New Zealand Prime Minister John Key announced on Monday, Sept. 28, that Kermadec Islands will be turned into a vast ocean sanctuary. The plan is to rank it among the largest in the world, with complete fishing and mining ban to boot.
Dubbed as Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary, the area is said to run some 239,000 square miles of water, spreading through the South Pacific Ocean, approximately 621 miles north-east of New Zealand.
The location is regarded as a critical reserve where biodiversity is set on a high, with about 35 species of dolphins and whales, 150 kinds of fish and three species of turtles present. The area is also said to house the longest range of submerged volcanoes in the world, as well as a massive deep ocean trench that plunges to about 6.21 miles - a measurement that is way higher than the height of Mount Everest.
"The Kermadecs is a world-class, unspoiled marine environment and New Zealand is proud to protect it for future generations," said Key. The people of the country put high value on its oceans and coasts, which are essential culturally, economically and environmentally. For this, they are committed to supervise these areas sustainably.
Aside from providing assistance to the fishing industry, safeguarding the protected regions will also protect nearby Pacific neighbors, which is in line with the country's efforts to help Pacific economies flourish via responsible governance of marine resources.
The extent of the sanctuary will be significantly larger than the previously declared protected areas. As per estimates, the Kermadec will be twice the size of New Zealand's land area. The sanctuary will also cover approximately 15 percent of the country's exclusive economic area.
As the planned reserve is set in place, commercial and recreational fishing will go into a full ban. The same restrictions will also be imposed in the mining industry, including exploration and prospecting of mineral, gas and oil. Key is looking at passing a law regarding these plans by 2016.
The announcement made by the Prime Minister shocked the seafood export sector, which is said to have an annual worth of $822 million. George Clement, chairman of Seafood New Zealand commented that without an early warning from the government, the seafood sector should be given time to review the impacts of the pending law. He said that the ban would include tuna, which ranks fourth in the seafood export industry as per 2013 data.
According to Nick Smith, New Zealand's environment minister, while ocean resources are required to fulfill various jobs and needs, people should also give way to the special aspects where nature should be prioritized and marine life must be fully safeguarded.
Matt Rand, director of the global ocean legacy campaign of Pew Charitable Trust said that New Zealand will establish the gold standard of conservation sanctuaries, maintaining the health of one of the most unspoiled ocean areas in the planet. He added that this endeavor is an exciting move toward fulfilling global objectives to protect at least 30 percent of the ocean via completely guarded ocean reserves.
Photo: Bill Harrison | Flickr
