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World’s greatest marine reserve around Pitcairn Islands Updated for 2026

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The UK Government is to create the world’s biggest fully protected marine reserve encompassing over 830,000 square kilometres of ocean in the South Pacific – an area about 3.5 times the size of the UK.

It will cover the entire marine area of the Pitcairn Islands British Overseas Territory, apart from waters within 12 miles of Pitcairn itself, and taking in the waters around the smaller uninhabited islands of Henderson, Ducie, and Oeno.

Collectively the Territory includes just 47 square kilometres of land, and the total resident population comprises just 56 inhabitants.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, chose to announce the move in the Budget, delighting conservationists the world over owing to the area’s rich biodiversity.

Pitcairn’s waters host some of the best-preserved marine ecosystems on the planet and are of globally significant biological value. Over 1,200 marine species have been recorded around Pitcairn, including whales and dolphins, 365 species of fish, turtles, seabirds and corals.

Forty-eight of these species are globally threatened – such as the critically endangered hawksbill turtle, and some are found nowhere else on Earth – such as the Pitcairn angelfish.

With the designation of the marine reserve, Pitcairn’s waters will become off-limits to all extractive and damaging activities, offering protection from overfishing and illegal pirate fishing, as well as deep-sea mining exploration, pollution and climate change.

Success for local residents and campaigners

“The people of Pitcairn are extremely excited about designation of the world’s largest marine reserve in our vast and unspoiled waters of the Pitcairn Islands, including Ducie, Oeno and Henderson Islands”, according to a statement from the Pitcairn Island Council, which has joined with conservation groups to lobby for the protected status.

Conservationists and the Island’s residents have been campaigning for the creation of a reserve around Pitcairn since 2013. In February 2015 a coalition of over 100 conservation and environmental organisations and scientists launched the Great British Oceans campaign to encourage the Government to create fully protected marine reserves in the UK Overseas Territories, principally around the Pitcairn Islands, Ascension Island in the Atlantic and the South Sandwich Islands in the Southern Ocean.

The coalition, led by the RSPB, The Pew Charitable Trusts, the Zoological Society of London, the Blue Marine Foundation, the Marine Conservation Society, Greenpeace UK and the National Geographic Society praises the creation of the Pitcairn marine reserve as a monumental step for ocean conservation.

Jonathan Hall, Head of UK Overseas Territories for the RSPB, said: “We’re delighted that the Government has today granted the Pitcairners wish to see a marine reserve declared in their waters.”

The announcement, he added, “builds the network of marine reserves around the UK’s Territories, and we hope that this achievement will heighten ambition to see further protection around other Territories, such as Ascension.”

Members of the Great British Oceans coalition “now look forward to working with the Government on expanding the UK’s marine reserve network throughout other Overseas Territories, and the possibility of designating reserves in the waters of Ascension Island and the South Sandwich Islands in the near future.”

UK is the world’s 5th biggest ocean ‘owner’

Although the UK is a small country in a big world, its colonial history places it among the biggest ocean owners thanks to its 14 of Overseas Territories, whose marine estate adds up to 6.8 million square kilometres, over twice the size of India, and nearly 30 times the size of the UK itself.

The Overseas Territories are also a treasure trove of biodiversity, containing 94% of its wildlife species, including many that are endemic – found nowhere else in the world.

The announcement of the designation of a Pitcairn marine reserve means that the UK now has the two largest marine reserves in the world, the second largest being the Chagos marine reserve created around the British Indian Ocean Territory in 2010.

This puts Britain virtually level-pegging with the USA, who top the table for the most marine area fully protected following the expansion of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument by President Obama last year. 

The designation of the Pitcairn marine reserve means that the UK Government is now fully protecting nearly a quarter (22%) of waters under British jurisdiction, and has increased the global fully protected area by a quarter.

Excepting today’s announcement, only around 3% of the world’s ocean has any protection at all, and less than 1% is classified as ‘fully protected’. This is despite commitments from 194 countries to protect 10% of the entire global ocean by 2020.

