West Australian Coast Gets Some Conservation Help

A campaign is being launched to protect vast areas around Western Australia - but this time there's no trees involved.

Conservation groups want much more of the ocean turned into marine parks to keep the fishermen out.

Spokeswoman Jessica Meeuwig, a marine scientist from the University of Western Australia, said WA's oceans were full of unique species but they were threatened by fishing.

More people were going fishing and they had more money, hence bigger boats and better equipment, Prof Meeuwig said. Marine equivalents of national parks were needed.