by Mat Churchill

245 scientists from 35 countries used World Oceans Day on 8 June to call for strong action from governments to create ''ocean-scale'' national parks to protect the world's struggling marine environment.

The scientists have released a statement saying these large ocean parks are necessary to help fish stocks recover from overfishing, and also create a sanctuary for migrating species such as sea turtles, whales, and dolphins, as the current small parks offer inadequate protection.

Just 0.4 per cent of the world's oceans are somewhat protected at present in marine parks such as the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

According to the statement ''Large reserves, where ecological processes and functions can operate much as they have for millennia, are virtually missing from the marine conservation and management portfolio.'

The campaign to set up ocean-scale marine parks looks at ''intact regions where it is possible to establish, monitor and protect very large marine reserves'', including our very own Coral Sea.

The Coral Sea has been likened to the Serengeti in Africa by Hugh Possingham from the University of Queensland, due to it being one of the last places on Earth that is largely untouched by humans and still large enough to sustain large populations of animals.

Federal Environment Minister, Peter Garrett, ruled out turning the Coral Sea into a large marine park, but would consider setting up smaller ones within the Coral Sea. Amazingly some of these marine parks could allow oil and gas drilling, as well as fishing.

So it seems to me the only way an area can be truly protected from people’s influence is when it has been deemed fishless, oil less, gas less, and devoid of any other money spinning resource. When are we, let alone the governments who represent us and the business who prosper on natural resources, going to wake up and realise that without a healthy environment there is no healthy economy?

Perhaps the word “resource” should be abolished so we don’t presume something is there purely for our benefit.

Your thought, as always, are welcome. Have your say below.