The environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, has declared Australia will soon protect more ocean than any other country after the government finalises a more than 300,000 square kilometre expansion of a sub-Antarctic marine park.
But she said important undersea canyons and seamounts had not been included in sanctuaries.
Plibersek said she was proud that the decision to increase the marine park meant Australia protected more ocean “than any country on Earth”.
“This is not just a huge environmental win for Australia, it’s a huge environmental win for the world,” she said.
Located about 1,700 km from Antarctica, Heard and McDonald Islands are home to glaciers, wetlands and Australia’s only active volcanoes.
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It should include $5bn for the establishment of a fund to buy and protect land of high biodiversity importance, he said. »
