MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chagos archipielago MPS, doubles protected area of world’s oceans

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband announced last week the creation of a Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT). The move doubles the total officially protected area of the world's oceans.

A “no-take” marine reserve is included in the MPA where all commercial fishing will be prohibited. It’s “a historic victory for global ocean conservation,” the Pew Environment Group lauded.

BIOT is made up of 55 minute islands within 540,000 sq kilometres of the world's cleanest waters, according to the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

“The territory offers great scope for research in all fields of oceanography, biodiversity and many aspects of climate change, which are core research issues for UK science” Miliband said about the Chagos Archipelago MPA.

Miliband took the decision to create the reserve after making a full consultation, during which more than 275,000 people from over 200 nations and territories sent messages in support of full protection of the Chagos Islands and their surrounding waters.

The Foreign Office noted that over 90% of the respondents clearly expressed support for greater marine protection initiatives.

“The idea of making BIOT an MPA has the support of an impressive range of UK and international environmental organisations coming together under the auspices of the ‘Chagos Environment Network’ to help enhance the environmental protection in BIOT,” the Foreign Office said.

Pollution levels in Chagos waters and its marine life are exceptionally low, such that the area comprises a suitable global reference baseline, the Foreign Office explained.

“Scientists also advise us that BIOT is likely to be key, both in research and geographical terms, to the repopulation of coral systems along the East Coast of Africa and hence to the recovery in marine food supply in sub-Saharan Africa. BIOT waters will continue to be patrolled by the territory's patrol vessel, which will enforce the MPA conditions,” it elaborated.

The “decision […] 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,” affirmed William Marsden, Chairman of the Chagos Conservation Trust.

According to the Pew Environment Group, the leading scientific and conservation groups supporting the venture include the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Oceana, Blue Ocean Institute, Birdlife International and the National Resources Defence Council. (FIS/MP).-