for the Mediterranean (GFCM) banned bottom trawling below 1000 meters (3,281 ft) and, in January 2006, completely closed ecologically sensitive areas off Italy, Cyprus, and Egypt to all bottom trawling. Norway first recognized in 1999 that trawling had caused significant damage to its cold-water lophelia corals. Norway has since established a program to determine the location of cold-water corals within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) so as to quickly close those areas to bottom trawling. Canada has acted to protect vulnerable coral reef ecosystems from bottom trawling off Nova Scotia. The Northeast Channel was protected by a fisheries closure in 2002, and the Gully area was protected by its designation as a Marine Protected Area (MPA) in 2004. Australia in 1999 established the Tasmanian Seamounts Marine Reserve to prohibit bottom trawling in the south Tasman Sea. Australia also prohibits bottom trawling in the Great Australian Bight Marine Park off South Australia near Ceduna. In 2004, Australia established the world's largest marine protected area in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, where fishing and other extractive activities are prohibited. New Zealand in 2001 closed 19 seamounts within its EEZ to bottom trawling, including in the Chatham Rise, sub-Antarctic waters, and off the east and west coasts of the North Island. New Zealand Fisheries Minister Jim Anderton announced on 14 February 2006 that a draft agreement had been reached with fishing companies to ban bottom trawling in 30 percent of New Zealand's EEZ, an area of about reaching from subantarctic waters to subtropical ones. But only a small fraction of the area proposed for protection will cover areas actually vulnerable to bottom trawling. Palau has banned all bottom trawling within its jurisdiction and by any Palauan or Palauan corporation anywhere in the world. The President of Kiribati, Anote Tong, announced in early 2006 the formation of the world's first deep-sea marine reserve area. This measure – the Phoenix Islands Protected Area – created the world's third-largest marine protected area and may protect deep sea corals, fish, and seamounts from bottom trawling. However, the actual boundaries of this reserve and what harvest limitations may occur therein have not been detailed. Moreover, Kiribati currently has only one patrol boat to monitor this proposed region. Venezuela was the first country to ban industrial trawling in its territorial waters and EEZ in 2009. Hong Kong passed legislation banning trawling on 18 May 2011 in an effort