President George Bush plans to establish the world's largest protected ocean site, an act which will preserve a sensitive coral reef ecosystem on islands and atolls near Hawaii.
The 358,400 square kilometer area will be the largest protected area in the world, bigger than all of the national parks of the United States combined, and slightly larger than Australia's Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, now the largest protected marine area. The new protected area is home to more than 7,000 marine species. All commercial fishing will be phased out over the next five years.
"Marine biologists and environmental groups, many of whom have clashed bitterly with Mr. Bush over his support for new oil drilling and myriad other areas where they say he has weakened environmental protections, offered him rare praise yesterday."
" 'The President is creating the world's largest marine protected area. It's as important as the establishment of Yellowstone,' said Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defence, an environmental group based in New York City."
FULL STORY: Marine park is world's biggest
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