LONDON: The Pew Charitable Trusts and the National Geographic Society praised action by the British government today to create the world’s largest fully protected marine reserve around the Pitcairn Islands, an overseas territory in the South Pacific Ocean.
The 834,334-square-kilometre (322,138-square-mile) reserve is roughly 3 ½ times the size of the United Kingdom. Home to at least 1,249 species of marine mammals, seabirds and fish, the new reserve protects some of the most near-pristine ocean habitat on Earth. In 2013, Pew and National Geographic joined the local elected body, the Pitcairn Island Council, in submitting a proposal calling for the creation of a marine reserve to protect these spectacular waters.
“With this designation, the United Kingdom raises the bar for protection of our ocean and sets a new standard for others to follow,” said Matt Rand, director of Global Ocean Legacy, a project of Pew and its partners that advocates for the establishment of the world’s great marine parks. “The United Kingdom is the caretaker of more than 6 million square kilometres of ocean — the fifth-largest marine area of any country. Through this designation, British citizens are playing a vital role in ensuring the health of our seas. The Pitcairn Islands Marine Reserve will build a refuge of untouched ocean to protect and conserve a wealth of marine life.”
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