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Guidelines for Establishing theNational Representative System of Marine Protected Areas

ANZECC Task Force on Marine Protected Areas

December 1998

ANZECC

ANZECC

Guidelines for Establishing the National Representative System

of Marine Protected Areas

Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council

Task Force on Marine Protected Areas

December 1998

The Guidelines have been developed by the following agencies for the Australian and New Zealand

Environment and Conservation Council (ANZECC):

New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service

NSW Fisheries

Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife Commission

Queensland Department of Environment and Heritage

South Australia Department of Environment, Heritage and Aboriginal Affairs

Primary Industries and Resources, South Australia

Tasmania Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment

Victoria Department of Natural Resources and Environment

Western Australia Department of Conservation and Land Management

Commonwealth Environment Australia

Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority

Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

Department of Industry, Science and Resources

Australian Institute of Marine Science.

The views and opinions expressed in this document are not necessarily those of the publisher, Environment

Australia, Canberra.

Published by Environment Australia for the Australian and New Zealand Environment and

Conservation Council.

ANZECC TFMPA 1998. Guidelines for Establishing the National Representative System of Marine Protected Areas.

Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council, Task Force

on Marine Protected Areas. Environment Australia, Canberra.

Copies of the document are available from:

Community Information Unit

Environment Australia

email:[email protected]

Toll free phone: 1800 803 772

(9.00am-12.30 and 2.00-4.00pm)

fax: (02) 6274 1970

This document is available on the Internet at:

http://www.erin.gov.au/marine/or2000/mpa/mpa.html

ISBN: 0 642 54601 0

Cover photograph: Trevally by G.Calef, courtesy of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority

1

CONTENTS

Foreword 2

Using the Guidelines 2

Part One – Understanding the NRSMPA 3

1.1 Introduction 3

1.2 What is the National Representative System of Marine Protected Areas? 4

1.3 Goals of the NRSMPA 5

1.4 Which MPAs are included in the NRSMPA? 5

1.5 Principles for Developing the NRSMPA 6

1.6 Outcomes of the NRSMPA 6

Part Two – Establishing the NRSMPA 7

2.1 The Development of the NRSMPA 7

2.2 Criteria for the Identification and Selection of Marine Protected Areas 9

2.3 Implementation and Evaluation of the Guidelines 9

Part Three – Evaluating the NRSMPA 11

3.1 Evaluation 11

Glossary 12

Appendix 14Summary of IUCN Guidelines for Protected Area Management Categories 14

References 15

December 1998

Guidelines for Establishing the NRSMPA

The Guidelines for Establishing the NationalRepresentative System of Marine Protected Areas(NRSMPA) have been prepared to assistgovernment agencies in the development of theNRSMPA and to assist stakeholders in theunderstanding of this process. The Guidelines isone of a suite of documents which have beendeveloped cooperatively by the Task Force onMarine Protected Areas of the Australia and NewZealand Environment and Conservation Council(ANZECC) to assist in and promote thedevelopment of the NRSMPA. The otherdocuments are the Strategic Plan of Action for theNRSMPA (ANZECC TFMPA 1998) and the InterimMarine and Coastal Regionalisation for Australia(IMCRA Technical Group 1998) otherwise knownas IMCRA.

It is recognised that State, Territory andCommonwealth agencies have existing processeswhich, when applied in the context of aconsistent national approach as set out in theGuidelines, will assist in the progressivedevelopment and understanding of a nationalsystem of marine protected areas.

A public comment period on an earlier draftversion of the Guidelines was held from 20 May1998 to 17 July 1998. Relevant comments andsuggestions received have been incorporated intothis version of the Guidelines. This version of theGuidelines will remain current until reviewed.

Unless otherwise stated, the use of the termmarine protected area (MPA) in the Guidelinesrefers to the MPAs that comprise the NRSMPA.

Using the Guidelines

Part One – Understanding the NRSMPA setsout the goals, principles and outcomes of theNRSMPA including a discussion of which MPAsare included in this national system.

