THE FATE OF OUR OCEANS
Australia claims the third largest marine jurisdiction of any nation on Earth — 13.86 million sq. km — more than double the size of its land mass. We have sovereign rights over much of this vast area of ocean, along with the fishery, mineral and petroleum resources within it. Our coastal waters contain internationally renowned marine reserves such as the Great Barrier Reef and Ningaloo Reef, all with high levels of biodiversity, much of which is endemic to the region.
The marine estate is also an important and rapidly growing economic asset. The national value of production across marine-based industries (oil and gas exploration and extraction, tourism, fishing, boatbuilding, shipping, ports) is about $44 billion. It is estimated this will increase to around $100 billion by 2025 with expansion of current industries and development of new opportunities in renewable energy, aquaculture and
