Jervis Bay Marine Park

Jervis Bay Marine Park New South Wales
IUCN category VI (protected area with sustainable use of natural resources)
Beach at Jervis Bay
Jervis Bay Marine Park
Nearest town or city	Vincentia
Coordinates	35°03′54″S 150°43′59″E / 35.065°S 150.733°E / -35.065; 150.733Coordinates: 35°03′54″S 150°43′59″E / 35.065°S 150.733°E / -35.065; 150.733
Established	1998
Area	210 km2 (81.1 sq mi)
Managing authorities	New South Wales Marine Parks Authority
Website	Jervis Bay Marine Park
Footnotes	Coordinates
See also	Protected areas of New South Wales

The Government of New South Wales established Jervis Bay Marine Park in 1998 and the current zoning plan has been in place since 1 October 2002. The Park is approximately 210 km² (81 sq mi) in area and spans over 100 km (62 mi) of coastline from Kinghorn Point in the north to Sussex Inlet. The Park is zoned to conserve biological diversity in marine habitats and to provide a range of recreational and commercial activities.

Maps and descriptions of the current zoning of the Jervis Bay Marine Park can be found in the following references.

The Australian Government ratified the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity on 29 December 1993. The Convention requires member states to meet the following requirements:

For Australia to meet the requirements of the treaty, conservation strategies need to be integrated into the development process, including land-use planning, marine and coastal zone planning, forest management plans, and environmental impact assessment.

To address the requirements of the treaty, the Government of New South Wales established marine parks with zoning that allows or prohibits particular activities with the aim of conserving the diversity of marine life and ensuring that marine resources are carefully managed for use and enjoyment now and in the future.

On 25 May 2011, Government of New South Wales proposed to undertake a scientific audit of the effectiveness of the current marine park zones. On 26 May 2011, the new zoning plan implemented by the former government on 1 March 2011 was abolished and the original zoning plan in place since 2002 restored because of "concerns about the consultation process" and pending the outcomes of the audit. The aim of the audit is to review the effectiveness of the zones and the current measures in place to prevent threats to the marine environment such as pollution, coastal development and the introduction of diseases and pest species.