Protect our Marine Life in Perth.

With recent oil spills around the world we should do all we can to protect our natural heritage. The proposal of drilling for oil by Nexus Energy in our local area of Perth and Rottnest Island is a cause for deep concern.The south-west of Australia is considered a biodiversity hotspot, one of 30 worldwide and the only one in Australia. Our local oceans contain a larger array of unique and threatened species than the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, yet only 1 % of this area is protected as reserves. Part of the area under threat is the magnificent Perth Canyon, an underwater chasm larger than the Grand Canyon in the USA and home to blue whales, it is estimated only 300 individuals are left worldwide.The world famous "Humpback Highway" runs through this region and creates a valuable tourism industry. Drilling, shipping, noise and pollution would drive cetaceans away.Our recreational and commercial fishing industries would also be affected adversely. Please take the time to sign this petition and share amongst your friends, make your voice heard.

We, the undersigned, ask you to reconsider the proposed oil exploration by Nexus Energy off the Perth coast and near Rottnest Island in Western Australia.

Perth is blessed with some of the world's best beaches and we believe the threat to the unique marine life and reefs in the area and the tourism industry cannot be worth the risk.

The Humpback Highway is a part of this sensitive area, with their population having been decimated by Australian whaling in the past we surely owe the whales protection from other threats, such as mining and pollution. The Perth Canyon also falls within the boundaries of the exploration lease and is home to blue whales, some 300 individuals are believed to be left on Earth.

The south west of Australia has been declared a biodiversity hotspot, one of only 30 in the world and the only one in the whole of Australia. A catastrophe such as the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico would render Perth beaches unusable, our seafood inedible and our reefs inhabitable for years, perhaps decades to come.

With our oceans and seas worldwide under threat from pollution, overfishing and acidification, we should lead the world in conservation. This area should be given priority protection and preserved for the future of our planet, our diverse endemic marine life and the enjoyment of our residents and visitors to our state.

 

Sincerely,

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