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.

The government intends to implement the ban in the summer, despite protests of commercial fishers who have fought the proposal for four years.

"It is a quite remarkable advance in protecting the reef against all the pressures to which it's subject," Environment Minister David Kemp said.

"This is going to mean more fish on the Barrier Reef, healthier corals. It's going to mean bigger fish for tourists to come and see," he said.

Kemp admitted the ban would hit both commercial fishers and charters taking tourists onto the reef in search of species like blue marlin, but said the government would compensate them.

"We haven't specified any particular sum of money, but we intend that this shall be dealt with in a very fair way," he said in Canberra.

Senator Andrew Bartlett, leader of the Australian Democrats, called on the government to provide funding to police the ban.

"They must ensure that these increased protected areas are now protected," Bartlett said. "They don't stay pristine and in good health just by magic."

The Great Barrier Reef stretches for almost 1,200 miles along Australia's northeast coast. It is the largest chain of coral reefs and islands in the world, and one of Australia's most popular tourist spots.

According to the government, tourism linked to the reef is worth £1.5 billion each year, dwarfing the recreation and commercial fishing industries that are currently permitted in the area.

But there have been concerns in recent years that overfishing is depleting the colourful marine life that swim around the reef ranging from sharks and turtles to tiny orange and white-striped clown fish, such as the animated star of movie blockbuster Finding Nemo.

Although some of the damage to the reef is blamed on fishing, environmentalists also say global warming and soil swept down rivers from farms after heavy rain is also having a devastating effect on the coral.

Global warming is believed to be to blame for coral bleaching when colourful reefs turn white due to rises in sea temperature while soil swept into the ocean can form a smothering blanket over the reef.