Significant benefits stem from the creation of marine sanctuaries. These include reducing the variation in the average catch of target species of commercial and recreational fishers and charter operators. Tourist operators generally benefit from the long-term protection of important marine habitats. Indeed, international experience shows that sanctuaries within marine parks generate significant economic benefits to the regions where they are created, due to substantial increases in tourist numbers. These tourists generally stay longer and so spend more than the current day or weekend visitors who frequent the Port Stephens-Great Lakes Region.

Nevertheless, all these benefits stem form the protection of marine biodiversity. Download a copy of HCEC's Report The economic and ecological benefits of marine sanctuarties in the Port Stephens - Great Lakes Marine Park by clicking here

Some of these observed benefits within sanctuary zones are:

1. Increasing abundance, size, age, diversity and spawning biomass of fish, plant and invertebrate species.
2. Eliminating mortality of non-target species.
3. Assisting in fished species population recovery.
4. Protecting species from genetic changes and altered sex ratios.
5. Reducing the risk of populations or habitat being destroyed by a catastrophe.
6. Allowing for scientific study of unfished areas.
7. Protecting rare and threatened species.
8. Protecting essential and vulnerable habitats.

These observed benefits within sanctuary zones lead to further benefits outside of the area protected. The observed benefits to areas outside and nearby sanctuary zones are:

1. Increase in tourism, especially derived from diving and trophy fishing.
2. Less seasonal variation in tourist numbers.
3. New opportunities for marine research and conventions.
4. Biomass spillover to areas outside.
5. Enhancing fished populations through increased larval output, exporting species to fishery grounds.
6. Decreasing annual catch variability.
7. Maintaining or enhancing yields in fished areas.
8. Increasing catch per unit effort.
9. Protecting against stock collapse and recruitment failure.
10. Reducing the cost of fisheries management mistakes.
11. Increasing size and number of trophy fish caught near to sanctuary zones.
12. Substantially increasing resource rent.

Overwhelmingly, studies have found that the larger the sanctuary zone, the greater the benefits.