Australia moves to expand Antarctic marine park

Australia expanded an Antarctic marine park on Tuesday, protecting a vast expanse of ocean area that is home to penguins, seals, whales, and the nation’s two active volcanoes.

The announcement calls for the Heard Island and McDonald Island marine reserve, which is 1,700 kilometers (1,056 miles) from Antarctica, to be expanded four times.

According to a government release, this means that 52% of the country’s oceans would be protected, solidifying Australia’s position as one of the top nations protecting seas.

Additionally, Australia will surpass the global target of 30 percent United Nations participation by 2030, which it committed to in 2022.

Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek said the announcement was a “huge environmental win”.

“This is a unique and extraordinary part of our planet. We are doing everything we can to protect it,” she said.

Because of its size and remoteness, Australia has more ocean to protect than other countries, especially in areas where fishing is not as common.

For instance, according to government statistics, only 1.1% of Tasmania’s waterways are protected, despite the fact that commercial fisheries play a significant role in the state’s economy (the region’s abalone industry contributes almost 25% of the world’s yearly harvest).

There is still “a significant amount of work to ensure our network of marine parks is comprehensive, adequate, and representative,” according to Richard Leck, head of oceans at WWF-Australia.

Strong protections, he continued, were still lacking for numerous important ocean conservation zones.

“Australia is a global biodiversity hotspot and one of the world’s largest coastal nations, so it’s important that we do some of the heaviest lifting to care for our precious marine ecosystems and the species they call home,” he said.

But Leck said the final plan did not protect “some of the islands’ highest priority conservation areas”, including critical foraging habitat for king penguins and black-browed albatross.

“Without increased protection, these critical foraging grounds will remain exposed to pressures like commercial fishing,” he said.