On October 8, Australia announced plans to expand its marine park in the Antarctic region, including the Heard Island and McDonald Island marine reserves, located about 1,700 km from Antarctica.
The government has announced a four-fold increase in the size of the protected areas, taking Australia’s total marine protected area to 52 per cent, well ahead of the UN’s global target of protecting 30 per cent of the ocean by 2030, which Australia signed up to in 2022.
Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek called it a "huge win for the environment", saying it was a very special and important part of the planet and Australia would do everything it could to protect it.
Australia's vast ocean area and remote location make it easier to protect these areas than some other countries, especially those less impacted by fishing activities.
While Australia has many advantages in protecting its oceans, there are still challenges. In areas like Tasmania, where fisheries play a major role in the economy, only 1.1% of the ocean is protected, despite Tasmania accounting for about 25% of the annual global abalone harvest.
Richard Leck, head of marine conservation at WWF-Australia, said the country still had work to do to ensure its network of marine parks was truly representative and comprehensive.
He also stressed that although Australia is a biodiversity hotspot and one of the world's largest coastal nations, many important conservation areas are still not fully protected.
Mr Leck expressed concern that important foraging areas for king penguins and black-browed albatrosses still faced threats from fishing.
