Pacific island nations are racing to enhance marine conservation, establishing sweeping “no-take” zones and pledging to sustainably manage vast swathes of their territorial waters despite facing limited resources and geopolitical pressure.
Among them, Samoa last month unveiled a ban on fishing, mining and other extractive activities over 30 per cent of its ocean territory by 2027. The move will create 36,000 sq km (13,900 square miles) of marine protected areas (MPAs) – more than 12 times the country’s land size.
“Like other Pacific island nations, challenges like marine habitat destruction, overfishing, and pollution threaten the health of Samoa’s ocean, which endanger the well-being of our people,” Toeolesulusulu Cedric Pose Salesa Schuster, Samoa’s natural resources and environment minister, told This Week in Asia.
