Conservation
Jun. 14th, 2025 03:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithFrench Polynesia created the world’s largest marine protected area
At the U.N. Ocean Conference this week, French Polynesia announced the creation of the world’s largest marine protected area, covering nearly 5 million square kilometers, or over 1.9 million square miles. It also plans to add another 500,000 square kilometers by next World Ocean Day.
Of that area, 1.1 million square kilometers (424,712 square miles) will be designated as highly or fully protected, meaning only traditional coastal fishing, ecotourism, and scientific research are allowed.
It's a step forward, but my standard of FULLY protected means "humans don't go there." That's what is required for many edge-sensitive and disturbance-sensitive species. On land, if there is so much as a road through it, those species will avoid the area even if there are no vehicles using the road most of the time.
At the U.N. Ocean Conference this week, French Polynesia announced the creation of the world’s largest marine protected area, covering nearly 5 million square kilometers, or over 1.9 million square miles. It also plans to add another 500,000 square kilometers by next World Ocean Day.
Of that area, 1.1 million square kilometers (424,712 square miles) will be designated as highly or fully protected, meaning only traditional coastal fishing, ecotourism, and scientific research are allowed.
It's a step forward, but my standard of FULLY protected means "humans don't go there." That's what is required for many edge-sensitive and disturbance-sensitive species. On land, if there is so much as a road through it, those species will avoid the area even if there are no vehicles using the road most of the time.
