Management of seagrass habitats in NSW estuaries

Abstract

This paper reviews the importance of seagrasses to coastal ecosystems, with particular emphasis on their contribution to sustainable fisheries. A number of Australian state government fisheries agencies have recently updated their legislation (eg. NSW Fisheries 1995, Couchman et al. 1996) and now have greater powers for the protection of marine vegetation. We present four case studies of activities in NSW waters which impact on seagrasses, including harvesting damage by vessels, reclamation and dredging and the construction of structures such as jetties. We quantify the species and area of seagrass which have been directly destroyed in NSW waters in 1995, and we also discuss the need for future policy and research on seagrass.