Fish make rapid comeback in the world's largest no-fishing zone

Not Exactly Rocket Science
By Ed Yong
Jun 23, 2008 9:00 PMNov 5, 2019 2:20 AM

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In 2004, the Australian Government turned a third of the Great Barrier Reef into the largest network of no-fishing zones in the world. All fishing was banned in an area of sea just smaller than England. It was a bold and controversial political move - jobs and livelihoods, it was said, were on the line. But the plan went ahead and in just a few years, there are signs that it's working. One of the reef's most heavily fished species - the coral trout- is enjoying a dramatic comeback, thanks to this most ambitious of marine conservation projects.

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