Part Two – Establishing the NRSMPA outlines aprocess for the collaborative development of theNRSMPA, the roles of the different jurisdictions,and the criteria for identification and selection ofMPAs, for inclusion in the NRSMPA.

Part Three – Evaluating the NRSMPA discussesthe evaluation process for the NRSMPA.

2

Foreword

December 1998


1.1 Introduction

Australia is the world’s largest island. It has someof the most diverse, unique and spectacularmarine life in the world. Its marine environmentincludes extensive coral reefs in the tropicalnorth, rocky shores in the temperate south, sandybeaches, seagrass beds, and mangrove forests, theopen ocean, seamounts and the habitats of thecontinental shelf and slope. The diversity andproductivity of Australia’s seas provide vital socialand economic benefits. Australians depend onmarine resources for income, employment, food,recreation and many other uses. Continuation ofthese benefits over the long term will require thatmarine biodiversity is conserved and resourcesused sustainably.

Australia is committed to the protection of marinebiodiversity and ecological integrity, and thesustainable use of marine resources, through thegoals and principles of ecological sustainabledevelopment (ESD). This commitment has beenratified through Australia’s internationalresponsibilities and obligations under theConvention on Biological Diversity (UNEP 1994),and addressed at a national level by the States andTerritories under the Intergovernmental Agreementon the Environment (IGAE) (Commonwealth ofAustralia 1992a). It is implemented through theactions of national strategies such as the NationalStrategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development(Commonwealth of Australia 1992) and theNational Strategy for the Conservation ofAustralia’s Biological Diversity (Commonwealth ofAustralia 1996). The establishment of the NationalRepresentative System of Marine Protected Areas(NRSMPA) also supports the program of the WorldConservation Union (IUCN) World Commission onProtected Areas (WCPA) to promote theestablishment of a global representative system ofmarine protected areas (MPAs).

Australia’s Oceans Policy – An Issues Paper(Commonwealth of Australia 1998a) emphasisesthe need to employ an integrated approach tomarine management employing a range ofmechanisms for the best protection of Australia’smarine environment. These Guidelines refer toone part of this approach which is theestablishment of a representative system ofmarine protected areas. This approach is widely

regarded, both nationally and internationally, asone of the most effective mechanisms forprotecting biodiversity but should be seen in thecontext of a set of complementary and integratedconservation mechanisms. Some of the othermechanisms for marine biodiversity conservationinclude legislation and management for theconservation of individual marine species,reduction and management of marine pollutionand the declaration and management of othermarine managed areas.

While protected areas have assisted in theprotection of Australia’s terrestrial ecosystems forover a century, the formal conservation ofAustralia’s marine environments and theirresources is a relatively recent phenomenon.

In 1991 the Commonwealth Government initiateda long term marine conservation program toensure the conservation and sustainable use ofAustralia’s marine and estuarine environments. Akey component of this initiative was acommitment to expand Australia’s existing marinereserve system through the establishment of aNRSMPA. The establishment of a national systemis a key responsibility and obligation under theconventions and strategies listed above.

In 1998 the Commonwealth Government, throughthe Oceans Policy process, provided strongsupport for the development of the NRSMPA.

While utilisation decisions made over the last twohundred years have foreclosed some options forthe inclusion of many ecological communities inthe reserve system, especially in the terrestrialreserve system, Australia still has the opportunityfor a truly representative system of MPAs. TheNRSMPA represents an exciting opportunity toprogressively develop a reserve system, based onthe best available scientific information, for theconservation of Australia’s biodiversity and thewise use of marine resources.

The NRSMPA is being developed cooperatively bythe Commonwealth, State and Northern Territoryagencies responsible for conservation, protectionand management of the marine environments.

