of Australia (2000) Australia's Oceans Policy. Department of
Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Department of Environment;
FOR ECOLOGICALLY SUSTAINABLE OCEAN USE
The vision and goals
for Australia’s Oceans Policy 2000 are consistent with a range of
related national policies and agreements, including:
the National Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development (1992);
National Strategy for the Conservation of Australia’s Biological
Intergovernmental Agreement on the Environment 1992 and the Heads of
Agreement on Roles and Responsibilities 1998.
Oceans Policy has been developed within the context of
these national policies.
for ecologically sustainable ocean use
following principles should be applied to all decisions and actions
affecting access to and use of Australia’s marine jurisdictions and
adjacent waters, and the associated resource base. They should be
considered together, recognising that ocean ecosystem health and integrity
is fundamental to ecologically sustainable development.
maintenance of healthy and productive marine ecosystems is fundamental
to the management of both the oceans and of the land.
from the use of Australia’s common ocean resources, and the
responsibilities for their continued health and productivity, should
be shared by all Australians.
competitive and ecologically sustainable marine industries are
essential for wealth generation, employment and continued regional
social and cultural aspirations are to be accommodated through
integrated planning and management of multiple uses of ocean
Management of human
activities that affect our oceans will require progressive improvement
in our understanding of living and non-living ocean resources and
Ocean planning and
management decisions should be based on the best available scientific
and other information, recognising that information regarding ocean
resources will often be limited.
If the potential impact
of an action is of concern, priority should be given to maintaining
ecosystem health and integrity.
Incomplete information should not be used as a reason
for postponing precautionary measures intended to prevent serious or
irreversible environmental degradation of the oceans.
The processes for
assessing, planning, allocating and managing the ocean resources
- be easily understood
and openly justified;
- be certain;
- have clear lines of
- provide for equity
within and between generations;
- be designed to deliver
outcomes that balance long and short-term
economic, environmental, social and cultural
- involve the minimum
effective regulatory burden on ocean users
required to meet economic, environmental, cultural
- ensure cooperation and
coordination between governments and across
the sectors which use the oceans; and
- take into account
wider interests and ensure effective community