Chief Islander James Glass reflects on the implementation of Tristan’s Marine Protection Zone – announced on Friday 13th November 2020
Situated in the middle of the South Atlantic Ocean, on the edge of the Roaring Forties, lies a group of islands unknown to most of the world’s population. Tristan da Cunha covers a small land area – about one-tenth the size of London – but it has an exclusive economic zone almost three times the size of the United Kingdom: 754,000 square kilometres, or 291,121 square miles. On the main island resides the world’s remotest community, of 246 people. Today, there’s hardly a place on earth that you can’t reach in a week, but Tristan da Cunha has no airport, so Tristanians rely entirely on the service they receive from the sea.
In September 2016 the Tristan Island Council, in consultation with the U.K. government, committed to establish by 2020 a new marine protection regime in its waters. This historic move is further fulfilment of the UK’s commitment to create a 4 million square kilometre ‘Blue Belt’ around its Overseas Territories, and will help cement its place as the world leader in marine conservation.
Steps in this process for Tristan listed here – Blue Belt Programme – Cefas & MMO
Read the RSPBs take on this, they are partners in the project.