http://www.environment.gov.au/coasts/coral-sea.html

About the Coral Sea Conservation Zone

The Coral Sea is internationally recognised for its rich biodiversity and important heritage values. In May 2009, the area of the Coral Sea under Australia's jurisdiction was declared a Conservation Zone to provide interim protection while the area is being assessed for possible inclusion in one or more Commonwealth marine reserves.

The Coral Sea Conservation Zone covers approximately 972,000km2 of Australian waters and seabed east of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (GBRMP), out to the edge of Australia's Exclusive Economic Zone. It is the second, and largest, marine conservation zone declared under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). The Heard Island and McDonald Islands (HIMI) Conservation Zone was established in the Southern Ocean in 2002.



The environmental significance of the Coral Sea lies in its diverse array of coral reefs, atolls, deep sea plains and canyons, and the extent to which the region's natural and heritage values have remained relatively undisturbed by direct human impact.

Recent international studies have highlighted that the Coral Sea is one of the last remaining areas of the world's oceans where large-scale and biologically rich ecosystems remain relatively intact.

The Coral Sea also has important heritage significance, being the location of a number of historic shipwrecks and of major naval conflicts of World War II.

By declaring a conservation zone in the Coral Sea, the Australian Government is demonstrating its commitment to protecting one of Australia's most biologically diverse and undisturbed marine environments.
What does the Coral Sea Conservation Zone mean for me?

The conservation zone will have no additional regulatory impact on most activities in the Coral Sea, such as commercial and recreational fishing, or cruise and merchant shipping. However, some commercial activities and scientific research activities will require a permit.
Commercial Fishing

Commercial fishing operators authorised under Commonwealth or state law will not be subject to additional regulation as a result of the declaration of the Coral Sea Conservation Zone
Recreational Fishing

Recreational fishing is allowed anywhere within the conservation zone, and is not subject to any new restrictions on equipment or take. Recreational fishing in the Coral Sea Conservation Zone remains subject to Queensland fisheries laws.

   * Brief guide to recreational fishing rules & regulations for Queensland

Minerals, Oil and Gas

There are no current or proposed oil, gas or minerals exploration or production operations in the conservation zone area. New exploration or mining operations in the Coral Sea Conservation Zone will require a permit.
Shipping

Australian and foreign cruise ships and merchant shipping vessels that comply with existing regulations are not required to obtain a permit to transit through the Coral Sea Conservation Zone.
Other Commercial Activities

Commercial activities in the Coral Sea Conservation Zone other than commercial fishing, such as charter boat operations, require a permit. There is no application fee for these permits. More information about permits is below.
Scientific Research

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http://www.wwf.org.au/coralsea/

Saving Australia's "Serengeti of the Sea"

Australia's Coral Sea, near the Great Barrier Reef, is one of the last remaining tropical wilderness areas in the world. But this majestic "Serengeti of the Sea" faces an uncertain future.

WWF wants the Australian Government to declare the Coral Sea a "Marine Protected Area", to safeguard this underwater sanctuary for future generations.

About the Coral Sea

Australia's Coral Sea is one of the world's last remaining pristine tropical marine environments.

Covering approximately 1 million square kilometres - three times the size of the neighbouring Great Barrier Reef (and four times the size of Great Britain!) - the Coral Sea comprises a series of spectacular coral reefs, formed by underwater mountains, rising thousands of metres from the sea floor.

The Coral Sea is a rare example of a marine environment that is thriving. Bountiful fish populations including grey and white tip reef sharks, hammerheads, manta rays, tuna, barracuda, turtles, whales and rare sea creatures such as the nautilus inhabit the waters, alongside an incredibly diverse range of corals.

Globally it is a different story. Coral reefs are vanishing at a rate five times faster than the world's rainforests, and the populations of large marine species - such as sharks and tuna - are estimated to have declined by up to 90 percent in many areas.

Due to its remoteness, the Coral Sea has largely managed to avoid this fate. The area is largely unprotected, leaving it vulnerable to the same impacts that have devastated other marine regions, including sea level rises caused by global warming, illegal fishing and the potential for large-scale oil and gas exploration in the region.

WWF-Australia believes the time has come to protect this tropical marine wilderness.

We are calling on all Australians to ask the Australian Government to declare the entire Coral Sea region a Marine Protected Area. This would create the world's largest Marine Park and protect the Coral Sea for future generations, before irreversible damage is done.

I think they have their priorities backwards.

Pretty much. I think we should start much closer to home. Not that it necessarily makes it a bad idea, just a low priority.

Like the 'no whaling zone' in international waters?