Australia will establish the world's largest network of marine parks to protect its ocean environment under new laws, Environment Minister Tony Burke said at a press conference on Friday.

This plan will entail six marine regions covering more than 2.3 million square kilometers of Australian waters.

The marine reserves are a world first and will only have a minor impact on commercial fishing, according to Tony Burke.

"There are some areas where you've got fishing still continuing but some activity such as trawling are banned, while you have some areas where oil and gas exploration is banned," he told ABC Radio on Friday. Business affected by the changes will be able to access 100 million dollars in assistance.

The government announced its proposal to create the network of marine reserves in June, saying it would consult with affected industries about how they should be implemented. After several months of consultation, the areas are officially proclaimed.

New marine reserves have been proclaimed in five of Australia's six large marine regions, with the reserves in the Southeast region announced in 2007. Endi

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