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Australia will quadruple the area of the vast marine protected area around Heard and McDonald islands, located near Antarctica, where penguins, seals and whales live, the government announced on Tuesday, reports AFP. This measure represents a "big environmental victory" and Australia now protects "more ocean than any other country in the world", Australian Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek proudly declared. The surface of the marine protected area will increase from approximately 71,200 to 310,000 square kilometers. More than half (52%) of the country's maritime surface will now be protected, the government indicated. This will allow Australia to exceed the global goal set by the UN two years ago to protect 30% of land and seas by 2030. According to Richard Leck, head of oceans at WWF Australia, "there is still a lot of work to do our complete, adequate and representative network of marine parks". Australia's project would not protect "some of the most important areas of the islands", mainly the essential habitat of species such as the king penguin or the black-browed albatross, which "will remain exposed to pressures such as commercial fishing in the absence of increased protection". he stated. On the island of Tasmania, which provides 25% of the world's annual production of abalone (a marine mollusk prized in Asia), only 1.1% of its waters are protected, according to government data.
Environment: World champions in ocean protection
O.D.
English Section / 10 octombrie
According to Richard Leck, responsible for oceans at WWF Australia, Australia's project would not protect "some of the most important areas of the islands", mainly the essential habitat of species such as the king penguin or the black-browed albatross.
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