THE release of a State of the Bays report is regarded as a “critical first step in securing the good health of our marine environments”, according to the Victorian National Parks Association.
“Port Phillip Bay and Western Port are under increasing pressure as the populations of Melbourne, Geelong and the bays’ catchments continue to grow,” the association’s marine and coastal campaigner Chris Smyth said.
“As a result, urban and industrial development, climate change, introduced marine pests, fishing and shipping will continue to threaten the health of the bays.”
The report studied the health of both waterways, providing a stocktake of the current knowledge of ecosystems, habitats and species. It also analysed water quality, seagrass and fish species.
Victorian Energy, Environment and Climate Change Minister Lily D’Ambrosio said the report was a “critical piece of work to help us better understand the challenges we face in protecting our bays in the face of a changing climate”.
“It found that water quality was generally good across most indicators and, despite their proximity to major urban centres and significant development catchments, both Port Phillip Bay and Western Port have healthy marine ecosystems.”
Mr Smyth said by synthesising the available scientific data and identifying key environmental issues, health indicators and knowledge gaps, the report would, hopefully, motivate decision makers to do the right thing by our bays.
“Successive governments have failed to establish a comprehensive and integrated research and monitoring regime for Victoria’s marine environments,” he said.
“This report is a wake-up call – the time to do it is now.”
The State of the Bays report presents 50 assessments against 36 indicators across species including birds and fish, habitats including seagrass and rocky reefs, and critical ecosystem functions, such as nutrient cycling.
“The vast majority of assessments indicate that species, habitats and ecosystems are healthy and operating as expected,” Ms D’Ambrosio said.
Mr Smyth said the report, to be updated every five years, was vital for the future planning, protection and management of Victoria’s marine environments.
“The Office of the Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability Victoria and the government are to be congratulated on producing the first State of the Bays report, one we expect will evolve into a regular health assessment of all marine environments in Victoria,” he said.
Environmental Sustainability Commissioner Dr Gillian Sparkes described the report as an “important stocktake on the health of Port Phillip Bay and Western Port and an integral part of developing an ecosystem-wide approach to the management of our waterways”.