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Part One – Understanding the NRSMPA

December 1998


Definition of a Marine Protected Area

ANZECC has adopted the IUCN definition of a‘protected area’ to apply to MPAs as follows:

“An area of land and/or sea especially dedicatedto the protection and maintenance of biologicaldiversity, and of natural and associated culturalresources, and managed through legal or othereffective means.” (IUCN 1994)

This definition has been recently endorsed by theCommonwealth Government, ANZECC and theMinisterial Council on Forestry, Fisheries andAquaculture for use in a variety of protected areacontexts. It is the definition used for a protectedarea in the Interim Scientific Guidelines forEstablishing the National Reserve System(Commonwealth of Australia 1997).

For the purposes of the NRSMPA, the term‘marine protected area’ (MPA) has been adoptedin preference to other terminology such as‘Marine and Estuarine Protected Area’ tostandardise the terminology across jurisdictions.

1.2 What is the National RepresentativeSystem of Marine Protected Areas?

The NRSMPA forms part of an integrated strategyfor marine conservation and management. TheNRSMPA is a national system of MPAs which aimsto contain a comprehensive, adequate andrepresentative sample of Australia’s marineecosystems. The NRSMPA consists of MPAs inCommonwealth, State and Territory waters andsome associated intertidal areas.

Within the broad framework of integratedmanagement of ocean uses, there are a numberof ways to manage marine areas that benefitbiodiversity conservation. Area managementoperates at a range of scales across the marineenvironment for a variety of primary purposes.Included in these managed marine areas are theMPAs that together form the NRSMPA and themany marine managed areas that are not includedin the NRSMPA. Examples of the types of marinemanaged areas that are not included in theNRSMPA are some indigenous protected areas,some areas established to protect fish habitats,and some areas under cooperative managementarrangements with industry. Biosphere Reserves,established under the UNESCO Man and theBiosphere Program, contribute to biodiversity

conservation and core areas could be included inthe NRSMPA as protected areas.

The commitment to the primary goal ofbiodiversity conservation means that MPAs withinthe NRSMPA provide a higher level of protectionthan is generally achieved in surrounding waters.

By considering the different forms of marinemanaged areas together, the valuable contributionsto biodiversity conservation made by all thesemechanisms can be recognised and validated. Theother major advantage of this grouping is thepotential for performance indicators for marinebiodiversity to be developed and applied acrossthe range of marine managed areas. The lack ofdetailed knowledge of the marine environmentmakes it difficult to quantify the benefits thatdifferent forms of area management may achieve.The establishment of good baseline data for allmarine managed areas, and the development ofperformance indicators that relate to that data, willassist in improving the conservation of biodiversityand ecologically sustainable management of themarine environment.

While recognising the importance of other marinemanaged areas and other mechanisms for theconservation of Australia’s marine biodiversity,these Guidelines relate specifically to the NRSMPA.

4 December 1998

1.3 Goals of the NRSMPA

The primary goal of the NRSMPA isto establish and manage acomprehensive, adequate andrepresentative system of MPAs tocontribute to the long-termecological viability of marine andestuarine systems, to maintainecological processes and systems,and to protect Australia’s biological diversity at all levels.

The following secondary goals aredesigned to be compatible with theprimary goal:

• To promote the development of MPAs within the framework ofintegrated ecosystem management;

• To provide a formal managementframework for a broad spectrum of human activities, includingrecreation, tourism, shipping andthe use or extraction of resources,the impacts of which are compatiblewith the primary goal;

• To provide scientific reference sites;

• To provide for the special needs of rare, threatened or depletedspecies and threatened ecological communities;

• To provide for the conservation of special groups of organisms, eg species with complex habitatrequirements or mobile or migratoryspecies, or species vulnerable todisturbance which may depend onreservation for their conservation;

• To protect areas of highconservation value including thosecontaining high species diversity,natural refugia for flora and faunaand centres of endemism;

• To provide for the recreational, aestheticand cultural needs of indigenous andnon-indigenous people.

1.4 Which MPAs are included in theNRSMPA?

Key characteristics define the MPAs that form theNRSMPA, as compared to the other marinemanaged areas. They are that the MPA:

• has been established especially for theconservation of biodiversity (consistent withthe primary goal);

• is able to be classified into one or more ofthe six IUCN Protected Area ManagementCategories (see Appendix) reflecting thevalues and objectives of the MPA;

• must have secure status which can only berevoked by a Parliamentary process; and

• contributes to the representativeness,comprehensiveness or adequacy of thenational system.

