Coral Sea Commonwealth Marine Reserve
Commonwealth marine reserves are protected marine environments within Australian waters and are managed by the federal government. These waters generally extend from three nautical miles off the coast to the outer limit of Australia’s Exclusive Economic Zone (200 nautical miles). Marine reserves closer in-shore are the responsibility of the states or the Northern Territory.
In 2012, the Australian government revealed plans to create the world's largest marine reserve network, made up of five main zones in offshore waters surrounding every state and territory. The number of marine reserves off the Australian coast would increase from 27 to 60 and would cover 3,100,000 km2 (1,200,000 sq mi) of ocean including the entire Coral Sea. The planned expansion of the reserves continued the bipartisan work of successive administrations, beginning with the oceans policy of the Howard Government in 1998. The plans were met with criticism by commercial and recreational fishers, for being too restrictive, and by environment groups for skirting areas of potential oil and gas prospectively, and that just a small amount of the total area completely off-limits fishing.
In 2014 a review was commissioned by the Abbott government for the 40 reserves that were established in November 2012.
The results of the review were released in September 2016, which recommended zoning changes to 26 of 40 reserves and reductions to the area available to mining, while reducing the impact on commercial fisheries. Protected area for the Coral Sea will be cut by 10 per cent (97,000 km2 (37,000 sq mi)), but will still cover about 41 per cent of the reserve. Protection for Coral Sea reefs would improve, with six new reefs added to the protected zone.
Until a revised management plan due mid 2017 is released, the Commonwealth marine reserve networks declared in 2012 are not in effect.
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