Australia's Coral Sea Could Become World's Largest Marine Park

The article is here: http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/243130/2011...marine-park.htm

and excerpts:

"Labor is considering proposals to increase protection on Coral Sea, and distinguish parts of the world's largest marine protected area with differing levels of environmental protection, The Age reported.

The Age believes the draft proposal for half of the tropical waters between the Great Barrier Reef and the edge of Australian territory will be under ''no take'' reserves, stopping fishing.

The Coral Sea makes up 972,000 square kilometres of the world's largest marine paradise.

While there will be ''no take'' reserves in a significant part of the Coral Sea, the proposal will allow for multi-use, single-use and wilderness conservation areas allowing recreational fishing, some commercial fishing, or both, to differing degrees in the rest of the marine sanctuary.

The draft proposal is still being finalised before its release in coming weeks, said the Age."

Website for the campaign is: http://www.protectourcoralsea.org.au

Larger than the one the encompasses all the northern Hawaiian Islands?

Dave the Hawaiian one is about 100k sq miles. I think this one will definitely be bigger. Although it'll be interesting to see how enforcement will be handled.

Looks like a natural extension of the GBRMPA.

Our ABC's Four Corners program just did a story about the mad rush to build ports all along the coast of Queensland. Already causing some localized

effects and the increase in shipping is a major worry for the long term health of the GBR. The mining resource boom in Australia is now threatening the

major reef systems on both sides of the country.

Link to Four Corners story.

Cheers,

Jim.

Yes it disgusting what they are turning the WA coast into over there and now over here.

Its just going to end up like one big Port Hedland, toilet bowl of Australia.

The mining boom is going to destroy this country.

Our stupid government is blindly concentrating on just mining and letting every other type of business be it manufacturing, farming and tourism all fall to the way side.

Any dumb bum can see that the dredging is causing this problem in Queensland. lol

Yes it disguising what they are turning the WA coast into over there and now over here.

Its just going to end up like one big Port Hedland, toilet bowl of Australia.

 

The mining boom is going to destroy this country.

Our stupid government is blindly concentrating on just mining and letting every other type of business be it manufacturing, farming and tourism all fall to the way side.

 

Any dumb bum can see that the dredging is causing this problem in Queensland. lol

Nicely articulated closing statement Wagsy

Found this nice quote today made by Valerie Taylor when she was interviewed by Sixty Minutes about protected areas in the Commonwealth waters around Australia.

“I would love to think that my little nephews and your grandchildren could see a little bit of the ocean off the coast of Australia as nature intended it to be, not as man has made it. I would like to think that. That's my hope.” – Valerie Taylor

Well it's our own consumerism that drives this need for minerals. I do think it is slightly disingenuous and hypocritical to complain about strip mines without looking at the computers we use and the other things we all enjoy in our modern lives, which are made from such things. Our mad rush to buy the latest cameras, computers, phones etc are the biggest driving causes for mineral mining.

The draft plan for a Coral Sea Marine Reserve was released today:

http://www.environment.gov.au/coasts/mbp/c...reserveproposal

"The government’s draft plan for this iconic area leaves out the majority of the coral reefs and important breeding sites for tuna and marlin.

Many of the jewels in the crown of the Coral Sea remain unprotected as they lie in the western half: only two of about 25 unprotected reefs are given a high level of protection.

By extending the proposed marine national park to include the western half of the Coral Sea, the Australian government could create the world’s single largest marine national park."

A submission form is available: http://www.protectourcoralsea.org.au/

Or you can make submissions through the governments website directly at the first link.

LAST DAY FOR SUBMISSIONS

If you haven't done it already, please consider spending a few minutes on this. Only a few hours to go before the submission deadline.

"You can't protect the Coral Sea without protecting the coral"

http://www.protectourcoralsea.org.au/

darren

Very convenient for the solomon's American owned operations of YFT and PBT..... shut down our end so they get all the commercial catch in the solomons.

This is crap without the yanks "GTFO" of that region, we'll be fattening the fish for their economic benefit, same as all the foreign ownership of the mines!

Cutting our own economic throats in the same time.

http://www.ffa.int/taxonomy/term/441

http://www.islandsbusiness.com/islands_bus...rticle-full.tpl

Looking at whats happening to labor party and the "greenies" lately, I really wouldn't hold your breath on this going to ground, in it's entirety.

Well it's our own consumerism that drives this need for minerals. I do think it is slightly disingenuous and hypocritical to complain about strip mines without looking at the computers we use and the other things we all enjoy in our modern lives, which are made from such things. Our mad rush to buy the latest cameras, computers, phones etc are the biggest driving causes for mineral mining.

I say there's more to it then just "consumerism", corruption is even a bigger part..... why don't they make cars like HQ holdens anymore? they last too long! puts car makers out of business, so lobby groups of corporate sector interests gets regulations created to stop such types of longevity designed manufacturing made existinct and limits the abilities of little people to live self sustaining existences....we have been tied into their wealth creation system..... we work! they enjoy the profits, political parties get the donations and nice little board positions after their political careers are over, this is the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporatocracy