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SoE 2011 – Marine chapter overview

This presentation is one of a series of Australia State of the Environment 2011 (SoE 2011) presentations given by SoE Committee members or departmental staff following the release of the SoE 2011.

This material was developed as part of an oral presentation. The full report should be referred to for understanding of the context of this material.

For more information please refer to:http://www.environment.gov.auOr contact the SoE team via email:soe@environment.gov.au

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New cover page

Presentation – Marine chapter overviewPhoto: Aerial view of the Pilbara, by Andrew Griffiths, Lensaloft

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State of the Environment reporting

A report on the Australian environment must be tabled in Parliament every five years

No current regulations regarding scope, content or process

All reports so far written by independent committees

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Purpose of SoE 2011

Provide relevant and useful information on environmental issues to the public and decision-makers...

… to raise awareness and support more informed environmental management decisions …

… leading to more sustainable use and effective conservation of environmental assets.

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State of the Environment 2011 Committee

Chair

Tom Hatton (Director, CSIRO Water for a Healthy Country)

Members

Steven Cork (research ecologist and futurist)

Peter Harper (Deputy Australian Statistician)

Rob Joy (School of Global Studies, Social Science & Planning, RMIT)

Peter Kanowski (Fenner School of Environment & Society, ANU)

Richard Mackay (heritage specialist, Godden Mackay Logan)

Neil McKenzie (Chief, CSIRO Land and Water)

Trevor Ward (marine and fisheries ecologist)

Barbara Wienecke – ex officio (Australian Antarctic Division, DSEWPaC)

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What’s new in 2011?

Improved relevance to decision makers

More detailed information

Discussion of the major drivers of change

Wide range of credible resources used in the analyses

Report-card style assessments of condition, pressures and management effectiveness

Discussions of current resilience and future risks

Outlooks

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Quality and credibility

Independence – written by an independent committee with relevant expertise, tasked with providing ‘accurate, robust and meaningful environmental reporting and identification of policy issues, but not for any particular policy position’

Authors sought best available evidence from credible sources

Extensive consultation

Workshops to determine consensus in expert opinion where evidence low

Transparency about quality of evidence and level of consensus

Peer reviewed (47+ reviewers of chapters and supplementary materials)

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SoE 2011 Products

Full report – hard copy and online

Summary with 17 headlinesNine theme chapters – each with key findingsReport cards

In-Brief – hard copy and online

50 page summary of full report

Additional online materials

Commissioned reportsWorkshop reportsAdditional tables and figuresPeer review information

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Assessment summaries in the report

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Drivers chapter – context for rest of SoE

How are a changing climate, population growth and economic growth creating pressures on our environment?

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SoE 2011 Headlines

17 headlines

in summary

chapter give a

high level

overview of

the big issues

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Key Findings (in theme chapters)

‘key findings’

give an

overview of

more specific

conclusions

for each

theme

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What is the general state of the environment? Much of Australia is in good condition or improving

Wind erosion has decreased

Some major threats to vegetation cover are lessening

Water consumption has fallen considerably in recent years

Many urban air pollutants are on the decline

Use of public transport is on the rise

Other parts are in poor condition or deteriorating The East Antarctic Ice Sheet is losing billions of tonnes of ice a year

Soil acidification and pests and weeds are affecting large areas of the continent

Our natural and cultural heritage continues to be threatened

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Drivers of environmental change

The principal drivers of pressures on Australia’s environment—and its future condition—are climate variability and change, population growth and economic growth

It is likely that we are already seeing the effects of climate change in Australia

The Australian economy is projected to grow by 2.7% per year until 2050

Under the base scenario, Australia’s population of 22.2 million people in 2010 is projected to grow to 35.9 million by 2050

We have opportunities to decouple population and economic growth from pressure on our environment

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Persistent pressures on our environment

Past decisions and practices have left ongoing impacts on our environment

Introduction of feral animals and weeds

Land clearing

Pollution

Unsustainable water resource management

Intense harvest of fish stocks

Lack of integrated and supported management

Our changing climate, and growing population and economy, are now confronting us with new challenges

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The marine chapter contents

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Australia’s marine jurisdiction

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Decision Framework for SoE Marine Environment(bounding the system and decision problem)

SOE 2011 Marine Environment

Spatial Boundaries

Institutional and stakeholder

setting

Natural systems attributes, values and complexities

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State of the Environment marine reporting regions

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Attributes, values, complexities

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Economic importance of the marine environment

Oil and gas – estimated at around $22 billion in 2007-08

Fisheries and aquaculture - $2.2 billion in 2008-09, mainstay of Australia's renewable marine resources

Recreational and subsistencefishing – marine tourism and recreation, including fishing estimated to contribute $18.7 billion in 2007-08 (no data for subsistencefishing)

Photo: Aquaculture sea cages, Jurien Bay, WA – Trevor Ward, Greenward Consulting

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Key findings

The overall condition of the Australian marine environment is good

Areas near the coast are suffering

There are significant existing impacts on the oceans caused by human activities

An extended continental shelf has been granted

The ocean climate is changing and we need to prepare to adapt

Our understanding of major aspects of our unique biodiversity is limited

The lack of a nationally integrated approach inhibits effective marine management

