Posted on 11-10-2002

Australia Creates World's Largest Marine Reserve
From Environmental News Service

CANBERRA, Australia, October 9, 2002 (ENS) - One of the wildest places on
earth - a smoking volcano covered with snow and glacial ice, rising above
the world's stormiest waters - was set aside by the government of Australia
today as the world's largest fully protected marine reserve.

The new 6.5 million hectare (25,096 square mile) Heard Island and McDonald
Islands Marine Reserve is 4,500 kilometers (2,796 miles) southwest of the
Australian mainland and 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) north of Antarctica.
About the size of Ireland, the marine reserve is one of the most pristine
environments left on Earth to be protected from commercial activities. It
falls within Australia's 200 mile Exclusive Economic Zone surrounding Heard
and McDonald Islands and surpasses another Australian marine reserve, the
5.8 million hectare Macquarie Island reserve, as the world's largest.

Australian Environment Minister Dr. David Kemp said the new reserve would
protect the habitat and food sources of some of the world's most
spectacular marine creatures, including the southern elephant seal, the
Sub-Antarctic fur seal, and several penguin species. "The Heard Island and
McDonald Islands Marine Reserve is being declared to protect the
conservation values of the region and provide an effective conservation
framework to manage the region in an integrated and ecologically
sustainable manner," the minister said today.

It is the only sub-Antarctic island group to contain no known species
introduced directly by humans, which makes it invaluable for having, within
one site, an intact set of interrelated ecosystems; terrestrial,
freshwater, coastal and marine, in which the ongoing evolution of plants
and animals occur in a natural state, the Australian Environment Ministry
says. The vast colonies of penguins and seals on these island beaches are
one of the great wildlife sights of the world, including the world's
largest macaroni penguin colonies, each containing an estimated two million
birds. When the wind dies and the skies clear, these congregations create
an incomparable cacophony of natural sound. The waters of the reserve are
important to two species of albatross - the light-mantled sooty albatross
and the black-browed albatross. Bottom dwelling soft corals, glass sponges,
and giant barnacles will also be protected.

The island group lies near the meeting point of Antarctic and temperate
ocean waters. Heard Island has Australia's only active volcano, Big Ben,
which is also Australia's tallest mountain. McDonald Island's steep
shoreline is so well protected that only two successful landings have been
made since it was discovered over a century ago. The Heard and McDonald
Islands were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1997 for their
outstanding natural natural beauty and aesthetic importance.

Dr. Kemp says the park will provide a scientific area for study of the
ecosystem within the Heard Island and McDonald Islands region.

WWF-Australia will nominate the new marine reserve as a Gift to the Earth -
WWF's highest international conservation honour which is awarded to
initiatives that advance the conservation of biodiversity.

Margaret Moore, WWF-Australia senior marine policy officer, has been
working on the development and negotiations for the reserve for over two
years. "This important new reserve will play a crucial role in protecting
the habitat of the nationally threatened southern elephant seal as well as
rare seabird species such as the wandering albatross and the southern giant
petrel," she said. "This is one of the most significant conservation
decisions taken by Australia. It acknowledges Australia's responsibility to
manage remote areas of our oceans," said Moore today. "The world
acknowledges that we have exercised our sovereignty in the region with
great responsibility," said the minister, "and the declaration of this
major new marine reserve, the largest fully protected marine area on the
planet, and second only to another Australian reserve in the same region,
maintains that great tradition."