Cooks create world’s largest marine park

The Cook Islands have announced the creation of the world’s largest marine park, covering a huge expanse of ocean nearly twice the size of France.

Prime Minister Henry Puna, who officially launched the initiative at the opening of the Pacific Leaders Forum on Tuesday, said the 1.065 million square kilometre reserve is “the largest area in history by a single country for integrated ocean conservation and management”.

Puna said protecting the Pacific, one of the world’s last pristine marine ecosystems, was the Cooks’ major contribution “to the well-being of not only our peoples, but also of humanity”. He encouraged other Pacific leaders to support similar initiatives.

“The marine park will provide the necessary framework to promote sustainable development by balancing economic growth interests such as tourism, fishing and deep sea mining with conserving core biodiversity in the ocean,” he said.

The new Cook Islands protected zone will take in the entire southern group’s waters.

This has Cook Islands conservation groups excited.

Pacific Islands Conservation Initiative (PICI) director Stephen Lyon said the prime minister’s reaffirmed commitment to the project paves the way for a more solid framework for the parks consultation and design – which could be a lengthy process.

Lyon explained the marine park uses area based conservation to protect everything that lives inside its confines, which is useful for protecting areas of special biological, ecological, geological or cultural value – not just one species like sharks.

But because the area is so large and there are many stakeholders, he said, exactly what levels of protection will be afforded to different areas is a complex issue.

Lyon hopes that by closing southern group areas to fishing, fishing efforts don’t just get “shifted” to northern group waters. The solution would be to reduce the number of fishing boats in the region, he says.

“As the planning moves forward we hope that any areas designated as no-take areas for commercial fishing are accompanied by an equal reduction in the number of vessels licensed to fish in the Cook Islands.”

There has been talk of a proposed marine park all year.

Now Te Ipukarea Society (TIS) programme manager Jacqui Evans says the environmental group looks forward to working with overseas partners who have already expressed interest in helping establish the park.

“This is just the beginning of a journey that we hope will bring people together from different perspectives to agree on a way forward with ecologically sustainable development.”

Government agencies are also looking forward to the initiative’s protection of the ocean – this year’s Forum theme.

Tai Nooapii, manager of the Water Waste and Sanitation (WATSAN) unit of the infrastructure and planning ministry, explains while their work focuses on protecting lagoons from land-based pollution, the health of lagoons directly impacts the health of the ocean.

“We welcome the marine park initiative and look forward to working with those involved to further promote the health and wellbeing of the Cook Islands unique environment.”