peter owen: advocating for marine sanctuaries
Peter Owen is internationally recognised for his contribution to environmental campaigns around Australia. For 20 years, Owen has advocated for the protection of important parts of the Great Southern Reef including the Great Australian Bight and isolated islands off South Australia’s coast.
Safeguarding pristine seas
In 2005, Owen spearheaded campaigns to protect Pearson Island and the St. Francis Islands, among others along the South Australian coastline. These remote islands are now covered by Wilderness Protection Zones within the Investigator Marine Park. The protection not only maintains pristine landscapes, bird habitat and underwater ecosystems, but also provides sanctuary for important breeding colonies of the rare Australian Sea Lion and Fur Seal.
Campaigning against oil drilling in the Bight
Earlier this year Owen accepted the For the Greater Good Award from Australian Surfing Business magazine on behalf of the Great Australian Bight Alliance. The award goes to those who make a big impact preserving the Australian surfing landscape and recognises the “Fight For the Bight” campaign against oil drilling in the Great Australian Bight. As a result of the campaign and protests that spread internationally, Norwegian oil company Equinor abandoned plans to conduct drilling in the pristine waters of the Great Australian Bight.
“We had to stop the oil industry moving into the Bight. I didn’t think we had a choice. We are in the middle of a climate crisis, we need to transition out of this industry as rapidly as possible”
Image: The Great Australian Bight Alliance
Protection for the future
As the director of The Wilderness Society South Australia, Owen continues to advocate for marine conservation. “Currently only 6% of the state’s waters are marine sanctuary zones. “We would really like to see that expanded to protect more of these special places and safeguard these ecosystems for generations to come.”
“We’re dealing with one of the most pristine ecosystems left on the planet,” Owen explained, “and the people across southern Australia know that. They are the driving force in the push to protect this area. That’s evident in the huge amount of support we’ve had for 20 years now for marine parks both at a state and federal level. That’s a symbol that this is a really important place. We don’t put marine parks in random areas, marine parks are put in spectacular intact marine ecosystems.”
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