Australia’s government has announced a new conservation zone in the Coral Sea off the country’s northeast coast.
However, it rejected environmentalists’ demands for a fishing ban in the Coral Sea.
Fishing boats and cruise ships would continue to have access to the 375,000 square miles of Australian territorial waters east of the protected Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Although Charter Boats would require a free permit to use these waters.
The area has an extraordinary array of coral reefs and is very important to marine turtles, and humpback whales. An assessment is currently under way for more permanent protection which is due to be completed by the middle of next year.
