Kiribati marine reserve doubles size to become world's largest

The tiny Pacific island nation of Kiribati has more than doubled the size of a marine reserve it first pledged to create two years ago, making it the largest in the world.

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The protected zone, is about the size of California and boasts some of the planet's most pristine reefs, sustaining 120 species of coral and 520 species of fish.

Known as the Phoenix Islands Protected Area, it covers 164,000-square-miles and lies near the Equator, about half way between Fiji and Hawaii.

Kiribati's environment minister, Tetapo Nakara, said his government wanted to conserve the area's biological diversity.

"The coral reefs and bird populations of the islands are unique, virtually untouched by man - a true wilderness of natural beauty."

Kiribati was helped in setting up the reserve by the US-based group Conservation International and the New England Aquarium of Boston. advertisement

Kiribati first declared its intention to set up the marine park at a UN biodiversity conference in Brazil in 2006.

By doubling its area, it now exceeds in size the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument in Hawaii and Australia's Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

"Kiribati has taken an inspirational step in increasing the size of [the protected area] well beyond the original eight atolls and globally important seabird, fish and coral reef communities," said Greg Stone, New England Aquarium vice president of global marine programmes.

Policing the new reserve against over-fishing and pollution will be a huge challenge - Kiribati has just one patrol boat for the task, donated by Australia.

"We are also looking at the co-operation of Australia and New Zealand in aerial surveillance flights over the region," said Tebwe Ietaake, secretary of Kiribati's environment ministry.

Kiribati is calling for donors to contribute to a trust fund of up to $100m to pay for better surveillance of the marine park and to compensate for lost income from lucrative commercial fishing licences.

Villagers living on isolated atolls across the area will still be permitted to engage in subsistence fishing.

A former British colony, Kiribati's territorial waters encompass a vast expanse of the South Pacific but its total land area covers just 287 square miles, spread across 33 coral atolls.

From

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/02/14/eakiribati114.xml

Contributed by Tim Hochgrebe added 2008-02-29