The creation of 44 marine parks across Australia will make about
one-third of Australian waters off-limits to fishing, oil and
gas exploration. The new marine parks, which include the Coral
Sea and the southwest coast of Western Australia, are part of
the new marine reserves announced by Environment Minister Tony
Burke on Thursday. As countries prepare to meet for the Rio+20
meeting on sustainable development, Australia has created the
world’s biggest network of marine protected areas, setting an
important precedent for ocean protection. Dubbed as the world's
first network of marine reserves, the new reserves cover 3.1
million square kilometers. Mr Burke unveiled the marine reserve
maps at Sydney Aquarium. "The new network of marine reserves
will help ensure that Australia's diverse marine environment and
the life it supports, remain healthy, productive and resilient
for future generations," The Australian Financial Review quoted
Mr Burke. While Pew, an environment group, lauded the marine
reserve plan becaus