WDC Blog - From the Front Line

All marine conservation eyes are turning to Australia where Environment Minister Peter Garrett has some very important papers in his in-box. He is being asked by a large number of Australian conservation groups, the Save Our Marine Life (SOML) consortium, supported by international cetacean scientists, to set aside substantial portions of southwest, northwest and northern Australia in highly protected marine areas.

This is part of the same region that has just experienced the devastating Timor oil spill, so Minister Garrett’s decision will be very timely.

Nearly three decades ago Australia launched the modern movement to protect marine areas with its designation of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Over the past few years, however, marine protection efforts in Australia have slowed down while designations in the Pacific and portions of the Antarctic have accelerated. The Great Barrier Reef is no longer the largest MPA in the world, nor is it the most highly protected; several areas in other countries have now surpassed it.

Many Australians are eager that their government revives its leadership in marine conservation affairs. With its dominant location in the great southern ocean, Australia has the capacity to make huge strides now for marine conservation in the lead-up to 2012 when countries are going to be evaluated on what they have done in terms of creating effective marine protected areas and restoring marine biodiversity.

The decision is going to be made on Southwest Australian MPAs and reserves before Christmas 2009, with the northwest and northern areas to follow in early 2010. WDCS is asking people to send an urgent email to Minister Garrett to recommend he vote for the highest possible protection levels for whales, dolphins and marine life. Click here.

I know it is cliché, but I honestly could not think of a better title for this post.

SkyTruth
obtained these new photographs, apparently taken from a nearby vessel
shortly after the fire was extinguished. The photos clearly show the
severe damage sustained by the Montara oil platform and the attached
West Atlas drill rig. These photos are from an anonymous source, so
their integrity can't vouch for, but they closely resemble this
post-fire photo taken by media in the same period and so seem to be
legitimate. WDCS join SkyTruth in thanking the photographer who took
these shots and is allowing us to make them available to the public. 

The sorry saga of this spill has been going since 21 August 2009

In the first few weeks, out of sight an out of mind, the industry and Government were content to suggest the impact would be minimal. But as weather patterns changed, the spill continued to grow, new information came to light and independent surveys by civil society (thank you WWF!) were launched their position has weakened and gradually the reality is dawning that this is a big problem with long-lasting and serious impacts.

Media in Australia report today that “The operator of the crippled West Atlas oil rig has convened a war cabinet with its competitors and a famed Texan oil well firefighting firm to find a way of plugging the leak and solve the industry's public relations disaster.” (The West Australian, 27 October 2009)

Perhaps the ‘Teflon’ coating that has protected this industry for so very long may finally be falling away.

Meanwhile, we really need the public’s help from around the world to pressure the Australian Government to:

   1. immediately freeze all new oil and gas explorations applications;
   2. develop much  stronger conditions over all oil and gas rig and shipping activities; and
   3. identify and fully protect all cetacean critical habitats in a network of marine sanctuaries

Please send the Government a message, that the world is watching how Australia handles this disaster.