A new marine reserve proposed for the Austral archipelago, could become the largest marine protected area in the world at a potential 1 million square kilometers (386,000 square miles). Elected representatives from five inhabited islands of French Polynesia’s Austral archipelago, Rimatara, Rurutu, Tubuai, Raivavae, and Rapa, have come together to propose to the central government in Tahiti that a large, highly protected marine reserve be created in their waters.
This proposed sanctuary in the South Pacific Ocean would extend far beyond the boundaries of the archipelago and even beyond the waters of French Polynesia. The waters surrounding French Polynesia make up the world’s largest contiguous exclusive economic zone (EEZ), at almost 5 million square kilometers (2 million square miles).
The expanse surrounds five archipelagoes the Austral, Society, Marquesas, Tuamotu, and Gambier Islands, is equal in size to the land area of the European Union. The Austral waters, the location of the proposed reserve, cover about one-fifth of the EEZ, nearly 1 million square kilometers (386,000 square miles).
Protecting the pristine waters around the Austral Islands through a large marine reserve would help maintain populations of pelagic fish species such as tuna, marlin, and mahimahi that could be fished sustainably outside the designated protected areas.
French Polynesia pledged in 2013 to protect at least 20 percent of its waters by 2020. In 2014, the municipal councils of the inhabited Austral Islands approved a resolution calling for “creation of a large marine reserve in the Austral’s EEZ beyond traditional fishing areas.” Such a designation would fulfill French Polynesia’s pledge and help meet broader scientific targets for protecting at least 30 percent of the ocean.
The Austral Islands’ relative isolation has resulted in a high number of species unique to the archipelago’s waters. For example, of the 455 species of mollusk found there, more than 20 percent—98 species—are endemic. The region also hosts three species of sea turtles, 10 species of marine mammals, 14 species of sharks, four species of rays, and 60 pelagic fish species. In the waters off Rapa alone, there are 112 coral species, 150 algae species, and 383 species of coastal fish, 10 percent of which are found only there.
Among the well-known fauna in these waters are Galapagos sharks, humpback whales that appear annually off the coast, and green turtles that nest on several islands. Establishment of a marine reserve would foster a healthy marine environment for animals and corals that hold significant ties to Polynesian heritage and that also are important for ecotourism. [Pew Charitable Trust]
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