“It is the biggest contribution to ocean conservation anywhere on the planet this year and follows our tripling of the protected waters around Macquarie Island last year.”
Commercial fishing is often targeted around Antarctic islands.
Several thousand tonnes of mackerel icefish and Patagonian toothfish are caught each year, which fetches a high value at top restaurants.
The government said the fishery is well-managed and sustainable, but experts are concerned that fish are being harvested in prime locations.
The Albanese government last year announced a near-tripling of the marine park around Macquarie Island, and was praised by conservation groups for restricting the area that can be fished. An independent scientific review, commissioned by the government, urged them do the same with Heard Island and McDonald Islands.
A parade of king penguins at Corinthian Bay, Heard Island and McDonald Islands.Credit: Matt Curnock
WWF Australia oceans campaigner Richard Leck said fishing should have been barred from a larger portion of critical habitats, which are important feeding grounds for penguins, seals and other marine life.
“WWF Australia welcomes the Australian government’s significant expansion of the marine park, but unfortunately the final plan announced today is a missed opportunity to secure protection for some of the islands’ highest priority conservation areas,” Leck said.
Pew Charitable Trusts national oceans manager Fiona Maxwell said the marine park design would be concerning for scientists, who had called for more fishing restrictions.
Southern elephant seals and southern giant petrels. Credit: Fred Belton.
“The government’s decision to leave important undersea canyons, highly biodiverse seamounts and the Williams Ridge outside of sanctuaries will disappoint the tens of thousands of Australians, including leading scientists, who made submissions calling for stronger protection of these critical habitats,” Maxwell said.
Plibersek timed the announcement of the expanded marine park for the first day of the Global Nature Positive Summit, which starts in Sydney on Tuesday. The event will serve, in part, as a showcase for the government’s nature-positive agenda, with the creation of new laws aimed at opening a nature-repair market.
The scheme, which begins in January, was designed to attract funds from the private sector, with Plibersek arguing the public purse alone is too small to fund the repairs needed for Australia’s beleaguered natural assets.
Under the new scheme, biodiversity certificates can be earned by private landholders such as farmers for repairing degraded areas including wetlands, riverbanks, wildlife corridors between forests, and areas with rare vegetation.
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The certificates can be bought by companies looking to offset environmental impacts or boost their public image, or by philanthropists. Estimates of potential earnings range up to $2000 per hectare, depending on market prices.
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