The MPA may incorporate areas ranging fromhighly protected areas to sustainable multiple useareas accommodating a wide spectrum of humanactivities. MPAs are declared under appropriateCommonwealth, State and Territory legislation.Broadly speaking, in Australian waters the Statesand Northern Territory have responsibility for themanagement of the waters three nautical milesseaward from the territorial sea baseline. Formuch of the Australian coast the territorial seabaseline equates to the low water mark but canbe up to 60 nautical miles offshore in some areas.The Commonwealth generally is responsible fromthree nautical miles to 200 nautical miles or thelimit of the Australian Exclusive Economic Zone.

It is the role of the relevant State, Territory orCommonwealth agency to determine the IUCNcategory (or categories) for MPAs in theirjurisdiction. The Commonwealth will play acoordinating role, with the ANZECC Task Forceon Marine Protected Areas, in ensuring consistentinterpretation and application of IUCN categoriesat the stage that information is provided forinclusion in the Collaborative AustralianProtected Areas Dataset (CAPAD). If there isuncertainty as to whether an MPA meets therequirements for inclusion in the NRSMPA, asimilar process will apply.


5December 1998


1.5 Principles for Developing the NRSMPA

Development of the NRSMPA is based on thefollowing principles:

Regional framework: The Interim Marine andCoastal Regionalisation for Australia (IMCRA)provides the national and regional planningframework for developing the NRSMPA, withecosystems used as the basis for determiningrepresentativeness.

Comprehensiveness: The NRSMPA will include the full range of ecosystems recognised at an appropriate scale within and across each bioregion.

Adequacy: The NRSMPA will have the requiredlevel of reservation to ensure the ecologicalviability and integrity of populations, species and communities.

Representativeness: Those marine areas that areselected for inclusion in MPAs should reasonablyreflect the biotic diversity of the marineecosystems from which they derive.

Highly protected areas: The NRSMPA will aimto include some highly protected areas (IUCNCategories I and II) in each bioregion.

Precautionary principle: The absence ofscientific certainty should not be a reason forpostponing measures to establish MPAs to protectrepresentative ecosystems. If an activity isassessed as having a low risk of causing seriousor irreversible adverse impacts, or if there isinsufficient information with which to assess fullyand with certainty the magnitude and nature ofimpacts, decision making should proceed in aconservative and cautious manner.

Consultation: The processes of identification andselection of MPAs will include effective and high-quality public consultation with appropriatecommunity and interest groups, to address currentand future social, economic and cultural issues.

Indigenous involvement: The interests ofAustralia’s indigenous people should berecognised and incorporated in decision making.

Decision making: Decision making processesshould effectively integrate both long term andshort term environmental, economic, social andequity considerations.

1.6 Outcomes of the NRSMPA

The goals of the NRSMPA relate primarily to theconservation of biodiversity and sustainable andequitable management of human usage. However,the MPAs that make up the NRSMPA may alsoprotect and manage many other importantgeological, archaeological, historical and culturalattributes. The outcomes listed apply to the nationalsystem of MPAs as a whole and not necessarily toeach individual MPA within the system.

The outcomes of the NRSMPA will include:

• protection for Australia’s marine biologicaldiversity and marine ecological processes;

• protection and management of significantgeological, archaeological, historical andcultural sites;

• recognition and protection of indigenouscultural and heritage values;

• management of certain marine areas andspecies by indigenous communities inaccordance with traditional cultural practicesand affiliations;

• a focus for research and training;

• monitoring the environmental effects ofhuman activities, including the direct andindirect effects of development and adjacentland use practices;

• establishment of reference sites for scientificstudies, including sites for long-termenvironmental monitoring;

• education of the community about theenvironment, attributes and appropriate usesof MPAs to develop a sense of stewardshipand associated responsibility;

• protection of the natural aesthetic values ofmarine protected areas for the educational,recreational and spiritual benefit of thecommunity;

• facilitation of the restoration of degradedmarine ecosystems; and

• protection and management of habitats ofsignificance to the life cycles ofeconomically important species includingpropagation areas.

