Greens call for Coral Sea to be sized up as 'worlds greatest marine park'
13 November 2007 - The Greens have called for the Coral Sea to be assessed within the next three years by the next national government, aiming for it to become the world’s largest marine park.
In Brisbane today, Greens Senators Bob Brown and Rachel Siewert joined Queensland Greens senate candidate Larissa Waters to make the call.
Described as ‘spectacular’, ‘awesome’ and one of the world’s unrecognised wonders, the Coral Sea has 30 coral atolls. It is a stronghold of large marine species like swordfish, billfish, turtles, sharks and tuna.
“A national assessment of Australia’s marine regions is in progress, but the Coral Sea warrants a particular assessment,” Senator Brown said.
“There is a need to exclude future oil and gas exploration which would pose an enormous threat to the Coral Sea, which extends over 800,000 square kilometres beyond the 350,000 square kilometres Great Barrier Reef Marine National Park.”
“The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority leads the world in tropical marine ecosystems studies and management and the Greens would boost the Authority’s status as world leader and extend its authority over the Coral Sea.
Larissa Waters said, “The Reef supports more than 60,000 jobs in Queensland and this, as well as the Coral Sea, is threatened by climate change and the coal-promoting, forest-logging mentality of both Labor and the Coalition.”
The World Wildlife Fund has begun a petition to have the Australian Government to declare the Coral Sea a "Marine Protected Area", to safeguard this underwater sanctuary for future generations.
Described as ‘spectacular’, ‘awesome’ and one of the world’s unrecognised wonders, the Coral Sea has 30 coral atolls. It is a stronghold of large marine species like swordfish, billfish, turtles, sharks and tuna.
“A national assessment of Australia’s marine regions is in progress, but the Coral Sea warrants a particular assessment,” Senator Brown said.
“There is a need to exclude future oil and gas exploration which would pose an enormous threat to the Coral Sea, which extends over 800,000 square kilometres beyond the 350,000 square kilometres Great Barrier Reef Marine National Park.”
“The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority leads the world in tropical marine ecosystems studies and management and the Greens would boost the Authority’s status as world leader and extend its authority over the Coral Sea.
Larissa Waters said, “The Reef supports more than 60,000 jobs in Queensland and this, as well as the Coral Sea, is threatened by climate change and the coal-promoting, forest-logging mentality of both Labor and the Coalition.”
The World Wildlife Fund has begun a petition to have the Australian Government to declare the Coral Sea a "Marine Protected Area", to safeguard this underwater sanctuary for future generations.
The Greens alternative energy policies for Australia will give a world lead in tackling climate change and protecting the nation’s great natural assets.
For a pdf copy of map below see here: http://qld.greens.org.au/election2007/policy-documents/CoralSea-map.pdf.
For a pdf copy of map below see here: http://qld.greens.org.au/election2007/policy-documents/CoralSea-map.pdf.
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