Posted on October, 09 2002

Melbourne, Australia - The Australian government today declared a 6.5 million ha marine reserve in Antarctic waters. Almost twice the size of Switzerland and more than twice the size of Belgium, the marine reserve is the largest area in the world to be protected from commercial harvesting. The Heard and McDonald Islands Marine Reserve was announced in Melbourne today by the Federal Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Dr David Kemp. WWF-Australia will nominate the declaration for WWF’s highest award for globally significant conservation — the Gift to the Earth. "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," said Margaret Moore, WWF-Australia Senior Marine Policy Officer, who has been working on the development and negotiations for the reserve for over two years. "This is one of the most significant conservation decisions taken by Australia. It acknowledges Australia’s responsibility to manage remote areas of our oceans." The reserve will encompass the existing Heard Island and McDonald Islands World Heritage areas and Wilderness Reserve and the Heard Island and McDonald Islands Territory administered by the Australian Antarctic Division. Ms Moore said the marine reserve and an adjoining conservation area were the first such areas to be declared under Australia’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 in recognition of their outstanding conservation values. "These include important foraging areas for seabirds, seals, and penguins. The islands are also the only sub-Antarctic island group with no known human introduced animals," she said. "The reserve will also protect the spawning grounds of a number of commercial fish species and is a welcome step toward achieving sustainable fishing in Australia’s Antarctic waters." Ms Moore said WWF-Australia would nominate the new marine reserve as a Gift to the Earth — WWF’s highest international conservation honour which is awarded to initiatives that advance conservation biodiversity. "It is a huge achievement when you consider the extent of the "no take" area proclaimed, the remote location and the rich conservation values of the area," she said. "It is a decision of immense global importance. It is the first decision of its kind to protect the biodiversity of one of the coldest marine regions in the world." Additional information on the Heard Island and McDonald Islands Marine Reserve: • The 6.5 million hectare Heard Island and McDonald Islands Marine Reserve is the largest area in the world to be protected from commercial harvesting. This reserve surpasses the 5.8 million hectares "no take" zone in the Macquarie Island Marine Reserve, which the Commonwealth announced in 2000. • The declaration of the Heard Island and McDonald Islands Marine Reserve and an adjoining conservation zone demonstrates the Commonwealth Government's strong commitment to the sound management of Australia's oceans. • It is the culmination of extensive and cooperative negotiations between stakeholders which included: Australian fishing companies operating in the region, WWF and other conservation groups, scientists engaged in research in the region, and Environment Australia. • Australia's Oceans Policy establishes a National Representative System of Marine Protected Areas that aims to incorporate integrated ecosystem management and provide for the needs of both individual species and ecological communities and processes. The policy contains an initial list of five priority areas for declaration as marine reserves, one of which is in the region of Heard Island and McDonald Islands. • The Heard Island and McDonald Islands Marine Reserve and the conservation zone are the first such areas to be declared under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and were declared in recognition of their rich conservation values, some of which are already World Heritage listed. • The Reserve will encompass the existing Heard Island and McDonald Islands World Heritage property and Wilderness Reserve, and Heard Island and McDonald Islands Territory administered by the Australian Antarctic Division. • Some of the important conservation values of the Heard Island and McDonald Islands Marine Reserve include: • several fish and seafloor dwelling species found only in this area; • important foraging areas for a number of land-based marine predators, including seabirds, seals, and penguin species • the only sub-Antarctic island group with no known human introduced animals; and • diverse and distinctive seafloor habitats supporting a range of slow growing and vulnerable species such as corals and sponges. • The Marine Reserve will help protect a range of sub-Antarctic habitats which support species including the nationally threatened Southern Elephant seal and Sub Antarctic Fur seal, and rare seabird species such as the Wandering Albatross and the Southern Giant Petrel, as well as a range of deep sea species. • The Marine Reserve will also help protect communities of slower growing species such as glass sponges, giant barnacles and soft corals which are vulnerable to damage by fishing gear. It will also offer much needed protection for the spawning and nursery grounds of commercially targeted fish species. • This new reserve will help to protect part of the habitat for commercial fish species such as the Patagonian Toothfish, thus providing valuable assistance to the conservation of these species. • A management plan will be now be developed for the Marine Reserve which will ensure that the area is managed for conservation and precludes activities that would threatened the values of the region. For further information: Rosslyn Beeby WWF-Australia Media Tel.: +61 2 9281 5515