6 December 1998


2.1 The Development of the NRSMPA

The agreed approach to developing the NRSMPAemphasises the use of scientific data in theclassification and identification of areas. It isrecognised that information on a range ofattributes for many areas is not complete. In thesecases the best available information will be used.

The process for the establishment of theindividual MPAs which comprise the NRSMPA isoutlined below. Some of these steps may becarried out concurrently. Appropriate consultationwith stakeholders will be carried out at variousstages of the process. Broadly, an initial processof identification of candidate areas is carried outwhich is then followed by selection of MPA sitesfrom these candidate areas.

Step 1 Gather baseline data, including ecosystemmapping.

Step 2 Identify a list of candidate areas withinIMCRA regions to represent majorecosystems, using identification criteria(Table 1).

Step 3 Identify threatening processes.

Step 4 Identify gaps in the representation ofecosystems in existing MPAs within eachIMCRA region.

Step 5 Develop national and regional priorities.

Step 6 Develop additional criteria foridentification and selection of MPAs if required.

Step 7 Select sites for MPAs from the candidateareas, using selection criteria (Table 1)and any other additional criteriadeveloped in Step 6.

Step 8 Assess feasibility of potential MPAs andnegotiate new protected areas.

Step 9 Establish MPAs and initiate management,including evaluation and review.

Developing national priorities

The development of national priorities fordeclaration of new MPAs will be based on theassessment of gaps in the comprehensiveness ofthe NRSMPA using IMCRA and CAPAD. TheCommonwealth will coordinate the national gapanalysis using IMCRA regions, and based oninformation provided by the jurisdictions.Following the gap analysis national priorities willbe developed with cross-jurisdictional cooperationand agreement.

Developing regional priorities

The development of regional priorities is beingpredominantly carried out by State and Territoryagencies for their waters and the Commonwealthfor Commonwealth waters. This process will usegap analysis as well as analysis of values,threatening processes and other factors includingsocio-economic considerations and other criterialisted as selection criteria in Table 1.

As appropriate biodiversity information becomesavailable, agencies will identify conservationpriorities and candidate areas within regions.Cross-jurisdictional cooperation will be requiredwhere IMCRA regions cross State, Territory andCommonwealth boundaries. Data exchange willbe facilitated and coordinated by theCommonwealth.

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Part Two – Establishing the NRSMPA

December 1998


The roles of the jurisdictions in theestablishment of the NRSMPA

State, Northern Territory and Commonwealth Agencies

The roles of the Commonwealth, States andNorthern Territory for the declaration of MPAs forwaters under their jurisdiction, are outlined below.

For the NRSMPA each jurisdiction will:

• provide input to national gap analysis byconducting gap analyses based on MPAcoverage within IMCRA regions;

• carry out regional gap analyses to developregional priorities relating to MPA selection;

• contribute to the marine component ofCAPAD;

• identify areas and select MPAs for additionto the NRSMPA;

• report on implementation of the NRSMPA toANZECC, through the Task Force on MarineProtected Areas; and

• review and further develop IMCRA, asappropriate.

For each MPA each jurisdiction will:

• assess relative ecological and socio-economic values;

• assess threatening processes;

• identify management objectives andintentions;

• consult with adjacent and other relevantjurisdictions;

• consult with stakeholders, includingconsideration of industry, displacement andcompensation issues;

• declare MPAs for addition to the NRSMPA;

• manage MPAs under their jurisdiction;

• determine IUCN protected area managementcategories for MPAs proposed for addition tothe NRSMPA; and

• ensure proposals for declaration andmanagement of MPAs are consistent withthe full range of Australia’s internationalobligations.

