Indonesia will create Southeast Asia’s largest marine park in the Savu Sea, Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Freddy Numberi said on Wednesday at the World Ocean Conference in Manado, Sulawesi.

The Savu Marine National Park will cover 3.5 million hectares in an incredibly diverse area where you can find no less than 500 coral species, over 300 recognized species of fish and a lot of charismatic wildlife like sea turtles, sharks, dolphins and whales. Out of 27 known species of whale, no less than 14 migrate through the Savu Sea to get from the Pacific to the Indian Ocean. The Savu Sea is also an important spawning ground for many marine species, including the world’s dwindling tuna population.

Indonesia is famous for its prosperous marine environment, but this marine flora and fauna are today facing serious treats, including pollution, over fishing and the use of unsustainable fishing methods. Lax enforcement of Indonesian law has made it possible for fishermen to continue using illegal fishing methods such as dynamite and cyanide fishing.

Within the Savu Marine National Park, efforts will be made to eradicate illegal fishing practises while keeping certain areas open for local fishermen to continue traditional subsistence fishing. Tourism activities will also be allowed in certain designated areas within the park. Environmental groups, including WWF and The Nature Conservancy, will help set up the reserve together with the Indonesian government.

“Enforcement is one of the key questions we need to work out, said Rili Djohani”, marine expert at The Nature Conservancy. “It could be a combination of community-based and government patrols.”

The Savu Marine National Park is located within the so called Coral Triangle, a coral reef network bounded by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and the Solomon Islands.

In an earlier post, we wrote about President Bush’s proposal to create the largest protected marine area in the world in the Pacific Ocean.

A group of scientists, environmental groups, and former members of Australia’s navy are now calling for the creation of another reserve that would ban fishing in a whopping 400,000 square mile area off Australia’s northeast coast.

Coral at the Great barrier reef, Australia

It will sure be interesting to see if these two suggestions will become a reality, and if so, which of the protected areas that will ultimately become the largest protected marine area in the world. When discussing protected areas it is also important to keep in mind that the term “protected” can mean very different things.

The proposed protected area off of Australia’s northeast coast is known as the Coral Sea. It is a so called marginal sea, which means that it is a part of an ocean partially enclosed by land, e.g. by archipelagos and peninsulas. The Coral Sea is bordered by the east coast of Queensland to the west, by the Vanuatu archipelago and New Caledonia to the east, and by the Solomon Islands to the north.

The Coral Sea Basin is believed to have been formed between 58 and 48 million years ago when the Queensland continental shelf was lifted up by tectonic forces. The sea is not only famous for its rich biodiversity; it is of cultural significance as well and was for instance the location of a famous battle during World War II.

The effort to create a no-take marine park in the Coral Sea is headed by the Pew Environment Group. You can find more information about the initiative on their site.