The parliament of Kiribati has just approved the transfer of $2.5 million into the Trust Fund of the Phoenix Islands Protected Area, allowing the reserve to continue functioning after a current Global Environment
Fund runs out. This puts pressure on Conservation International to also fulfill its long-standing pledge to provide an equal amount. The government’s move is a significant turnaround. President Tong had told me in May that he had no intention of disbursing the money, despite commitments made years ago and a windfall income last year from tuna fishing licenses, and that he was seeking to “source it.” I am told that the measure was the result of the stories I’ve published on the marine reserve. Given the amount of fishing going on inside it, increasing the no-take zone from 3% to 100% would be by far the biggest act of marine conservation in history. But, a friend writes from Tarawa, “It is quite apparent that the Government has no real desire to close off the PIPA in the foreseeable future.”
Fund runs out. This puts pressure on Conservation International to also fulfill its long-standing pledge to provide an equal amount. The government’s move is a significant turnaround. President Tong had told me in May that he had no intention of disbursing the money, despite commitments made years ago and a windfall income last year from tuna fishing licenses, and that he was seeking to “source it.” I am told that the measure was the result of the stories I’ve published on the marine reserve. Given the amount of fishing going on inside it, increasing the no-take zone from 3% to 100% would be by far the biggest act of marine conservation in history. But, a friend writes from Tarawa, “It is quite apparent that the Government has no real desire to close off the PIPA in the foreseeable future.”
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