Yesterday Australia’s environment minister Tony Burke laid out his plans to create the world’s largest marine protected area in a network of parks.  The proposed areas will cover some 3 million square kilometers which is an area as large as India!  The plan will ban oil and gas exploration in all marine protected areas.  As well as increasing the protection of sea creatures in the area, including: Blue whale, green turtle, grey nurse sharks and dugongs.

This is a great leap forward in conserving our precious marine ecosystems.  Most of the beautiful marine life that we fish for the aquarium industry is located in a very small percentage of the ocean.  These fish all require very specific temperature, light, and nutrients in order to survive and as we pollute their homes they are unable to migrate and entire ecosystems become extinct.  With increased conservation the fishing industry will need to be more efficient and sustainable in their fishing practices.  In the short term this will surely hurt their business, but in the long run over fishing will lead to a similar result.  Mr. Burke is talking to the fishing industry about compensation for such losses.

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