The British government announced the creation of the world’s largest marine sanctuary today, protecting an area more than triple its size in its South Pacific Ocean territory.
At 322,138 square miles, the Pitcairn Islands Marine Reserve protects at least 1250 species, including 365 kinds of fish and 22 species of whales and dolphins in the most pristine ocean habitat left on Earth.
Pew Charitable Trusts will use a satellite monitoring system called Virtual Watch Room to detect any illegal fishing in real time:
The announcement is in line with a growing international movement to protect the ocean, with over 2.5 million square miles in marine preserves to date.
In 2010, the UK created the Indian Ocean’s Chagos Marine Reserve – the largest continuous, protected area until today. Australia expanded protection for the Great Barrier Reef, and last year, President Obama significantly expanded the Pacific Remote Islands National Marine Monument.
Still, only about 1% of the world’s ocean is fully protected.
Ocean Wins in 2014
While the ocean remains in serious trouble from overfishing, pollution, climate change, and habitat destruction, there are more and more success stories.
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Palau declared its entire ocean area a sanctuary, and Kiribati and Cook Islands closed at least half of their waters to commercial fishing, in addition to the expansion of the Pacific Remote Island National Monument.
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Over 30 countries are using ocean zoning as a management tool, such as the Blue Halo Initiative in Barbuda.
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The EU finally approved a legally binding commitment to sustainable fisheries.
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Ground fisheries in the Pacific Northwest have returned to sustainable levels.
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Caribbean coral reefs can be restored by preventing fertilizer runoff and by protecting key herbivores like parrotfish that keep reefs healthy. Other efforts to protect reefs include breeding super-strong reefs; artificially inseminating them; and using robots to repair reefs.
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There is increased focus on the health of oceans through international conferences, donations from Bloomberg Philanthropy, the Clinton Global Initiative, and an executive order from President Obama.
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Plastic pollution in the ocean is finally receiving attention.
If you get HBO, this week’s episode is Countdown to Extinction -about industrial over-fishing.
Here are all the ocean preserves:
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