Conservation: Australian marine park to be enlarged to size of Germany

Good news for these guys - the bigger marine park will give them even more protected space to live in

A marine park in Australia is being expanded to the size of Germany as part of local conservation efforts to protect wildlife.

The Australian government said it would expand the park's borders to limit fishing and mining.

The organisers said the plan would help to protect millions of vulnerable seabirds and animals.

Macquarie Island marine park is home to penguins, seals, albatrosses, and many different kinds of fish and birds.

Where is Macquarie Island Park?

Up to 40 people are allowed to stay on Macquarie Island for work reasons but people do not live there permanently

The park is an area next to Macquarie Island, which sits half way between Australia and Antarctica in the Southern Ocean. It has UNESCO world heritage status - which means it is officially classified as a special and important place to the world.

The marine park was put in place outside of the island to protect seabirds and marine life living close to the island. It extends far out into the ocean, to protect seabirds and fish from the nearby Australian fishing waters.

Macquarie Island is isolated and is home to many different animals and only 20-40 people, who are allowed to stay there while carrying out conservation work. It does not have a permanent human population.

Which animals live there?

There are lots of elephant seals there, like this sleepy pup

Plenty of animals live there and take advantage of the relative lack of people.

To name a few of the inhabitants, the island is home to royal penguins, rockhopper penguins, southern elephant seals, albatrosses and petrels.

Some four million penguins and 100,000 seals regularly visit the island. Seabirds also travel there to mate.

Seals and penguins often rest in the area close to the research centre, so scientists have to be extra careful when working there.

However, after it was discovered in 1810, animals have been placed in danger by human missions and seal hunting. The island's plant population has also been under threat from the impact of climate change, and cases of dieback, which is a plant disease that quickly spreads through a plant family.

Why enlarge the marine park?

Conservation experts and the government want to look after creatures like these rockhopper penguins that use the island

On the other side of the park are Australia's fishing waters. Now the government wants to reduce how much fishing takes place near the island.

Although there is already a large conservation space, many birds and marine wildlife are still at risk from mass-fishing.

Another reason to extend the park is to do with deep-sea mining - the activity causes habitat destruction and pollutes the water.

Mining is completely banned in marine park areas to keep the animals and their habitats safe.

The park will be expanded by about 184,000 square miles, which would make it about the size of Germany.

Some fishing will continue in the area, but will be limited to Patagonian toothfish as they do not have official conservation status, meaning they are not officially classified as being endangered.