The Phoenix Islands lie in the heart of the Pacific Ocean and are one of the most remote island chains on Earth. They are located approximately halfway between Fiji and Hawaii. The largest atoll, Kanton, is 1,750 km (1,087 miles) from the Kiribati capital Tarawa. The eight islands are uninhabited except for Kanton Atoll that houses a small caretaker population. Due to its remoteness and isolation, the Phoenix Islands could be one of the last atoll and reef island archipelagos on earth with unique values still unspoiled, including pristine coral reefs, abundance of fish and other marine wildlife, including globally important seabird populations. To protect these
values the Kiribati government declared the Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA) in 2006 which subsequently became extended under formal designation with a total area of 407,112 sq.km (157,187 sq.miles) with the adoption of the PIPA Regulations 20081. At this time PIPA was the world‟s largest marine protected area. These regulations and the PIPA Trust Conservation Act 2009 enacted by Kiribati and supported by its partners aim to ensure the sustainable financing needed for the conservation and management of PIPA is well established.
