PIPA Now World's Largest Marine Protected Area

(Apia, Samoa) On January 28, 2008, the Government of Kiribati announced the expansion of the boundaries of the Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA) to encompass an area of 410,500 km2 and approved associated regulations. The announcement by Minister Nakara follows recent government actions to expand the original provisional boundaries to include most of Kiribati’s exclusive economic zone surrounding the islands. The PIPA is an area encompassing several critical ocean habitats, and exploration has already yielded some species new to science. Our understanding of the unique biological diversity of this place will only increase with this protection and further scientific exploration.

This action makes the PIPA the world’s largest declared marine protected area, an incredible accomplishment for Kiribati, the largest atoll nation in the world. The PIPA will include the Phoenix Islands archipelago and both Winslow and Carondelet reefs within its boundaries. In addition, vast areas of deep ocean will also be carefully managed and protected. This important action serves as both a protection for Kiribati’s fisheries as well as an important mitigation force against the impacts of global warming. PIPA is currently nominated as a possible UNESCO World Heritage site and a successful World Heritage meeting was recently held in Tarawa in December.

Kiribati will continue to work with Conservation International, the New England Aquarium, and other partners on management plans and the development of an endowment to support the PIPA. The PIPA is managed by the Phoenix Islands Conservation Steering Committee, comprised of representatives from several governmental and non-governmental agencies.