Technical Information Sheet #21

Published 2002

This page contains background and history of the Representative Areas Program.

• View current Zoning information.

Enforcement and Compliance in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) acknowledges that without effective compliance and enforcement, the Draft Zoning Plan will not achieve the desired outcomes for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (the Marine Park) and its users. The GBRMPA has designed the Draft Zoning Plan to facilitate compliance and it will be supported by a comprehensive enforcement strategy.

Compliance

The Draft Zoning Plan will facilitate compliance and benefit Marine Park users through:

• A single zoning plan with streamlined zoning provisions that are consistent across the entire Marine Park;
• A coordinate-based mapping system. The new zones can be easily plotted on a chart or loaded into electronic navigation aids;
• As far as possible, ensuring boundaries of inshore zones align with landmarks or other features to clarify the location of boundaries on the water, as some recreational boats may lack sophisticated navigational equipment; and
• Maintaining zone colours familiar to most users.

Improved compliance and enforcement

The GBRMPA expects that most users will comply with the Draft Zoning Plan. However there will always be a need for enforcement to deter or deal with those who ignore the rules and Regulations at the expense of other users and the GBRMP ecosystem.  Enforceability was a significant factor considered in the development of the Draft Zoning Plan:

• The number of Marine National Park (Green) Zones in the Draft Zoning Plan has not substantially increased in the Marine Park.
• The average size of the proposed Green Zones is larger, however in many cases this will not increase the surveillance requirements due to the visual and radar capabilities of air and sea patrols.
• The proposed new Marine National Park (Green) Zones are more regular shapes and described by defined coordinates.   As well as clarifying boundaries for users, this will assist the location and prosecution of offenders.
• The placement of many of the proposed larger Green Zones avoids past problems of having many small Green Zones closely surrounded by areas open to fishing.
• An upgraded intelligence and analysis system will support community and industry education programs to target serious offences.

Improved Capabilities

The Commonwealth Government has greatly strengthened the Great Barrier Reef Enforcement Program through the allocation of an additional $3.4 million dollars over the past four years.  As a result of the Enforcement Program:

• Surveillance has been increased;
• Intelligence gathering and analysis has enabled strategic and tactical planning of operations to target identified threats; and
• Offenders have been successfully apprehended and prosecuted.

Technology plays an increasing role in the GBRMPA enforcement program.   Under an arrangement with the Queensland Fisheries Service, the GBRMPA is now able to track the movements of over 500 commercial fishing boats fitted with vessel monitoring system satellite transponders to ensure compliance with zoning plans. 

High-resolution photography, night vision equipment, global positioning systems and forensic chemical analysis are used to identify offences and provide evidence for prosecution.   In 2001‑02 a total of 59 commercial line fishing boats were found operating illegally in Green Zones, more than three times the number detected in each of the previous two years. 

The GBRMPA is continuing to assess new technologies in consultation with collaborating agencies.

Strategic Partnerships

The GBRMPA now works closely with a wide range of agencies to achieve effective enforcement of the Marine Park. These include:

• Coastwatch
• Queensland Environmental Protection Agency (QPWS)
• Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol
• Queensland Police (Water)
• Australian Customs National Marine Unit
• Australian Maritime Safety Authority
• Queensland Transport (Maritime Safety Queensland)
• Australian Federal Police
• The Director of Public Prosecutions
• Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry – Australia (AQIS)
• Australian Fisheries Management Authority

Strategic partnerships are also being formed with other agencies to increase the ability to deter, detect, prosecute and penalise offences under the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act.

Significant Penalties

Recognition by the community of the serious environmental harm caused by some non-compliance activities has resulted in an increase in the maximum penalties ten fold for fishing, shipping and pollution offences against the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act. The maximum penalty for these offences is now $220,000 for an individual and $1.1 million for a company.