Australia’s Federal Environment Minister, Tanya Plibersek, has announced that she plans on tripling the size of the Macquarie Island Marine Park.
The move, which has been praised by conservationists as a ‘massive win’, will increase the park’s size by over 388,000 square kilometres, with 93% of the park to be closed to fishing and mining.
The decision will mean that marine parks will make up 48% of Australia’s oceans.
The proposal has received over 14,700 submissions, with 99% approval.
Covering 162,000 square kilometres halfway between Tasmania and Antarctica, the park will grow to cover 475,465sq km.
Macquarie Island is home to species such as royal penguins, southern rockhopper penguins, gentoo penguins, subantarctic fur seals, southern elephant seals, black-browed albatrosses and grey petrels.
