Local dive community starts petition to advocate for better marine health and safety at Busselton Jetty

Local divers are calling for urgent action to be taken on the marine sanctuary at Busselton Jetty. After a distressing tiger shark incident at the jetty last fortnight, divers have started a petition to expand the marine sanctuary beyond the diving platform at the end of the jetty, which is currently a shared zone for divers and fishers. Local diver and underwater filmmaker Jordan Walden said the existing conditions posed a risk to divers. “Our goal is to better police fishing and expand the Busselton marine sanctuary to ensure the safety of divers and snorkellers as well as advocating for a more healthy marine environment and the jetty,” he said. “There’s a risk of divers getting hooked and there’s lots of sharp knifes around so it’s just a safety measure in that divers have had issues before. I personally have been hooked myself once in a wetsuit.” Currently the marine sanctuary only protects the final 150m of the jetty, with Mr Walden saying he finds fish remains beneath the unprotected jetty “all the time” and believes people deserve to see the true beauty of the jetty. “Hundreds of thousands of people come to the jetty each year to see the underwater observatory or to dive for the first time and I just think it’s important that people’s first time is a beautiful experience so they can really appreciate what’s underwater and fishing carnage might ruin that first experience,” he said. While the diving community has been meaning to start the petition for some time, Mr Walden used the shark incident to gain “public momentum”, receiving nearly 600 signatures in a single week. He hopes to find a solution that can benefit both fishers and divers. “Fishing is normal but so is hunting but that doesn’t mean you’d go into a family park in the middle of town, shoot an animal and leave the carcass there . . .there’s a time and place for it,” he said. “Accident or not, a lot of the diving community around here feel something needs to be done to ensure things like this don’t happen again.” Busselton Jetty chief executive Lisa Shreeve said the team supported the idea, but the formal policy was handled by higher powers. “Busselton Jetty Inc supports the creation and management of marine parks to ensure the sustainable use of Western Australia’s marine environment including at Busselton Jetty,” she said. “We are committed to working with our marine management partners in Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions, Department of Fisheries and the City of Busselton to achieve our shared conservation goals. “Amendments to the location of the jetty sanctuary would be undertaken by the DBCA as managers of the Ngari Capes Marine Park as delegates for the Minister of Environment. “This process would involve extensive community consultation with the next review of the approved Ngari Capes Marine Park Management Plan to take place in 2023.” Those wishing to sign the petition can find it at change.org/savethebusseltonjetty.