Development of A Western Australianrepresentative System Of Marine Reserves Vested In The MPRA

The Western Australian Government has a long-term program to establish a State-wide representative marine reserve system, i.e. representative of the State's marine habitats and flora and fauna. Legislative provisions are included in the Conservation and Land Management Act that put this program into effect. It is a statutory function of the MPRA to recommend to Government proposals for marine reserves that will achieve this program.

The Western Australian marine reserve system is intended to be Comprehensive, Adequate and Representative [the CAR principle]. Comprehensive means that the reserve system should include areas representative of all the State's marine bioregions. Adequate means that the size and location of each reserve should be sufficient to achieve the specified conservation, economic and social purposes of its reservation. Representative means that each reserve should properly represent the habitats and biota of the bioregion.

Development of the Western Australian Comprehensive, Adequate and Representative marine reserve program is in accordance with national objectives to establish a National Marine Reserve system.