The UK government has designated an area around the Chagos Islands as the world's largest marine reserve.

by **Admin** on Thu Apr 01, 2010 9:14 am

UK sets up Chagos Islands marine reserve

Conservationists say the area is a biodiversity
hotspot

The UK government has designated an
area around the Chagos Islands as the world's largest marine reserve.The
reserve would cover a 545,000-sq-km area around the Indian Ocean
archipelago, regarded as one of the world's richest marine ecosystems. This
will include a "no-take" marine reserve where commercial fishing will
be banned. But islanders, who live in exile, have expressed
concern that a reserve may in effect ban them from returning. The
UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband said establishing the reserve would
"double the global coverage of the world's oceans under protection". He
commented: "Its creation is a major step forward for protecting the
oceans, not just around BIOT [British Indian Ocean Territory] itself,
but also throughout the world.

It will protect a treasure trove of tropical, marine wildlife for
posterity

William Marsden
Chagos Conservation Trust

"This measure is a further demonstration of how the UK takes its
international environmental responsibilities seriously." Conservationists
say the combination of tropical islands, unspoiled coral reefs and
adjacent oceanic abyss makes the area a biodiversity hotspot of global
importance. The archipelago has been compared to to the Galapagos
Islands and hosts the world's biggest living coral structure - the
Great Chagos Bank. This is home to more than 220 coral species - almost
half the recorded species of the entire Indian Ocean, and more than
1,000 species of reef fish. William Marsden, chairman of the
Chagos Conservation Trust, commented: "Today's decision by the British
government is inspirational. It will protect a treasure trove of
tropical, marine wildlife for posterity and create a safe haven for
breeding fish stocks for the benefit of people in the region." Court
historyHowever, some Chagossians have said a protected zone
could prevent them from fishing - their main livelihood. The
former residents, who were evicted from the British overseas territory
between 1967 and 1971 to make way for a US Air Force base on the largest
island, Diego Garcia, have fought a long-running battle in the UK
courts for the right to return. Conservationists said the
545,000-sq-km (210,000-sq-mile) protection zone - an area twice the size
of the UK - would prohibit activities such as industrial fishing and
deep-sea mining. Alistair Gammell, from the Pew Environment
Group, said he was "thrilled" with the decision, adding that the oceans
"desperately need better protection". He commented: "In 2010, the
International Year of Biodiversity, the UK has secured a conservation
legacy which is unrivalled in scale and significance, demonstrating to
the world that it is a leader in conserving the world's marine resources
for the benefit of future generations." The Foreign Office said
it had been advised that the BIOT was crucial for repopulating coral
systems along the East Coast of Africa and hence to the recovery in the
marine food supply in sub-Saharan Africa. The conditions of the
marine protected area are expected to be enforced by the territory's
patrol vessel.