The Australian Government has proposed creating a marine zone the size of Germany in the Southern Ocean.

The government says it wants to provide additional protection for millions of penguins and seals around Macquarie Island. 

Its new plan would see the size of the Macquarie Island marine park tripled, putting 388,000 sq km under high protection. 

The island, located between Tasmania and Antarctica, is a crucial breeding and feeding ground for seabirds, penguins and seals, including southern elephant seals, black-browed albatrosses, grey petrels, royal penguins, and southern rockhopper penguins.

Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek says the expansion of the marine park would increase the amount of protected area in Australia’s oceans to 48.2 per cent. 

The government will open its proposal for public consultation and says it will allow for the continuation of the small Patagonian toothfish fishery.

Conservationists have welcomed the proposal, with Antarctic conservation manager Emily Grilly from WWF-Australia saying that if approved, it would provide a refuge to help the island’s iconic species adapt to the changing climate. 

Fiona Maxwell, national oceans manager for the Pew Charitable Trusts, said the proposal was long overdue and would ensure the region gets the level of protection it deserves. 

Tooni Mahto, campaigns director at the Australian Marine Conservation Society, said the proposed expansion would be “a major contribution towards international efforts to conserve the Southern Ocean”.

However, the fishing industry has expressed concerns about the proposal, with Seafood Industry Australia describing it as “an ocean-grab funded by international activists with no basis in science, designed to tarnish the sustainably managed Toothfish Fishery”. 

The association’s chief executive, Veronica Papacosta, said the redesign of the park would send shockwaves through Australian communities and regions that rely on marine estates for employment, tourism, and recreation. 

She added that the proposal was “nothing more than a green-washed PR stunt designed to garner the support of the Greens and teal-independents, while making the eNGOs happy”.