Australia has created the world's largest network of
marine reserves and will restrict fishing and oil and gas exploration in a major step to safeguard
the environment and access to food.
The area will cover 3.1m sq km (1.2m sq miles) of
ocean including the entire Coral Sea, and encompass a third of the island
continent's territorial waters.
The environment minister, Tony Burke, said the
government expected to pay an estimated 100m Australian dollars to the fishing
industry in compensation for the new restrictions on their operations that will
take effect late this year.
Highly protected areas such as the Coral Sea off
Australia's north-eastern coast and the adjoining World Heritage-listed Great Barrier
Reefwill also be protected from oil and gas exploration. Both areas,
which cover a total 1.3m sq km, have shallow reefs that support tropical
ecosystems with sharks, coral, sponges and many fish species.
The numbers of marine reserves off
the Australian coast will be increased from 27 to 60.
Australian environment minister Tony Burker on the new reserves