Tasman Fracture Commonwealth Marine Reserve facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tasman Fracture Commonwealth Marine Reserve |
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IUCN Category VI (Managed Resource Protected Area)
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Location | Indian Ocean, Australia |
Nearest town | Melaleuca, Tasmania |
Area | 42,501 km2 (16,410 sq mi) |
Established | August 31, 2007 |
Governing body | Parks Australia (Commonwealth of Australia) |
The Tasman Fracture Commonwealth Marine Reserve is a huge protected area in the ocean. It covers about 42,502 square kilometers of Australian waters. This special place is located off the coast of south-west Tasmania.
The reserve stretches far south into the Indian Ocean. It includes a deep underwater canyon called the Tasman Fracture. This important reserve was created in 2007. It is part of a bigger group of protected ocean areas called the South-east Commonwealth Marine Reserve Network.
This reserve has amazing underwater mountains. Some of these peaks rise to less than 1500 meters below the ocean surface. These mountains are home to beautiful deep-sea corals. Many different animals live here. You can find seabirds, seals, and ocean mammals like dolphins and even killer whales! The reserve also has fish that live in cold, southern waters. There are also many small creatures that live on the seabed. The ocean currents in this area help make the reserve rich in different kinds of life.
Protecting the Ocean
Most of the Tasman Fracture marine reserve is a special type of protected area. It is called an IUCN protected area category VI area. This means it's a place where people can use the natural resources in a careful way. However, different parts of the reserve have different rules. These parts are called "zones."
Here's how the different zones work:
Zone | IUCN | Activities permitted | Area (km2) |
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Recreational fishing | Commercial fishing | Mining | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Marine National Park | II | No | No | No | 692 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Special Purpose | VI | Yes | No | with approval | 21,313 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Multiple Use | VI | Yes | with approval | with approval | 20 496 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
- Marine National Park Zone: This is the most protected part. It covers 692 square kilometers. In this zone, no fishing or mining is allowed. It's like a national park, but underwater!
- Special Purpose Zone: This zone is much larger, covering 21,313 square kilometers. You can go recreational fishing here. But commercial fishing is not allowed. Mining might be allowed, but only with special permission.
- Multiple Use Zone: This zone is 20,496 square kilometers. It allows recreational fishing. Commercial fishing and mining might also be allowed here. But again, only if you get special approval.
These different zones help protect the ocean while still allowing some activities. This way, people can enjoy the marine reserve and its resources responsibly.