Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2025L00071:body:0:p17
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2025L00071
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 48211–51236

shifting and potentially unpredictable conditions, to help ensure the marine environment is protected in the most effective way possible.
The Director acknowledges that climate change threatens much more than the marine environment at Cocos (Keeling) Islands  it also threatens the islands themselves and the communities that live there. The Director will seek to support the work of other government agencies with primary responsibility for managing local climate change impacts.

    2.4.2     Marine debris and other pollution
Marine debris, such as general plastic waste, microplastics, 'ghost nets' (lost or discarded fishing nets), fish aggregating devices and other pollution, such as discharge of oil and chemicals, can affect water quality and can stem from sea- or land‑based activities. Cocos (Keeling) Islands' location along major ocean currents and proximity to Australia's northern neighbours makes it prone to substantial amounts of marine debris, especially plastic waste. Exposed ocean-facing beaches and rocky shorelines are local accumulation hotspots for marine debris. This debris threatens marine life and ecosystems through entanglement, disturbance of nesting habitats, ingestion and exposure to harmful pollutants and can act as a vector for marine invasive species. Marine debris can also affect the social and economic values of the marine park by diminishing the islands' aesthetic appeal.
With most marine debris originating in other countries, there is little that small communities or marine park managers can do to prevent this debris arriving. Considerable efforts are made – mainly by volunteers – to remove this debris when it arrives. There are also efforts to ensure locally generated waste is managed well and does not enter the environment. The Australian Government more broadly is making efforts through direct engagement with neighbouring countries and through joining international efforts to develop a global plastics treaty. Actions under this management plan will support efforts to manage marine debris and contribute to the objectives of the Threat Abatement Plan for the Impacts of Marine Debris on the Vertebrate Wildlife of Australia's Coasts and Oceans (2018).

    Image: Volunteers and Parks Australia work to remove marine debris in the southern atoll lagoon (Parks Australia / Sea Shepherd)

    2.4.3     Water quality
Linked to climate change, coastal development and marine pollution as well as natural processes, water quality in the southern atoll lagoon has deteriorated over the 20 years preceding the development of this management plan. Poor water quality can affect key species such as seagrass and corals, whose loss can contribute to further deterioration in water quality. Water quality and its associated drivers have been and are likely to continue to be major factors in the health of seagrass at the southern atoll and the broader lagoon ecosystem. Water quality monitoring and, where possible, work with other relevant authorities to improve water