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https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/oct/08/scientists-contest-environment-ministers-claim-of-blitzing-australias-ocean-reserve-expansion-goal>
"Scientists have challenged Tanya Plibersek’s claim that Australia is
protecting more than half of its oceans and has “blitzed” a 30% target, arguing
industrial longline fishing will still be allowed in some areas the government
says it is conserving.
The environment minister told a “global nature-positive summit” in Sydney on
Tuesday the government had quadrupled the size of the sub-Antarctic Heard
Island and McDonald Islands Marine Reserve, a world heritage area about 4,000km
south-west of Perth.
She said the more than 300,000 sq km expansion of the marine reserve meant
Australia would be protecting 52% of its ocean territory, far more than the 30%
target by 2030 the government signed up to as part of a global agreement in
2022.
“I’m proud to say we’ve blitzed our 30 by 30 target when it comes to oceans,”
she said.
Scientists welcomed the expansion, but said much of the area newly included in
the reserve was not protected at a level that met the definition agreed in the
Kunming-Montreal global biodiversity framework.
Dr Ian Cresswell, a co-author of the last five-yearly federal State of the
Environment report, said the announcement “took courage” and was “a really good
step along the way” but it was “not job done”.
“Australia should not say that we’ve reached the target because we haven’t,” he
said."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
