New Caledonians have always understood how much we depend upon nature

New Caledonia has created a 320 million-acre marine park in the South Pacific, a protected area that’s about three times the size of Germany and, according to Conservation International, is now the largest protected area “on land or sea.”

Harold Martin, President of New Caledonia — a French collective that’s located about 750 miles east of Australia — announced the establishment of the marine park last week. The protected area, called the Natural Park of the Coral Sea, is located about 2,000 miles east of Australia and will encompass all of New Caledonia’s Exclusive Economic Zone, the region that extends up to 200 nautical miles from a nation’s coast whose marine resources are under the jurisdiction of the nation. The park is home to more than 1,730 square miles of coral reefs, 25 species of marine mammals, 48 species of shark, 19 species of nesting birds, and five turtle species.

LINK (via: Think Progress)

Comments

[Scott]

Careful what you wish for. Marine protection is one thing, but in this part of the world it's gone too far and there are fewer and fewer places left to fish. Great if you're a diver, but take a fishing rod anywhere near one of these protected areas in the south pacific or Australia and you'll pay for it.