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UK Government backs Ascension Island bid to protect
100% of its off-shore waters
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Over half of UK’s global waters to be
safeguarded
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UK leads way in calling for protection of 30% of the
world’s ocean by 2030
More than half of the UK’s global waters are
set to be within Marine Protected Areas, putting the UK at the
forefront of calls to protect 30 per cent of the world’s ocean by
2030.
The UK Government has backed plans by
Ascension Island to designate over 150,000 square miles of its
waters as a fully protected no-take Marine Protected Area (MPA) –
closing the offshore area to any fishing activity and
safeguarding important marine habitats for future
generations.
When protected the new ‘no-take zone’ around
Ascension Island would bring the total percentage of MPAs in the
UK’s territorial waters, Overseas Territories and Crown
Dependencies to over 50%. This comes as Environment Secretary
has reiterated his call for
30% of the world’s ocean to be protected by 2030 and called on
other nations to follow the UK’s lead.
Responding to the announcement,
Environment Secretary said:
“With a marine estate stretching across the
globe, the UK is uniquely positioned to lead the way in
protecting the world’s oceans and precious marine life.
“This progress towards fully protecting all of
Ascension Island’s waters is an important step forward in
expanding our Blue Belt and protecting a third of the world’s
ocean by 2030. I hope countries around the world will follow
suit.”
Foreign Secretary said:
“Ascension Island’s plans are another step
towards ensuring we protect the wonders of the sea for future
generations.
“The UK is a global leader in marine
conservation and we call on our friends and partners around the
world to follow our lead and protect their oceans before it is
too late.”
The announcement comes just six months after
the UK Government called for more than a third of the world’s
ocean to be protected by 2030, trebling internationally-agreed
targets for protected areas. As is the case now, MPAs will
consist of a range of management measures.
Currently, global targets for marine protected
areas are set by the United Nations Convention on Biological
Diversity, with parties agreeing to protect 10% of coastal and
marine areas by 2020.
Ascension Island, one of the UK’s Overseas
Territories, is of significant biodiversity value, home to some
of the largest marlin in the world and one of the largest
populations of green turtles.
UN Patron of the Oceans, Lewis Pugh,
said:
“I’m delighted to hear that the UK has heeded
our call to fully protect the waters around Ascension Island, a
jewel in the Atlantic Ocean. Protecting 30% of the world’s oceans
need not be a dream.”
The UK Government announced in 2016 that
the Ascension Island Council had decided to close half of its
waters to commercial fishing and today’s announcement goes one
step further in protecting fish stocks and vital species. The UK
Government will now work closely with the Ascension Island
Council to take forward the designation.
It represents significant progress towards the
government’s Blue Belt programme, an initiative to provide long
term protection of more than four million square kilometres of
marine environment across the UK Overseas Territories.
It builds on the UK’s global leadership in
protecting the marine environment – with more than 200,000 square
miles of Britain’s coastline already protected, proposals
recently launched for 41 new Marine Conservation Zones, and the
creation of the Commonwealth Clean Ocean Alliance which the UK
co-chairs with Vanuatu.
The Government will publish an international
ocean strategy this year setting out further action to conserve
and sustainably use the ocean.
ENDS
Marine Protected Areas include sites that
range from complete no take zones to sites which allow activities
which are not detrimental to the overall conservation of the
site.
Current estimates are that around 46% of UK,
OTs and Crown Dependencies waters are protected in Marine
Protected Areas. This will increase to over 50% when all of
Ascension’s EEZ is designated and to 60% by 2020. These figures
do not include Antarctic Treaty Waters
