Sanctuary zones |
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While people are welcome to fish in most of the waters of most Western Australian marine parks, a few representative areas are usually set aside as ‘sanctuary zones'.
Sanctuary zones of the right size in the right areas can also increase fish populations outside the zones, as adult fish move out of the ‘no take' zones into adjoining areas, thereby providing additional secondary benefits to fishers. Fertilised eggs and larvae also drift out of sanctuary zones to settle in other areas. For example, research by Dr Mark Westera of Edith Cowan University at Ningaloo Marine Park has shown that there are twice as many emperors in sanctuary zones than in the neighbouring general use zones, where fishing is allowed. Elsewhere in Western Australia, early results of some research by Dr Russ Babcock from CSIRO on a sanctuary zone at Rottnest Island Marine Reserve show that rock lobsters are appreciably larger and considerably more abundant within the sanctuary zone. The same research has shown similar results for some fish species commonly targeted by recreational fishers. A recent survey of 80 ‘no take' zones around the world found that the number of fish in the ‘no take' zones increased by 192 per cent; the total weight of fish was higher than in adjacent fished areas; and average fish size was 20 to 30 per cent higher than in adjacent fished areas. In Florida, very large game fish are almost seven times more common in areas next to a no-take reserve than in fishing areas where no reserve exists. A similar pattern has been recorded for sharks in a tropical ‘no take' area off Western Australia, where they are larger and more common than in comparable fished areas. Scientists have demonstrated that marine areas where habitats have become degraded, or where living resources have become depleted through overuse, may be much more quickly repaired and replenished if there are protected, unexploited areas nearby. For instance, research at Sumilon Island in the Philippines has shown that closing 25 per cent of the reef habitat to fishing resulted in 54 per cent higher catches for the entire island than catches obtained when the entire reef area was fished. |
Sanctuary zones, where people can look but
not take, are one of the most effective ways of protecting the nature
conservation values within marine parks and this is their primary purpose. Such marine protected areas play a vital role in preserving marine
biodiversity and an important role in the long-term sustainable use of the
living resources of the coastal zone. As all of the components of the marine
ecosystem are protected, from the seaweeds through to shellfish and table fish,
it means that people can enjoy viewing completely unspoilt marine areas in such
sanctuary zones. They are fantastic spots for snorkellers and divers to view
marine life and are also free of hazards such as fishing lines. Scientists can
also gain an understanding of the full range of species and their levels of
abundance in such habitats.
