The Australian Greens said today it is ironic that Australia is hosting the World Parks Congress when our Government has torn down our world leading system of marine parks.

"The Federal Government should restore our system of marine parks by immediately reinstating their management plans," Senator Rachel Siewert, Australian Greens spokesperson on marine issues said.

"It is an international disgrace for Australia to be hosting the World Parks Congress when our Government has taken the retrograde step of suspending the management plans for our marine parks.

The Greens spokesperson for Fisheries, Peter Whish-Wilson welcomes the establishment of the Label My Fish Alliance who is calling for improved labelling of seafood.

Senator Whish-Wilson said, “The evidence is in. With clearer labelling of seafood, we can achieve healthier oceans and ensure local commercial fishers get better a financial return from their effort.

“Australians who have viewed “What’s the Catch?” on SBS recently have been horrified to learn the dark side of where some of our imported seafood comes from.

The Greens welcome the strong tri-partisan recommendations contained within the report from the Senate Inquiry into the management of the Southern Ocean. This Inquiry was established by the Greens because of an urgent need to develop a coordinated response to the issues of climate science, whaling and illegal fishing.

The Australian Greens said today they were concerned that a loophole may be created that still allows Colin Barnett to deploy drumlines off WA beaches.

"I think the Federal Government would most likely have rejected the Premier's application before it was withdrawn at one minute to midnight," Senator Rachel Siewert, Australian Greens marine spokesperson said today.

The Australian Greens said today that Premier's decision to withdraw his shark cull from Federal Government assessment should finally signal an end of the flawed policy.

Reports today indicate that the WA Government has withdrawn an application for an exemption to the EPBC Act, which would have allowed the Premier to carry out a three year shark cull off Perth and the South West of WA.

"I hope that by withdrawing the shark cull from federal assessment, Colin Barnett is abandoning this cruel policy," Senator Rachel Siewert, Australian Greens marine spokesperson said today.

The Australian Greens said today that the Commonwealth system of marine reserves will remain as nothing more than lines on a map until at least 2016.

"It was established during estimates today that the Abbott Government's review of Australia's marine parks won't be given to the Minister until mid-2015. I cannot see how management plans will be completed and implemented before 2016," Senator Rachel Siewert, Australian Greens marine spokesperson said today.

Greens spokesperson for whaling, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, provides the following comments on Japan’s efforts at the International Whaling Commission (IWC) to reinstate their whaling program despite losing the International Court of Justice (ICJ) case against Australia.

Senator Whish-Wilson said, “Since the ICJ case, Australia has failed to provide any leadership by putting public pressure on Japan to abandon any future plans to reinstate their whaling program.

The Australian Greens said today that the Federal Government was wasting time and money on a review of Commonwealth Marine Reserves, when strong evidence already underpins the nation's network of Marine Protected Areas.

"Minister Hunt's announcement of this independent review ignores the decades of science that went into planning the network of Marine Protected Areas that were put in place under the former Government," Senator Rachel Siewert, Australian Greens marine spokesperson said today.

The Australian Greens are calling on the Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt to support the recommendation of the WA EPA and reject Colin Barnett's shark cull.

"The EPA's decision shows that the science does not support this cull," Senator Rachel Siewert, Australian Greens marine spokesperson said today.

"Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt will have the final say, and given the extensive body of evidence highlighting the flaws in Colin Barnett's plan, we call on him to support the EPA's recommendation.