"One-third of reef to gain protection
By Phil Dickie
November 16, 2003
Federal cabinet last week agreed to a rezoning package that will increase the protected area of the Great Barrier Reef from less than 5 per cent to about one third.
Final zoning maps for the reef are expected to be approved by the Board of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority in a fortnight, and federal Environment Minister David Kemp is likely to table the maps in Parliament before the end of the year.
The new zonings have been designed to protect areas that are representative of all reef ecosystems. They will exclude fishing trawlers from nearly 11 million hectares of reef and coastal waters and put some popular recreational-fishing areas off limits."
>Read the full article here<
By Phil Dickie
November 16, 2003
Federal cabinet last week agreed to a rezoning package that will increase the protected area of the Great Barrier Reef from less than 5 per cent to about one third.
Final zoning maps for the reef are expected to be approved by the Board of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority in a fortnight, and federal Environment Minister David Kemp is likely to table the maps in Parliament before the end of the year.
The new zonings have been designed to protect areas that are representative of all reef ecosystems. They will exclude fishing trawlers from nearly 11 million hectares of reef and coastal waters and put some popular recreational-fishing areas off limits."
>Read the full article here<