Additional Commonwealth actions

To facilitate the progress of the NRSMPA, theCommonwealth will also:

• contribute to funding to State and Territoryagencies for projects leading to thedeclaration of MPAs;

• coordinate the future development ofIMCRA;

• coordinate other technical products whichare required to underpin the developmentof the NRSMPA, eg the marine componentof CAPAD;

• assist with the development of nationalpriorities through gap analysis;

• facilitate cross-jurisdictional cooperation andexchange of information;

• coordinate strategic planning for the NRSMPAincluding establishment guidelines; and

• ensure national consistency in theinterpretation of the application of the IUCNprotected area management categories to theNRSMPA, using the ANZECC Task Force onMarine Protected Areas in an advisory role.

8 December 1998


2.2 Criteria for the Identification andSelection of Marine Protected Areas

Criteria for identification and selection of MPAs arepresented in Table 1. The list is not exhaustive.

The criteria listed refer to the identification ofcandidate areas for the NRSMPA and selection ofsites for MPAs. For the NRSMPA, biodiversity andenvironmental criteria are the primary criteria forthe identification of candidate areas. Soundbiodiversity and other baseline data are essentialto ensure that decision making is underpinnedby good science. Social, cultural and/oreconomic criteria are applied primarily in theselection of MPA sites from the candidate areas.In practice, jurisdictions may apply some of theselection criteria at an earlier stage in theidentification phase, eg socio-economicconsiderations. Environmental criteria and social,cultural and economic criteria should beconsidered as layers in the decision makingprocess, with criteria from each list able to beused at any stage in the processes ofidentification and selection as appropriate.

Vulnerability assessment is part of both theidentification and selection processes. In theidentification phase, vulnerability can be relatedto natural processes. In the selection phasevulnerability to human actions and threateningprocesses should be used to prioritise theselection of sites for MPAs.

The selection and declaration processes arecarried out by State, Territory and Commonwealthagencies for their jurisdictions. Some cross-jurisdiction consultation will be required whereproposed MPAs cross jurisdication boundaries.Flexibility of application of the criteria will berequired due to the variety of legislative andmanagement frameworks within the States,Northern Territory and the Commonwealth, andthe individual circumstances relating to specificsites. A potential MPA site may meet one or manyof the listed criteria. Depending on the objectivesfor the site, one or more criteria may beconsidered to have greater ‘weight’ in theconsideration process.

The criteria are generally derived from Kelleherand Kenchington (1992) and Thackway (1996).

2.3 Implementation and Evaluation ofthe Guidelines

These Guidelines will be implemented followingagreement by State, Territory and Commonwealthagencies, and approval by ANZECC.

There will be an ongoing process of feedback fromagencies and stakeholders which will be used todetermine when a revision of the Guidelines isnecessary. The revision process will be closelylinked to the review process for the Strategic Planof Action for the NRSMPA, a companion documentto the Guidelines.

9December 1998


IDENTIFICATION

RepresentativenessWill the area:• represent one or more ecosystems within an

IMCRA bioregion, and to what degree;• add to the representativeness of the

NRSMPA, and to what degree.

ComprehensivenessDoes the area:• add to the coverage of the full range of

ecosystems recognised at an appropriatescale within and across each bioregion;

• add to the comprehensiveness of theNRSMPA.

Ecological importanceDoes the area:• contribute to the maintenance of essential

ecological processes or life-support systems;• contain habitat for rare or endangered species;• preserve genetic diversity ie is diverse or

abundant in species;• contain areas on which species or other

systems are dependent, eg contain nurseryor juvenile areas or feeding, breeding orresting areas for migratory species;

• contain one or more areas which are abiologically functional, self-sustainingecological unit.

International or national importance• Is the area rated, or have the potential to be

listed, on the world or a national heritagelist or declared as a Biosphere Reserve orsubject to an international or nationalconservation agreement.

UniquenessDoes the area:• contain unique species, populations,

communities or ecosystems;• contain unique or unusual geographic features.

Productivity• Do the species, populations, or

communities of the area have a highnatural biological productivity.

Vulnerability assessment• Are the ecosystems and/or communities

vulnerable to natural processes.

Biogeographic importance• Does the area capture important

biogeographic qualities.

