In the Pacific, Niue’s fight to protect a maritime space as big as Vietnam

by time news

The Pacific island state of Niue has announced its intention to protect 100% of the waters of its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) which covers nearly 317,500 square kilometers, roughly the size of Vietnam.

The waters surrounding one of the largest raised atolls in the world are home to the only species of katuali, a sea serpent living in the island’s underwater maze. Humpback whales come here from Antarctica to give birth to their young, not far from groups of spinner dolphins and gray reef sharks, which are found in the highest density in the world off these coasts.

The coral reefs of this island lost in the middle of the Pacific Ocean – the Tonga Islands, the closest, are 600 kilometers away – are seriously threatened. Illegal fishing is a real problem in the Pacific Ocean, and Niue is also facing the effects of global warming: rising ocean temperatures are causing coral bleaching and extreme weather events are wreaking havoc on the ocean. environment and infrastructure.

“The sand in some coves has been washed away by the increasingly frequent high and choppy tides, and our corals are still not fully recovered from Cyclone Heta in 2004,” explains Dalton Tagelagi, the Prime Minister of Niue.

Fine of up to 300,000 euros

In 2020, the State of Niue, freely associated with New Zealand, announced its desire to protect 40% of its territorial waters. By going to 100%, it is following the example of the Cook Islands. This decision, implemented since April, led to the creation of the Nukutuluea Marine Park. This park is divided into zones, among which Beveridge Reef, a barrier of

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