The Great Barrier Reef
118
A number of factors contributed to the success of
the new Zoning Plan:
L Use of independent experts. Independent experts
greatly assisted in the development of a number of
‘products’ that were important to the planning process, and were widely available for discussion early
in the planning program, in particular:
L GBR bioregionalisation. A fundamental foundation for the new Zoning Plan was the map of 30
reef and 40 non-reef ‘bioregions’ that was developed early in the RAP.
L A comprehensive range of biological and physical
information across the GBRMP was used to define the bioregions. Staff of the GBRMPA initially
collated information from numerous scientists
with expert knowledge of the GBR. The most appropriate data sets were then used in classification and regression tree analyses to spatially
cluster areas of similar species composition. A
number of workshops, comprising reef and nonreef experts, then used all these data and analyses, plus their experience, to spatially describe the
biodiversity of the GBR and develop the map of
70 bioregions.
L It was decided to map diversity at the scale of 10s
to 100s of kilometres because this was a scale over
which habitats change markedly. It was also a
scale at which most relevant information was
available and it was a meaningful scale for subsequent planning and management. Areas of relative homogeneity were labelled ‘bioregions’ to
facilitate communication with stakeholders. Bioregions were defined as having habitats, communities (e.g. areas of seagrass) and physical
features (e.g. sediment type, depth) that are more
similar within the bioregion than those occurring
in other bioregions.
L A draft version of the bioregionalisation was made
available for public comment recognising that
many local ‘experts’, including commercial and
recreational fishers, coastal residents, rangers, and
others have specialist knowledge about the level
of variability of the GBR. This led to additional information and nine major refinements to the draft
regionalisation.
L Operating principles for developing the new network.
External natural science and social-economiccultural advisory committees were used to develop 11 biophysical operational principles and
four socio-economic, cultural and management
feasibility operational principles. These principles clarified the planning ‘rules’ up front for all
to see and apply before any new zones were
proposed.
L The biophysical operational principles included
recommendations for minimum No-Take Areas
for each bioregion and each known habitat type.
Given the uncertainty about what amounts would
be adequate for effective conservation, the recommendations were considered to be the minimum,
in the context of global experience. The social,
economic, cultural and management feasibility
principles aimed to maximise complementarity
of zoning with human uses and values.
L The biophysical principles included advice on the
size, shape and definition of protected zones to
achieve biological objectives such as connectivity
and to facilitate public understanding and compliance. The biophysical principles also provided
a sound basis against which to assess the final extent of protection in No-Take Zones.
L Integrated approaches. A combination of expert
opinion, stakeholder involvement and analytical
approaches were used to identify options for possible zoning networks. The linking of science, technical support and community participation was an
essential three-way dynamic in the planning process.
The analytical tools applied included marine reserve
design software, adapted and expanded for use in
the RAP, and a suite of GIS-based spatial analysis
tools. The analytical software enabled the GBRMPA
to integrate a number of data layers representing
biophysical, social and economic values, and enabled a number of zoning options to be generated and
assessed.
118
A number of factors contributed to the success of
the new Zoning Plan:
L Use of independent experts. Independent experts
greatly assisted in the development of a number of
‘products’ that were important to the planning process, and were widely available for discussion early
in the planning program, in particular:
L GBR bioregionalisation. A fundamental foundation for the new Zoning Plan was the map of 30
reef and 40 non-reef ‘bioregions’ that was developed early in the RAP.
L A comprehensive range of biological and physical
information across the GBRMP was used to define the bioregions. Staff of the GBRMPA initially
collated information from numerous scientists
with expert knowledge of the GBR. The most appropriate data sets were then used in classification and regression tree analyses to spatially
cluster areas of similar species composition. A
number of workshops, comprising reef and nonreef experts, then used all these data and analyses, plus their experience, to spatially describe the
biodiversity of the GBR and develop the map of
70 bioregions.
L It was decided to map diversity at the scale of 10s
to 100s of kilometres because this was a scale over
which habitats change markedly. It was also a
scale at which most relevant information was
available and it was a meaningful scale for subsequent planning and management. Areas of relative homogeneity were labelled ‘bioregions’ to
facilitate communication with stakeholders. Bioregions were defined as having habitats, communities (e.g. areas of seagrass) and physical
features (e.g. sediment type, depth) that are more
similar within the bioregion than those occurring
in other bioregions.
L A draft version of the bioregionalisation was made
available for public comment recognising that
many local ‘experts’, including commercial and
recreational fishers, coastal residents, rangers, and
others have specialist knowledge about the level
of variability of the GBR. This led to additional information and nine major refinements to the draft
regionalisation.
L Operating principles for developing the new network.
External natural science and social-economiccultural advisory committees were used to develop 11 biophysical operational principles and
four socio-economic, cultural and management
feasibility operational principles. These principles clarified the planning ‘rules’ up front for all
to see and apply before any new zones were
proposed.
L The biophysical operational principles included
recommendations for minimum No-Take Areas
for each bioregion and each known habitat type.
Given the uncertainty about what amounts would
be adequate for effective conservation, the recommendations were considered to be the minimum,
in the context of global experience. The social,
economic, cultural and management feasibility
principles aimed to maximise complementarity
of zoning with human uses and values.
L The biophysical principles included advice on the
size, shape and definition of protected zones to
achieve biological objectives such as connectivity
and to facilitate public understanding and compliance. The biophysical principles also provided
a sound basis against which to assess the final extent of protection in No-Take Zones.
L Integrated approaches. A combination of expert
opinion, stakeholder involvement and analytical
approaches were used to identify options for possible zoning networks. The linking of science, technical support and community participation was an
essential three-way dynamic in the planning process.
The analytical tools applied included marine reserve
design software, adapted and expanded for use in
the RAP, and a suite of GIS-based spatial analysis
tools. The analytical software enabled the GBRMPA
to integrate a number of data layers representing
biophysical, social and economic values, and enabled a number of zoning options to be generated and
assessed.