John Young Banks (June 2006)
• Ocean trap and line fishery (April 2006)
• Batemans Marine Park (March 2006)
• Mystery Bay campground and foreshore development (February 2006)
• Port Stephens marine park (January 2006, not on line)
• NSW Grey Nurse Shark fees (December 2005)
• Marine Park proposal Cod Grounds (February 2004)
• Grey Nurse Shark protection in Queensland (November 2003)
• Great Barrier Reef new zones proposal (June 2003)
• Marine Park proposal Cod Grounds (April 2003)

Further environmental resources

• Marine Education Society of Australasia
• CSIRO Marine Research
• The Audubon Guide to Seafood
• Geoscience Australia Marine & Coastal Geoscience
• CRC Reef Research Centre
• AIMS Research - Reef Monitoring Index
• Australian Marine Conservation Society
• NSW Fisheries
• Department of Environment and Heritage - Coast and Oceans
• Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
• Threatened species listings
• Search for protected matters by area
• CoastKeepers and their latest newsletter
• Greening Australia
• NPA Marine and their latest newsletter
• ANUgreen: ANU's environment office
• ACT Land Care (who also run Park Care with Environment ACT). Here is their current events calendar.

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