Great News for Great Barrier Reef: Historic Zoning Laws Will Now Protect 42,000 Square Miles From WWF US
Wednesday, June 30, 2004
"Washington, D.C. - All commercial and recreational fishing boats were banned today from huge sections of Australia's Great Barrier Reef marine park as a new zoning plan went into effect. The celebrated Reef had its protected area increased by over one-third, officially becoming the world's largest marine protected area.
"This win-win for fishermen and the environment is due to four years of hard work by the Australian government, coastal communities, industry leaders and WWF's Australia office," said Scott Burns, director of WWF's Marine Conservation program. "The Great Barrier Reef's network of protected areas is a global benchmark that sets a precedent for future marine conservation."
Under the new plan, protection of the reef system will rise from 4.6 percent to 33 percent of the existing marine park and World Heritage area, adding more than 42,000 square miles to the current locale - approximately the size of Pennsylvania.
The new network of highly protected areas will reduce pressure on the Great Barrier Reef and enhance its capacity to overcome large-scale threats such as overfishing, pollution and coral bleaching, which kills coral as water temperatures rise. WWF researchers said that, without successes like this, 60 percent of global coral reefs will likely be lost by 2030."
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