South Coast Marine Park scheme finalised

The South Coast Marine Park covers more than 1000 kilometres of coastline from Bremer Bay to the South Australian border. Image credit: Bronwyn Wells/Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.

Following extensive consultation, the State Government has released the zoning scheme for the South Coast Marine Park. 

This coincides with the park’s formal creation, with the park’s management plan striking a balance between recreation, commercial use, and conservation. 

Locals and visitors will be able to continue fishing along 85 per cent of the coast from Bremer Bay to the South Australian border, and in 80 per cent of park waters. 

Sanctuary zones will protect 20 per cent of the most biodiverse areas within the park, including breeding areas for threatened species, such as Australian sea lions. 

The park will afford significant protection to marine life along Western Australia’s south coast, which is home to species found nowhere else in the world. It will also deliver business and tourism opportunities throughout the region, as well as employment opportunities for Traditional Owners through joint management. 

Consultation began in 2021, with sector advisory and community reference groups, local governments, commercial and recreational fishers, and conservation groups providing input. 

This was later followed by a four-month long public comment period and the opening of a ‘pop-up shop’ in Esperance that allowed members of the public to have detailed conversations with marine park planning experts. 

Final management plans for the South Coast Marine Park will be released later this month with the park’s zoning scheme to take legal effect from late-2026. 

More information at this link.