The creation of the world’s largest marine reserve beyond the Great Barrier Reef will open the door to greater scientific discoveries, tourism growth and jobs for Cairns according to Protect Our Coral Sea campaigner Xanthe Rivett.
 
“At nearly one million square kilometres of clear water, coral reefs and spectacular marine life, the Coral Sea Marine Reserve truly is the jewel in the crown of a new system of ocean parks around Australia set aside for protection from the dangers posed by oil, gas, bottom trawling and some forms of fishing”, said Rivett.

“The park will act as an insurance policy for our oceans, building resilience for fish stocks, and protecting fragile and critical habitats, such as shallow and deep coral reefs. Its distance from shore (beyond the continental shelf) protects it from the water quality issues that affect near-shore coral reefs.  It is one of the last remaining places on Earth where large marine animals can still be found in great numbers.”
 
Longline fishing will end in nearly three quarters of the reserve, bringing to an end the large scale harvest of tuna, marlin, swordfish and other "key predator" species.

"Half of the marine reserve will however remain open to recreational and charter fishing, including many of the fragile reefs and the only known spawning aggregation of black marlin," Rivett said.
 
Sarah Hoyal, Coordinator of the Cairns and Far North Environment Centre said support for the controversial marine reserve was strong.

“Nearly half a million people from Australia and around the world urged the Australian government to fully protect the Coral Sea.  For a campaign that started with two North Queensland conservation groups, that is a fantastic thing to reflect on,” she said.

"Only a handful of the Coral Sea’s reefs have been protected from fishing under this plan and they are well beyond the reach of the vast majority of users. The closest new green zone to Cairns is 210km out to sea.
 
“While some important areas have not been given a high level of protection, we are very happy that the government has recognised the significance of the Coral Sea in this way."

But outspoken Leichhardt MP Warren Entsch described the creation of the marine reserve as “devastating” for the region.

“Coastal communities right around the country are feeling betrayed, there’s no question about it,” Mr Entsch said.

“The ‘gan?green’ environmentalists might be jumping up and down but for families in the recreational and commercial fishing sectors, associated marine industries, tourism and coastal communities, there is no cause for celebration.

“The flow?on effect is going to be very significant for these operators – we are going to see job losses, the quality of seafood that we can serve in our restaurants is going to diminish, which will then impact on our reputation, and of course all the marine supply stores and affiliated businesses are going to be impacted,” Mr Entsch said.

Mr Entsch said the $100 million in Government compensation for affected industries is insufficient saying the economic impact could be ten times that amount.

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