As per the version of conservation groups this support now gives a green light for assessing whether the Coral Sea should be protected as a marine park. The motion by National Party Senator Ron Boswell and Liberal Party Senator Ian Macdonald today to disallow the Coral Sea conservation zone was voted down by the Australian Labor Party, the Australian Greens, and Senator Nick Xenophon.
Amy Hankinson, spokesperson for the Australian Conservation Foundation, commented that the Senate’s rejection of this motion means that the government can now focus on determining the future of the Coral Sea. She also said that in all Commonwealth waters around Australia, the Federal Government is assessing what areas to include within marine parks, so that we can continue to have marine wildlife and beautiful coral reefs into the future.
Steve Ryan, marine campaigner, Cairns and Far North Environment Centre, said that the Senate’s decision is good news for Cairns. He added that if the Coral Sea were to be permanently protected, it would provide a major economic boost for Cairns. In May 2009, Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett established a conservation zone over the entire Coral Sea within Australian waters.
The conservation zone is located east of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, the Coral Sea is part of the government’s East Marine Region and extends from the tip of Cape York Peninsula to Bermagui off New South Wales, excluding the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The government is preparing a Marine Bioregional Plan for the entire East Marine Region as well as other regions around Australia.
The Coral Sea is one of the last remaining places on Earth where populations of large ocean fish, such as sharks, tuna, and billfish, remain healthy, and is home to abundant wildlife, including seabirds and a diverse range of corals and reef fish.
