Australia’s inadequate marine protection | Science

In October 2024, the Australian government announced the expansion of the Heard and McDonald Islands Marine Park Reserve and claimed that 52% of Australian waters are now protected, making the nation the “global leader in marine conservation” (1). That announcement disregards evidence that Australia’s Marine Protected Area (MPA) network has consistently failed to protect important areas of biodiversity (2–6). Australia must substantially improve its MPA network before claiming conservation success. In October 2024, the Australian government announced the expansion of the Heard and McDonald Islands Marine Park Reserve and claimed that 52% of Australian waters are now protected, making the nation the “global leader in marine conservation” (1). That announcement disregards evidence that Australia’s Marine Protected Area (MPA) network has consistently failed to protect important areas of biodiversity (2–6). Australia must substantially improve its MPA network before claiming conservation success.  Science