Naturalness• How much has the area been protected

from, or not been subjected to, humaninduced change.

10 December 1998

Table 1 Criteria to be used as a basis for the identification and selection of MPAs


3.1 Evaluation

The effectiveness of the NRSMPA will bemonitored by the Commonwealth withassistance from the States and the NorthernTerritory. The processes for monitoring andreporting for the NRSMPA, including details ofperformance assessment, are presented in theStrategic Plan of Action for the NRSMPA. Thisis a collaborative process involving theCommonwealth, the States and the NorthernTerritory through ANZECC.

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Part Three – Evaluating the NRSMPA

December 1998

SELECTION

Economic interestsDoes the site:• make an existing or potential contribution to

economic value by virtue of its protection,eg for recreation or tourism, or as a refugeor nursery area, or source of supply foreconomically important species;

• have current or potential use for theextraction of or exploration for resources;

• have importance for shipping and/or trade;• have usage by traditional users including

commercial fishers;• have value due to its contribution to

local or regional employment and economic development.

Indigenous interestsDoes the site:• have traditional usage and/or current

economic value;• contain indigenous cultural values;• have native title considerations.

Social interests• Does the site have existing or potential value

to the local, national or internationalcommunities because of its heritage, cultural,traditional aesthetic, educational, recreational,or economic values.

Scientific interests• Does the site have existing or potential value

for research or monitoring.

Practicality/feasibilityDoes the site:• have a degree of insulation from external

destructive influences;• have social and political acceptability, and a

degree of community support;• have access for recreation, tourism,

education;• have compatibility between an MPA

declaration generally and existing uses;• have relative ease of management, and

compatibility with existing managementregimes.

Vulnerability assessment• Is the site vulnerable and susceptible to human

induced changes and threatening processes.

Replication• Will the site provide replication of

ecosystems within the bioregion.

Table 1 Criteria to be used as a basis for the identification and selection of MPAs


Adequacy The maintenance of theecological viability andintegrity of populations,species and communities.

ANZECC Australian and New ZealandEnvironment and ConservationCouncil, a Ministerial Councilrepresenting all jurisdictions.

Baseline The territorial sea baseline isthe line from which theseaward limits of Australia’smaritime zones are measured.

Biodiversity The variety of life forms: thedifferent plants, animals andmicro-organisms, the genesthey contain, and theecosystems they form. It isusually considered at threelevels: genetic diversity,species diversity andecosystem diversity.

CAR reserve A system of protected areassystem that addresses the

comprehensiveness, adequacyand representativeness (CAR)of all its componentecosystems.

CAPAD Collaborative AustralianProtected Areas Dataset

Comprehensiveness Includes the full range ofecosystems recognised at anappropriate scale within andacross each bioregion.

Condition The current state ofecosystems compared to whatwould be considered pristine.

Conservation The protection, maintenance,management, sustainable use,restoration and enhancementof the natural environment.

Ecosystem A dynamic complex of plant,animal and microorganismcommunities and their non-living environment interactingas a functional unit(Convention on BiologicalDiversity, 1992).

Endemic Restricted to a specified regionor site.

Exclusive The area between the lines Economic 12 nautical miles and 200Zone (EEZ) nautical miles seaward of the

territorial sea baselines. In thisarea, Australia has the right toexplore and exploit living andnon-living resources, and theconcomitant obligation toprotect and conserve themarine environment.

IMCRA The Interim Marine andCoastal Regionalisation forAustralia is an ecosystembased classification for marineand coastal environments. Itprovides ecologically basedregionalisations at the meso-scale (100-1000 km) and at aprovincial scale (greater than1000s km).

Inshore The near coastal watersextending from the coastlineand estuaries out to 3 n miles,which is the boundary of theState and Territory waters.

IUCN The World ConservationUnion (formerly known as theInternational Union for theConservation of Nature).

Naturalness The extent to which an areahas been protected from, orhas not been subjected tohuman induced change.

