2b 2 terry dawson

The Pitcairn Islands: Challenges to establishing the largest marine protected area in the World

Terry Dawson*, Heather Koldewey, Robert Irving

* email: t.p.dawson@dundee.ac.uk

The Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the 4 Pitcairn Islands span a vast area of ocean of about 836,000 km2, more than three times the size of the UK

Oeno

Pitcairn Island

Ducie

Henderson

The marine environment is pristine

A Pitcairn Marine Protected Area • In January 2013, a joint proposal to designate a no-take Marine Protected Area (MPA) within Pitcairn's EEZ, was submitted to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office by the Pitcairn Island Council and the Pew Environment Group – scientific evidence provided by University of Dundee.

• The UK government released a response in March 2014, saying that a marine reserve was under consideration.

Policing and enforcement of a large-scale MPA

House of Commons Sep 2014: Launch of Parliament Initiative (Championed by Zac Goldsmith) ‘MPAs in the UKOTs’