The federal environment minister, Murray Watt, has pledged to put an extra half a million square kilometres of Australia\u2019s ocean out of reach of fishers and drillers in a step conservationists hope will \u201cright the wrongs\u201d of an Abbott-era downgrade of marine protection.<\/p>\n
Watt confirmed last year Australia would put 30% of its ocean estate under a high level of protection<\/a> that bans extractive industries as part of an international agreement to protect 30% of the planet\u2019s oceans.<\/p>\n On Tuesday, Watt met conservationists, fishers and representatives from tourism, oil and gas and offshore wind to kickstart a review of management plans across 44 national marine parks.<\/p>\n Watt told Guardian Australia the process was a \u201cmajor priority for our government this term\u201d and said he wanted to avoid the \u201cculture wars\u201d ignited by the Abbott government before marine park maps were redrawn in 2018.<\/p>\n In a deeply contentious and controversial move<\/a>, the Abbott government blocked Labor\u2019s marine park plans in 2013 and called for a review<\/a>. The Turnbull government followed through and downgraded planned protections across more than 1m sq km<\/a>, keeping those areas open for fishing and drilling.<\/p>\n Watt said it was an example of the Coalition at the time \u201ctrying to create culture wars around environmental issues\u201d.<\/p>\n Sign up to get climate and environment editor Adam Morton\u2019s Clear Air column as a free newsletter<\/a><\/p>\n The minister said he believed it was possible to increase the area of marine sanctuaries \u2013 where extractive activities like fishing and drilling are banned \u2013 while protecting the environment and economic interests.<\/p>\n Currently, 24% of Australia\u2019s ocean estate is highly protected \u2013 which is 2.2m sq km.<\/p>\n Watt said the extra 523,980 sq km that would be needed to hit a 30% target could come both by expanding areas within existing marine parks and by adding new areas.<\/p>\n The shallows around the southern rim of Osprey Reef in the vast Coral Sea marine park to the east of the Great Barrier Reef. Photograph: Darren Jew\/Darren Jew\/WWF-Australia<\/p>\n