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Glossary

December 1998


Protected Area, An area of land and/or seaMarine Protected especially dedicated to theArea protection and maintenance of

biological diversity, and ofnatural and associated culturalresources, and managedthrough legal or othereffective means (IUCN 1994).

Replication The principle that if morethan one sample of anecosystem is reserved acrossits geographic range this willdecrease the likelihood thatchance events will cause theecosystem to decline.

Representativeness Those marine areas that areselected for inclusion inreserves should reasonablyreflect the biotic diversity ofthe marine ecosystems fromwhich they derive.

State waters Australia’s OffshoreConstitutional Settlementestablished Commonwealth,State and Territory jurisdictionsover marine areas. Statesgenerally have primaryjurisdiction over marine areasto 3 n miles from thebaseline. These waters aretermed State waters for thepurpose of this report.

Territorial sea The area of sea adjacent toAustralia which extendsbeyond its land territory andinternal waters. Australia’sterritorial sea extends 12 nmiles from the baseline.

Threatened species A species or ecologicaland/or ecological community that is vulnerablecommunities or endangered.

Threatening The dominant limiting factorsprocesses and constraints to the on-

going conservation ofbiodiversity.

Viability The likelihood of long-termsurvival of theexample/population of theparticular ecosystem orspecies under consideration.

Vulnerability The predisposition of an areato a threatening process.

13December 1998


Summary of IUCN Guidelines forProtected Area Management Categories

Category Ia Strict Nature Reserve: ProtectedArea managed mainly for science

Area of land and/or sea possessing someoutstanding or representative ecosystems,geological or physiological features and/orspecies, available primarily for scientific researchand/or environmental monitoring.

Category Ib Wilderness Area: Protected Areamanaged mainly for wildernessprotection

Large area of unmodified or slightly modifiedland and/or sea, retaining its natural characterand influence, without permanent or significanthabitation, which is protected and managed so asto preserve its natural condition.

Category II National Park: Protected Areamanaged mainly for ecosystemconservation and recreation

Natural area of land and/or sea, designated to (a)protect the ecological integrity of one or moreecosystems for this and future generations, (b)exclude exploitation or occupation inimical to thepurposes of designation of the area and (c)provide a foundation for spiritual, scientific,educational, recreational and visitor opportunities,all of which must be environmentally andculturally compatible.

Category III Natural Monument: ProtectedArea managed for conservationof specific natural features

Area containing one or more specific natural ornatural/cultural feature which is of outstandingvalue because of its inherent rarity, representativeor aesthetic qualities or cultural significance.

Category IV Habitat/Species ManagementArea: Protected Area managedmainly for conservation throughmanagement intervention

Area of land and/or sea subject to activeintervention for management purposes so as toensure the maintenance of habitats and/or tomeet the requirements of specific species.

Category V Protected Landscape/Seascape:Protected Areas managed mainlyfor landscape/seascapeconservation and recreation

Area of land, with coast and seas as appropriate,where the interaction of people and nature overtime has produced an area of distinct characterwith significant aesthetic, cultural and/orecological value, and often with high biologicaldiversity. Safeguarding the integrity of thistraditional interaction is vital to the protection,maintenance and evolution of such an area.

Category VI Managed Resource ProtectedAreas: Protected Area managedmainly for the sustainable use ofnatural ecosystems

Area containing predominantly unmodifiednatural systems, managed to ensure long termprotection and maintenance of biologicaldiversity, while providing at the same time asustainable flow of natural products and servicesto meet community needs.

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Appendix

December 1998


Commonwealth of Australia (1992a).Intergovernmental Agreement on theEnvironment. Department of the Arts,Environment, Sport and Territories,Canberra.

Commonwealth of Australia (1992b). NationalStrategy for Ecologically SustainableDevelopment. Australian GovernmentPublishing Service, Canberra.

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UNEP (United Nations Environment Program)(1994). Convention on Biological Diversity –Text and Annexes, Switzerland.

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References

December 1998

Documents

Guidelines for Establishing the National ... - Parks Australia · New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service NSW Fisheries Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife Commission