The acts of the Australian Government have continuously put our oceans and marine life at risk of irreversible damage and proceeded to ignore the signs of deteriorating ecosystems due to climate change. Australian oceans, reefs, and mangroves are considered some of the richest and diverse ecosystems in the world. They are home to many species of fish, crustaceans, and marine mammals, most of which gain attraction from tourists and largely contribute to our economy. The Great Barrier Reef makes approximately $5.2 billion dollars a year from tourism alone, considering Australia’s other marine attractions the amount of money contributing to our economy would be staggering. Excluding tourism, we rely on our oceans and marine ecosystems for food, leisure, pharmaceutical compounds, and cultural appreciation and experiences for the Indigenous custodians.

Climate change caused by human activity has had a major impact on the health of Australian marine ecosystems. Overfishing, waste dumping, mining, and oil drilling are all examples of activities that have caused detrimental damage to habitats, shockingly funded, legal, or supported by the Australian Government. Climate change denial has been an ongoing issue within the Morrison-Joyce Government, which has led Australia to become the 6th worst performing country under the climate change policy. Despite this, our government continues to fund projects such as the Adani Coal Mine, Oil Drilling along the Great Australian Bight, and the use of Fossil Fuels. In the vast majority of Marine Park Sanctuaries along the Australian coast, it remains legal for vessels to dispose of waste and ballast water, containing many plants, animals, viruses, and bacteria which can cause extensive damage to ecosystems and pose a serious threat to human health.

It is evident that the Morrison-Joyce Government values the economy over creating safe and sustainable ways to support human life without disrupting the nature of our marine animals and ecosystems. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has led many to believe that his government is taking action against climate change by “wanting” Australia to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, despite voting against the target in parliament. This misleading information has convinced many Australians that the liberal government is doing their part in protecting our environment to remain in power, but this needs to change. Without the commitment to the net-zero target and investments into renewable energy, the temperature will continue to rise. Rising ocean temperatures will bring an end to many species of marine animals and plants, which would be a devastation to our economy and many jobs would be lost.

Our oceans are crucial for supporting human life, and it’s vital the Morrison- Joyce Government recognises the issues present immediately. Soon, we won’t have the chance to reverse and renew marine ecosystems, as the earth plunges into a positive feedback loop, warming our oceans and rising sea levels. The government needs to enforce policies that protect our oceans and marine life and divert funding from fossil fuels to renewable energy, all while making an effort to prosecute those who don’t oblige by these policies. Failure in doing so will result in the loss of many jobs, revenue, and lives, humans, and other animals alike.