French Polynesian President Moetai Brotherson has announced plans to fully protect additional 520,000 square kilometres of ocean surrounding the Austral and Marquesas Islands.
This significant step will strengthen the world’s largest network of fully protected marine areas within an exclusive economic zone.
Once implemented, 30 per cent of French Polynesia’s waters, around 1.4 million square kilometres in total, will be protected from extractive activities. This area is more than twice the size of continental France.
The announcement marks a major milestone built on more than a decade of work led by Polynesian communities and local leaders. These efforts have been supported by Pew Bertarelli Ocean Legacy, Blue Marine and a wide range of partners working in partnership with the government of French Polynesia, scientists, fishers and local organisations to advance community-led ocean conservation.
In the Austral and Marquesas Islands, this collaboration has included extensive scientific, economic and sociocultural research, alongside scientific and cultural expeditions. Hundreds of public meetings and consultations have helped ensure local voices are at the centre of decision-making, supported by documentaries and other materials that share knowledge with communities and the wider public.
This initiative has been supported by the Te Moana collective. Building on over a decade of work by Pew Bertarelli Ocean Legacy, Blue Marine Foundation was invited to become part of the Te Moana collective, a collaborative group supporting the French Polynesian government on their major designations at UNOC.
