Aims and stakeholders

This global conference addressed the World Commission on Protected Areas' Marine goal and primary themes, and aimed to progress discussion on their widespread adoption and implementation consistent with resolutions relevant to marine protected areas arising from the Durban World Parks Congress.

Objectives:
The objectives of IMPAC1 (recognising that the term MPA includes all six categories defined by IUCN) are to:

· embrace the entire global range of marine protected areas, including but not limited to in-shore (integrated coastal zone management), reef, deep water, high seas and remote locations;

· develop a blueprint for partnerships between MPA managers, fisheries managers, management agencies, Indigenous peoples, local communities and industries reliant on marine resources to ensure that marine ecosystems are sustained into the future;

· provide examples or models of best practice approaches for biodiversity and ecological processes through the management of MPAs;

· address important or emerging issues affecting or likely to affect the future existence, values qualities and effectiveness of MPAs and to explore innovative approaches and possible solutions to enable effective management of these issues.

There has been a long history of conflict and lack of cooperation between proponents of MPAs for attaining biodiversity objectives and those who propose MPAs (often called Fishery Reserves) for enhancing sustainability of fisheries. This has usually led to conflict and inhibition in the establishment and management of systems of MPAs, with resultant costs to both sectors.

This is ironic, because a MPA established for fishery reasons inevitably, even if unintentionally, contributes to the protection of biodiversity. Conversely, nearly all MPAs established for the primary purpose of protecting biodiversity also protect some fish stocks- often at critical stages or locations of the life cycle, such as spawning or nursery areas.

Recognising these facts, IMPAC1 has deliberately been designed to bring these two sectors together in a cooperative program aimed at protecting biodiversity and improving the sustainability of fisheries through the establishment of effective MPA systems.

MPAs are critically important to the conservation of marine biodiversity and ecological processes and to achieving a sound basis for sustainable use and development of marine environments and resources - this is clearly reflected in the statement from World Summit on Sustainable Development: "MPAs are the key to achieving at least 10% of each of the world's ecological regions effectively conserved - the target established at the 6^th Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biodiversity".

IMPAC1 has been designed to be the first of an ongoing series of regular global conferences providing a forum for continuous improvement in methods of establishing and managing MPAs. To achieve this objective we aim to attract and involve as stakeholders: government agencies, communities, non-government organisations, research organisations and people whose businesses depend on Marine Protected Areas.

Co-hosts

The World Commission on Protected Areas has an international mission to promote the establishment and effective management of a world-wide representative network of terrestrial and marine protected areas, as an integral contribution to the IUCN mission. See also http://www.iucn.org/themes/wcpa/biome/marine/programme.htm The organisation has the following objectives:

To help governments and others plan protected areas and integrate them into all sectors, through provision of strategic advice to policy makers.
To strengthen capacity and effectiveness of protected areas managers, through provision of guidance, tools and information and a vehicle for networking.
To increase investment in protected areas, by persuading public and corporate donors of their value; and to enhance WCPA's capacity to implement its program, including through co-operation with IUCN members and partners.

Parks Victoria is a statutory authority responsible to the state government of Victoria, Australia for the management of one of the finest and most comprehensive park systems in the world. This network of national, state, regional and metropolitan parks, as well as conservation reserves, visitor facilities and Melbourne's bays and major waterways, covers around four million hectares (or 16% of the state's land area). Parks Victoria's role is to carefully preserve the natural conservation values of the parks while sensitively integrating the almost endless range of outdoor visitor opportunities. See also www.parkweb.vic.gov.au

In particular Parks Victoria is now responsible for the management of 13 new Marine National Parks and 11 Marine Sanctuaries officially declared late in 2002. Together these cover nearly 54,000 hectares or 5.3% of Victoria's marine waters, safeguarding important marine habitats and species, significant natural features, cultural heritage and aesthetic values. The establishment of an entire representative system of Marine National parks through a single piece of legislations is a world first

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority is a statutory Commonwealth of Australia agency, with responsibility for the overall planning and management of the Great barrier reef Marine Park. See also www.gbrmpa.gov.au

The Marine park is a multiple use park which balances reasonable human use with the maintenance of the region's natural and cultural identity. The enormity of the task is compounded by a number of factors including:

The sheer size of the Marine Park (345,400 km square)
The political and jurisdictional complexities
The close proximity of rural and urban populations to the coast
The range of users and interest groups whose use patterns frequently compete and displace each other and
The area's economic importance, and the ecological diversity of the region.

Partners

The Department of the Environment and Heritage advises the Australian Government on policies and programs for the protection and conservation of the environment, including both natural and cultural heritage places. The Environment and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) is the principal Commonwealth legislation for establishing and managing protected areas. The Department manages a current estate of 13 marine protected areas.

Australia’s Oceans Policy commits to the acceleration of the development of a National Representative System of Marine Protected Areas (NRSMPA) and development of regional marine plans. The Department has commenced development of the NRSMPA in offshore waters of south-eastern Australia and planning in north-eastern Australia. The National Oceans Office, a part of the Department, is tasked with leading the implementation and further development of Australia’s Oceans Policy. The Office plays a key role in implementing policy through the development of regional marine plans, which are designed to help maintain marine ecosystem health, integrity and biodiversity and promote internationally competitive and ecologically sustainable marine industries.

The World Conservation Union is a unique Union. Its members from some 140 countries include over 70 States, 100 government agencies, and 750-plus NGOs. More than 10,000 internationally-recognised scientists and experts from more than 180 countries volunteer their services to its six global commissions. Its 1000 staff members in offices around the world are working on some 500 projects. For more than 50 years this ‘Green Web’ of partnerships has generated environmental conventions, global standards, scientific knowledge and innovative leadership.
“IUCN builds bridges between governments and NGOs, science and society, local action and global policy. It is truly a world force for environmental governance.”

The Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) is the statutory authority responsible for the efficient management of Commonwealth fishery resources on behalf of the Australian community. AFMA manages fisheries on the high seas, within the 200 nautical mile Australian Fishing Zone (AFZ) and, in some cases, by agreement with the States to the low water mark. In doing so, AFMA provides management, advisory, compliance and licensing services and implements appropriate fisheries management arrangements.

MPAs are critically important to the conservation of marine biodiversity and ecological processes and to achieving a sound basis for sustainable use and development of marine environments and resources - this is clearly reflected in the statement from World Summit on Sustainable Development: “MPAs are the key to achieving at least 10% of each of the world’s ecological regions effectively conserved - the target established at the 6^th Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biodiversity”.

IMPAC1 has been designed to be the first of an ongoing series of regular global conferences providing a forum for continuous improvement in methods of establishing and managing MPAs. To achieve this objective we aim to attract and involve as stakeholders government agencies, communities, non-government organisations research organisations and people whose businesses depend on Marine Protected Areas.

Opportunities exist for public agencies and non-government bodies to become official 'supporters' of IMPAC1 by the provision of financial and/or in-kind support. The form of the support is negotiable, based on, but not confined to, the detailed document about the variety of opportunities available.

Please click here to send an email request to the secretariat.