Tuesday 25 October 2005

A strategic approach to compliance has enabled the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority to enforce green zone provisions.

Green zones are a network of 164 highly protected, no-take areas covering more than 110,000 square kilometres in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and form part of the zoning implemented in July last year.

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) Operations Director Mick Bishop said green zone compliance was working effectively and essential to achieving environmental goals.

“Compliance has been achieved through increased use of intelligence and multi-agency cooperation to improve surveillance and enforcement,” he said.

“Effective prosecution and significantly higher penalties have gone a long way to deterring illegal activity in the area.

“We have also relied on the vigilance of other users of the Great Barrier Reef in reporting any breaches of regulations they may encounter in the area, and it is encouraging to see the community has come on board.”

Mr Bishop said a high level of compliance with zoning provisions ensured the goal of protecting the biodiversity and ecology of the Marine Park was met.

“Compliance measures were factored in to the project at a very early stage and, thus far, have proved highly successful,” he said.

“Well-developed risk assessments target surveillance and enforcement resources at the areas, times and sources of greatest ecological threat.”