Some 13,000 sq km removed from conservation areas since 1997, researchers sayAustralia's nature reserves being opened up for business use, global study findsAustralian governments have slashed the legal protection of nature reserves in favour of business growth, a global study reveals. Dr Carly Cook of Monash University said governments across Australia had made more than 1,500 changes since 1997 which removed 13,000 sq km from conservation areas. “The losses we see in Australia reflect a shift towards the commercialisation and exploitation of conservation areas for human uses,” Cook said of the study’s findings. Countries across the globe have further weakened the protection of 1.65m sq km during the same time period. Researchers called for international conventions to establish systems to monitor and report on the loss of conservation areas to match systems for tracking their establishment.

Source: The Guardian May 30, 2019 22:41 UTC