As fertile land becomes "all used up" with increasing demand for food we will rely more on the sea for nourishment, after we experiment with eating insects of course. Marine-based industries care little about the consequences of their actions at the moment. This has to change to make the oceans a renewable resource.
Australia has the third largest controlled ocean territory in the world. This country has more responsibility than most countries. We allow nations to fish our waters but foreign fishing fleets seldom stay within the rules that are set. Overfishing is common.
The Great Barrier Reef and Ningaloo are World Heritage Areas. We will have to protect and regulate more region around the coast of this vast continent. This may be selfish as we have a low population that enjoys to swim, dive, surf, sail and fish on an individual basis. However, with control comes responsibility.
Australia's marine industry will rise from about A$40 billion to A$100 billion or more by 2025, just a decade away. Although there is a lot of land here, much of it is not fertile enough for crops. The oceans are just "sitting there" waiting to be exploited. As more pressure comes upon it the health of the planet must be considered. The sea has soaked up a third of the carbon dioxide we have produced since the 18th century and 90 per cent of the extra heat from human activity in the last 50 years.
Conservation by Ty Buchanan
