Joint Media
release
The Hon Tony Burke MP Minister for Agriculture,
Fisheries and Forestry
26 March 2010
Climate change and its impacts on marine
biodiversity and resources – as well as
surrounding coastal habitats, communities
and industries – will be the subject of
new Australian research.
A Research Plan released
today - National Climate Change Adaptation
Research Plan: Marine Biodiversity and Resources
- states climate change will lead to ocean
warming, changes in ocean currents, more
intense storm events and changed ocean chemistry.
The Research Plan, released
by the Australian Government, says these
changes may have major implications for
communities and industries which depend
on our marine ecosystems.
The Research Plan was
developed by the National Climate Change
Adaptation Research Facility and involved
Australia’s leading marine researchers -
including from the CSIRO. The Plan identifies
research priorities in four main areas –
aquaculture, commercial and recreational
fishing, conservation management and tourism
and recreational uses.
In response to the Research
Plan, the Government announced $5.5 million
for research to help managers and users
of the marine environment to prepare for
the likely impacts of climate change. The
Department of Climate Change and Energy
Efficiency will provide $3.5 million of
the funding, with the additional $2 million
from the Fisheries Research and Development
Corporation.
Senator Wong said the
marine environment was already experiencing
the impacts of climate change.
“We have already lost
the opportunity to avoid climate change
altogether,’’ Senator Wong said.
“This research will
help us better understand the impacts of
climate change on the communities and industries
around Australia who rely on marine ecosystems,
so they can adapt to these changes.’’
Mr Burke said the research
plan and funding would help fishers and
aquaculture operators by supporting research
priorities to help ensure the long-term
growth and productivity of the sector.
“Australians love their
seafood and the fishing industry plays a
vital role in supporting local jobs and
regional communities,” Mr Burke said.
“The research recommended
in the plan will help underpin a sustainable
and reliable supply into the future for
an industry worth around $2.2 billion each
year.’’
To download a copy of
the research plan, visit www.nccarf.edu.au.
+ More
Antarctic whale expedition
returns
Media release
15 March 2010
The world's largest, non-lethal whale research
expedition has returned from Antarctic waters
with a range of new information that will
help inform future marine mammal conservation.
Environment Protection
Minister Peter Garrett said that the joint
Australia-New Zealand Antarctic Whale Expedition
- with scientists from Australia, New Zealand
and France - had achieved significant milestones
during the six week voyage in the Southern
Ocean aboard the New Zealand research vessel,
Tangaroa.
"The research undertaken
on this expedition indicates that there
are effective and achievable ways to collect
a whole range of important whale data without
the need to kill these mammals," Mr
Garrett said.
Expedition science leader,
the Australian Antarctic Division's Dr Nick
Gales who heads the Australian Marine Mammal
Centre said a great deal of data was collected
during the voyage.
"We have collected
more than 60 biopsy samples, many photo-identifications
of humpback whales and acoustics data. Additionally,
30 satellite tags were deployed on humpback
whales. We are hoping these will provide
movement data on the feeding grounds and
migration routes back to the tropical breeding
areas in winter.
"We now have a
lot of new information to be processed and
will spend the next couple of months analysing
it to get a clearer picture on a range of
important conservation science issues such
as whale movement and feeding behaviour,
defining migratory routes and mixing patterns
between different breeding populations ,"
Dr Gales said.
Mr Garrett said that
research results from the voyage would be
presented to the International Whaling Commission
meeting in June in Morocco.
The Antarctic Whale
Expedition is the first major project under
the Southern Ocean Research Partnership,
an Australian Government initiative established
in 2009.
"We have invested
more than $14 million in the Partnership
which now has 13 member countries.
"The Southern Ocean
Research Partnership is part of the larger
government allocation of $32 million, over
six years, of national and international
non-lethal cetacean research.
"The plan developed
under the Partnership has been endorsed
as part of the scientific work program of
the International Whaling Commission,"
Mr Garrett said.
