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2013-05-01
National Geographic;
Scientific knowledge of the Pitcairn Islands is based on a series of expeditions from 1825 to 2012. These have been of varying duration and intensity of effort, but the majority have focused on collection trips and inventories of a range of species (plants and animals) from the four islands. In relation to marine species found in the Pitcairn Islands, these expeditions have produced extremely valuable information, although this is inevitably skewed depending on the research effort on the different islands and the focus of previous expeditions (summarised in Irving and Dawson, 2012). There has, however, been no on-going scientific monitoring carried out in Pitcairn's waters, so we have no knowledge of whether or how Pitcairn's marine biodiversity has changed over this period. In 2012, the National Geographic Pristine Seas Expedition to all four islands undertook the first rigorous, quantitative measures of species diversity of algae, corals, and fishes, as well as coral cover, fish abundance, and biomass (at 10- and 20-metre depths). This important study provides a quantitative baseline that can be used as the basis for measuring changes in the marine environment over time. This is particularly important should a marine reserve be established, because it provides a "pre-reserve" baseline against which future management can be judged. (Maps of the 96 monitoring sites are included in Appendix A.) The combination of isolation, endemism, near-pristine status, and variations among the four islands—along with the relatively limited amount of research and the 2012 baseline data—provides an extraordinary opportunity to develop a more cohesive research plan linked to the establishment of a marine reserve.
2013-05-01
National Geographic;
The Pitcairn Islands, by virtue of their small size and isolation, do not have many obvious economic options, but tourism based on their environment and history is an opportunity that could provide employment, income, and increased connection to the outside world. The creation of the world's largest marine reserve in the Pitcairn Islands would greatly enhance the territory's image and provide an opportunity for increased awareness of the islands and their unique tourism offerings. The proposed marine reserve represents a realistic opportunity for building a sustainable economic future for Pitcairn's resident population. Environmentally responsible marine tourism has enormous potential for generating reliable revenues for the Pitcairn islanders and overcoming chronic problems of economic marginalisation caused by the islands' extreme geographic isolation.
2013-05-01
National Geographic;
This paper details how monitoring and enforcement of the Pitcairn Island's exclusive economic zone could be effectively undertaken for a relatively low level of expenditure. It is important to note that there is no such thing as perfect enforcement, although, in general, the greater the funds available, the closer to perfection an enforcement system is likely to get. This paper does not attempt to detail how near-to-perfect enforcement might be achieved because establishing such a system would be far too costly to be a realistic policy option. Rather, it outlines the most important steps that could be taken to create a robust enforcement system and reviews some affordable technologies that could be deployed to support it. Creating a marine reserve and deploying these relatively low-cost options would protect Pitcairn Islands' exclusive economic zone far better than it currently is, and far better than the vast majority of oceans worldwide. These actions would distinguish the United Kingdom as a world leader in responsible stewardship of the marine environment.
2013-05-01
National Geographic;
Past studies in the Pitcairn Islands exclusive economic zone concur that fish stocks are low and that large-scale commercial fishing is not economically viable. Pitcairn lies in an area of the Pacific that is low in nutrients and therefore lacks the conditions necessary to support commercially significant fish biomass. Although it is possible that the available biomass for tuna may change in the future due to climate change, there is little evidence upon which to make a solid prediction and other climate change related factors may in any case preclude this from happening. Furthermore, evidence from fisheries elsewhere shows that the sustainability of stocks can only be ensured through the use of on-board observers to monitor all activities and catches. This is economically viable only in non-marginal fishing areas, which therefore precludes Pitcairn waters.
2012-08-01
Dundee University Press;
The Pitcairn Islands are a group of four near-pristine small islands which can claim to be some of the most remote islands in the world. They are situated between latitudes 23° and 26° south and longitudes 124° and 131° west and located in the crystal-clear waters of the central South Pacific, about 2,200 km south-east of Tahiti and 2,100 km west of Easter Island. The group comprises: l Pitcairn Island, a high volcanic island of 450 ha with lava cliffs and rugged hills rising to a peak at 347 m; it is the only inhabited island, with a population of around 60 as of 2012; l Henderson (200 km east-north-east of Pitcairn) is the largest island in the group with an area of 4,310 ha. It is a raised fossilised coral atoll which rises to 33 m. It is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site on account of its unique natural history and ecological intactness, and it has been described as "a South Pacific conservation jewel"1 ; l Ducie (472 km east of Pitcairn), the most southerly coral atoll in the world, consists of a central lagoon surrounded by four islets covering an area of 70 ha; l Oeno (120 km north-west of Pitcairn) is a low coral atoll of 65 ha comprising a central low-lying island surrounded by a shallow lagoon and a fringing reef (diameter approximately 4 km). Together, all four islands and their surrounding waters out to the 200 nautical mile limit – also known as the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) – span a vast area of ocean of about 836,000 km2 , more than three times the size of the UK.
2015-03-18
The Pew Charitable Trusts;
In March 2015, the United Kingdom declared the world's largest fully protected marine reserve in the remote waters surrounding the Pitcairn Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. The designation marks the first time any government has combined creation of a fully protected marine area with detailed plans for surveillance and enforcement that include use of the most up-to-date technology available. This approach sets a new standard for the comprehensive monitoring of protected areas. In 2013, The Pew Charitable Trusts and The National Geographic Society joined the local government, the Pitcairn Island Council, in submitting a proposal calling for creation of a marine reserve to protect these spectacular waters. The Pitcairn Islands Marine Reserve spans 834,334 square kilometres (322,138 square miles). Together with the Chagos Marine Reserve in the Indian Ocean, designated in 2010, the United Kingdom has created the world's two biggest fully protected marine areas, totalling 1,474,334 square kilometres (569,243 square miles). Through these actions, the United Kingdom—caretaker of the fifth-greatest amount of marine habitat of any country in the world—has established its place as a global leader in ocean conservation.
2016-09-15
The Pew Charitable Trusts;
Located in the middle of the South Pacific Ocean, the Pitcairn Islands are a British Overseas Territory and, as of August 2016, home to one of the world's largest fully protected marine reserves. The Pitcairn Islands Marine Reserve, almost 3.5 times the size of the United Kingdom at about 830,000 square kilometres (320,465 square miles), serves as a habitat to at least 1,249 species of marine mammals, seabirds, and fish. It safeguards one of the most pristine ocean environments on Earth. But even for wealthy nations, enforcement of reserve rules—such as prohibitions on commercial fishing and seafloor mining—in such a remote area is challenging and expensive. To address that issue, new methods and cutting-edge technologies have been used to develop an enforcement strategy for this reserve.
