The government of Australia plans to establish the world’s largest marine reserve in the Coral Sea, covering an area more than one-and-a-half times the size of France. If approved, the Coral Sea reserve, would be approximately 989,842 sq km. While environmentalists have praised the move, the Australian fishing industry has condemned the reserve as unnecessary pointing to a the recent release of a government report showing that more than 90 per cent of fish stocks are sustainable.  On the other hand, earlier this year a UNESCO report concluded that Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is under imminent threat from industrial development and may be considered for listing as a world heritage site “in danger” within the next year.