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Burke said he wanted the reserves to set a benchmark for the world in environmental protection and food security
-- the access to and consistent availability of food. The plan aims to guarantee future fish stocks by preventing overfishing. "We have an incredible opportunity to turn the tide on protection of the oceans and Australia can lead the world in marine protection," he said. Don Henry, chief executive of the environmental group Australian Conservation Foundation, said the plan will make Australia a global leader in ocean protection. But he warned that the remote northwest region where an offshore oil and gas industry is already established had been left vulnerable to the threats of further energy exploration. Rachel Siewert, a senator for the environmentally focused Greens party, which supports the Labor Party minority government, described the plan as a "cave-in to the oil and gas industry." She said allowing exploratory drilling beside some of the most highly protected zones off northwest Australia leaves critical habitats for threatened species, including humpback whales, whale sharks, flatback turtles and dolphins, vulnerable to contamination from oil spills. Judy Lynne, chief executive of the recreational anglers' group Sunfish Queensland, said the ban on commercial operations in the most environmentally sensitive areas would result in more foreign trawlers fishing illegally.
[Associated
Press;
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