The Strategy consists of the following sections:

• Conservation of biological diversity across Australia – conservation within and outside reserves; threatened species, etc;

• Integrating biological diversity conservation and natural resource management – sectoral issues for natural resource industries including fisheries, forestry, tourism etc.;

• Managing threatening processes – relevant processes covered include alien species, pollution control, and climate change;

• Improving our knowledge;

• Involving the community;

• Australia's international role; and

• Implementation.

Parts of the Strategy directly relevant to marine invertebrate conservation include recommendations calling for:

• All Governments to “establish and manage a comprehensive, adequate and representative system of protected areas covering Australia’s biological diversity” and

• “The development and implementation of a marine conservation and management strategy including mechanisms such as zoning for minimising the adverse impacts of such activities as coastal development, land-based discharge of pollutants, shipping and the harvesting of marine resources”.

The National Strategy for the Conservation of Australia’s Biodiversity also committed each State and Territory to developing its own regional strategy. To date, the status of these are as follows:

• New South Wales: The NSW NPWS released a draft biodiversity strategy in 1997 for public comment and this was made government policy in March 1999[214]. However, this policy did not include marine life due to the government’s preference that this component be developed by NSW Fisheries; a strategy for aquatic habitats is now being developed (Talbot 1999).

• Victoria: the Victorian strategy for conserving biodiversity[215] consists of three documents – Victoria’s biodiversity – our living wealth (describing in broad terms the State’s ecosystems, flora and fauna), Victoria’s biodiversity – sustaining our living wealth (describing how biodiversity conservation can be integrated into actions throughout the community) and Victoria’s biodiversity – directions in management which documents the necessary methods including management approaches and biogeographical regionalisations.

• Tasmania: The State biodiversity strategy is known as the Nature Conservation Strategy, which is currently in draft form (June 2001).

• South Australia:  There is no specific strategy in place[217].

• Western Australia: The 1992 Draft Nature Conservation Strategy is currently being reviewed.

• Northern Territory: The NT has produced a Conservation Strategy for the Northern Territory (Northern Territory Government 1994), the goals of which include the conservation of existing biological diversity and the sustainable utilisation of natural resources.

• Queensland: While the Queensland Government has ratified the National Strategy and the legislative framework supports biodiversity conservation and management, there is, as yet, no actual Queensland biodiversity strategy to provide an overall strategic framework. The Strategy for the Conservation and Management of Queensland’s Wetlands performs such a function for wetlands.