WWF: Make Coral Sea a protected zone to save marine life: 21-05-2008
The World Wild Fund for Nature (WWF) has asked for the Coral Sea, off the coast of Australia, to be declared a protected area to help halt the extinction of marine life such as whitetip and grey reef sharks, nautilus, and mauri wrasse.
The organisation are concerned that over fishing could lead to some species becoming extinct.
"For this reason alone, we are renewing our calls to the federal government to declare the entire Coral Sea a marine protected area," WWF spokeswoman Dr Gilly Llewellyn said.
"Without protection, these species are highly vulnerable to human impacts which could easily and quickly wipe them out".
A recent expedition by shark expert Richard Fitzpatrick showed the range of reef sharks was restricted to between one and three kilometres around Osprey Reef in the Coral Sea.
Whitetip and grey reef sharks are listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's red list of threatened species.
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