Great Barrier Reef fishing ban

Authorities in Australia have sanctioned the banning of fishing on a third of the massive Great Barrier Reef, making it the best-protected reef system in the world. The zoning system, which will be introduced in July, reportedly has the backing of the country’s tourist industry, and will lead to more and bigger fish, and healthier coral. Fishing is currently banned on less than five per cent of the reef. Australia’s Federal Environment Minister David Kemp reportedly told the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper: “This is going to mean more fish on the Great Barrier Reef. “It is going to mean healthier corals, it is going to mean bigger fish for tourists to come and see, and right through this process we have had the very strong support of the tourism industry. It is a quite remarkable advance in protecting the reef against all the pressures to which it is subject.” Anyone caught breaking the new rules will face heavy penalties, the newspaper reports. Report by Tim Gillett, News From Abroad