Protecting the Last Wild Ocean Region

Australian Environment Minister Tony Burke is still waiting for public response to the proposal Coral Sea Commonwealth Marine Reserve covering an area of ​​989,842 square kilometers.

The Great Barrier Reef's 3,000 reefs host a variety of marine life. (Picture from: http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/)

In the waters covering an area of ​​England and France, banned the exploitation of oil and gas. Fishing and the taking of fish for commercial use is also limited at a distance of 60 kilometers from the coast.

"There is no other part in Australia's oceans are still pure, the ranks of coral reefs, our maritime military history. Now the proposal is clearly to protect this area permanently," Burke said when announcing the proposal last November.

Communities were given 90 days to respond to the Australian government's proposal. If approved, the Coral Sea Commonwealth Marine Reserve become the largest nature reserves in the world's oceans. Reserve is located in the Coral Sea off the northeast coast of Australia. The region stretches from the Great Barrier Reef to Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands in the north east.

Corel Sea Commonwealth Marine Reserve.

Recent research suggests that this region is home to dozens of endangered species. Moreover, being one of the last places on earth as a habitat for large predatory fish such as sharks and tuna.

In the row of islands uninhabited, there are nests for green turtles and rare seabirds. These animals are protected in the proposal. Waters of the Coral Sea is also the resting place of three U.S. Navy ships. The ship was sunk in the Battle of the Coral Sea, during the Second World War in 1942.

Environmentalists welcomed the proposals tersebu But they felt that restrictions are still limited. "We welcome the exception of oil and gas extraction and the prohibition of destructive fishing gear on seabed habitats," said Imogen Zethoven of the Pew Environment Group.

However, he said, the level of protection should be more robust, especially in vulnerable areas. "This is to ensure long term protection in the Coral Sea."

Terry Hughes from James Cook University in Queensland claimed that the proposal would be the first step to protect one of the wildest places left in the ocean.

Terry criticized because, in the proposal mentioned, fishing activity is allowed on the area 51 percent of protected areas. Now, the Australian government to wait for another input from the environment activists and community. *** [UWD | DAILYMAIL | KORAN TEMPO 3742]