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Assessment structure

Condition and Trend

Biodiversity

H a b ita ts

Report Card

S p e c ie s & p o p u la tio n s

Report Card

E c o lo g ic a l p ro c e s s e s

Report Card

Ecosystem health

Physical, Chemical processes

Report

Card

Pests, diseases,

algal blooms

Report

Card

Pressures

Report Card

Effective Management

Report Card

Risks Remaining

Report Card

Outlook

summary

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State and trends of the national marine environment

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Marine biodiversity assessment

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State and trends of quality of habitats for species

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State and trends of species populations and groups

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State and trends of ecological processes

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Marine ecosystem health assessment

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State and trends of physical and chemical processes

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Pests, introduced species, diseases and algal blooms

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Pressures affecting the marine environment

Climate change

Fishing

Oil and gas exploration and production

Shipping and associated infrastructure

Aquaculture facilities

Catchment run-off and land-based sources of pollution

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Pressures affecting the marine environment

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Framework for assessing management effectiveness

The parameters: 6 elements of management Understanding Planning Inputs Processes Outputs Outcomes

Grades Very effective Effective Partially effective Ineffective

Photo by Gary Bell

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Effectiveness of marine management - progress

Ecosystem-based fisheries management introduced

A number of marine species listed under EPBC Act

Threat abatement plans developed

New major programs funded

Marine protected areas declared

Marine bioregional plans being developed

Photo by Darren Jew

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Effectiveness of marine management – issues

Poor coordination within and between jurisdictions

Regional objectives for strategic marine planning and

management lacking

Federal leadership limited

Integrated national system lacking

No national system for assessment and

monitoring against national objectives

Photo by Tourism WA

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Effectiveness of marine management

Coastal urban development

Understanding: Good understanding of types and sources of pollution – effective, improving

Planning: strong regulatory measures being developed and applied – effective, stable

Inputs: resources for planning and management at all levels of government – effective, stable

Processes: incremental development prevails, national synthesis and integration lacking – partially effective, stable

Outputs: no agreed management system, low impact solutions – partially effective, improving

Outcomes: ongoing development, pollution and impacts on habitats – partially effective, stable

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Effectiveness of marine management Port facilities

Understanding: management issues and impacts well known – very effective, improving

Planning: advanced planning and approval systems – effective, improving

Inputs: limited resources to avoid impacts hindered by cost factors and operational requirements – effective, stable

Processes: localised management of issues, little management of cumulative impacts – effective, stable

Outputs: lacking sound integrated management, generic rule-based systems implemented – partially effective, improving

Outcomes: development driven by operational requirements, impacts on species and habitats – partially effective, improving

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Effectiveness of marine management

Oil and gas exploration and production

Understanding: impacts well understood – effective, improving

Planning: regional environmental planning and assessment framework lacking – ineffective, stable

Inputs: substantial resources applied to impact issues – effective, stable

Processes: site approval based on economic requirements, limited cumulative impact assessment – partially effective, stable

Outputs: strong regulatory regime at site level, lacking onsite compliance systems – effective, improving

Outcomes: increasing impact on marine mammals, risk of accidents and oil spills – partially effective, stable

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Factors affecting marine resilience

Structural biodiversity Species types

Species distributions

Species abundance

Genetic diversity Gene diversity

Subpopulation differences

Distribution heterogeneity

Institutional support flexibility

networks Photo by Gary Bell

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Resilience and management outcome

Serial depletion

Depleted stocks may not be resilient

Fishdowns likely to have left Australia’s oceans less resilient

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Current and emerging risks

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Current and emerging risks – key risks

Almost certain to occur + catastrophic consequences Ocean warming Ocean acidification

Almost certain to occur + major consequences Port development/coastal urban development Fishing Marine debris Sea level rise Extreme or severe events Catchment-sourced pollution Algal blooms Ocean current changes

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Climate change impacts on Australia’s oceans

Marine climate change in Australia 2009 report card concluded:

Australian ocean temperatures have warmed – SW and SE waters warming fastest

East Australian Current has strengthened – likely to strengthen by another 20% by 2100

Marine biodiversity in SE changing – response to increasing temperatures & stronger EAC

Growth rates of massive corals on Great Barrier Reef declined by 10% - likely due to ocean acidification & thermal stress

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Outlook for the future

Uncertain Most aspects are currently not in decline

Assets and values that are in poor condition are not recovering

But – our knowledge base is very limited; few long term time series; limited understanding of the stress-response relationships = limited predictability

No national time series for the condition of the major environmental assets/values

Looming threats Changing global climate

Port development/coastal urban development

Oil and gas exploration

Variable between regions

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Supplementary products - online

Workshop results

National summary results

Regional summary results

Commissioned reports

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Marine workshop – regional example

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Marine workshop – national summary example

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Intentions and impacts of SoE 2011...

Based on available information and expert opinion drawn from sources that are referenced in the marine chapter

Was designed to raise awareness and assist decision-makers

Highlights current issues that will require management responses to influence projected trends

Provides critical information, but can support change only if decision-makers consider and use it

www.environment.gov.au/soePhoto: Aerial view of the Pilbara, by Andrew Griffiths, Lensaloft

For more information email: soe@environment.gov.au

To order copiesemail: ciu@environment.gov.au

phone: 1800 803 772 or read it online: www.environment.gov.au/soe