Australia bans fishing on 33% of Barrier Reef

AUSTRALIA’S Great Barrier Reef will become the largest protected marine region in the world when a ban on fishing over a third of its area is comes into force on July 1.

The management plan will increase so-called high protection green zones from 4.5% to 33.3% of the reef, or from 6,200 square miles to 44,000 square miles.

In these areas, tourism will be permitted while all fishing will be banned.