A plethora of praise

Matt Rand, Director of Pew’s Global Ocean Legacy project, which advocates for establishment of the world’s great marine parks, commented: “The United Kingdom is the caretaker of more than 6 million square kilometres of ocean-the fifth-largest marine area of any country. British citizens are playing a vital role in ensuring the health of our seas. The Pitcairn Islands Marine Reserve will build a refuge of untouched ocean to protect and conserve a wealth of marine life.”

Charles Clover, Chairman of the Blue Marine Foundation, said: “Declaring a marine reserve around Pitcairn is a visionary thing to do and the right thing to do. With Pitcairn, Britain is now perilously close to having the largest amount of protected ocean of any country in the world. This is a fantastic achievement and while most would agree this probably isn’t the greenest Government ever, it is certainly now the bluest Government ever.”

Paul Rose, Expedition Leader, National Geographic Pristine Seas, said: “Ocean leadership like this from our Government is exactly right: It protects the pristine waters of our Overseas Territories, sets an example to the rest of the world, giving hope and encouragement to future generations. Thank you UK Government!”

Sam Fanshawe, Chief Executive, Marine Conservation Society said: “Designation of the Pitcairn Islands as one of the world’s largest Marine Reserves is a significant step toward addressing the deficit in global ocean conservation. It’s good to see the UK Government showing some leadership in marine conservation issues at the international level!”

John Sauven, Executive Director of Greenpeace UK, said: “This is good news for the marine environment and a positive sign from the Government about wanting to improve the health of the world’s oceans. This decision will be an opportunity to create a sanctuary for marine life to thrive, and unlocks the possibility for the UK to play a global leadership role in ocean conservation.”

Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall, whose Fish Fight television programmes advocated greater marine protection in both UK waters and British Overseas Territories, said: “Today’s announcement shows this Government really does mean business when it comes to marine conservation.

It is an excellent step forwards towards better protection of our seas and one that will make a genuine difference in a globally important marine habitat.

It’s clear that the British public care hugely about protecting our marine life, and so it’s great to know that our Government is ready to protect some of the most unspoiled parts of the global oceans for the benefit of future generations. And it surely paves the way for even more protection of our seas, both overseas and here at home.”

The Ocean Elders, a collective of global leaders including H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco, Sir Richard Branson, Jackson Browne, James Cameron, Dr. Rita Colwell, Jean-Michel Cousteau, Dr. Sylvia Earle, Jose Maria Figueres, Graeme Kelleher, Sven Lindblad, Her Majesty Queen Noor, Nainoa Thompson, Ted Turner, and Captain Don Walsh, said:

“We are delighted that the UK Government is showing global leadership through its designation of a marine reserve in the Pitcairn Group of Islands. This will offer protection to some of the most pristine waters and coral reefs on Earth. We urge other countries to follow suit and create additional large and protected ocean areas in the face of escalating climate change and constant threats to ocean health.”

 

 

 

 

Principal source: RSPB.

 




391430

World’s greatest marine reserve around Pitcairn Islands Updated for 2026

Leave a reply




The UK Government is to create the world’s biggest fully protected marine reserve encompassing over 830,000 square kilometres of ocean in the South Pacific – an area about 3.5 times the size of the UK.

It will cover the entire marine area of the Pitcairn Islands British Overseas Territory, apart from waters within 12 miles of Pitcairn itself, and taking in the waters around the smaller uninhabited islands of Henderson, Ducie, and Oeno.

Collectively the Territory includes just 47 square kilometres of land, and the total resident population comprises just 56 inhabitants.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, chose to announce the move in the Budget, delighting conservationists the world over owing to the area’s rich biodiversity.

Pitcairn’s waters host some of the best-preserved marine ecosystems on the planet and are of globally significant biological value. Over 1,200 marine species have been recorded around Pitcairn, including whales and dolphins, 365 species of fish, turtles, seabirds and corals.

Forty-eight of these species are globally threatened – such as the critically endangered hawksbill turtle, and some are found nowhere else on Earth – such as the Pitcairn angelfish.

With the designation of the marine reserve, Pitcairn’s waters will become off-limits to all extractive and damaging activities, offering protection from overfishing and illegal pirate fishing, as well as deep-sea mining exploration, pollution and climate change.

Success for local residents and campaigners

“The people of Pitcairn are extremely excited about designation of the world’s largest marine reserve in our vast and unspoiled waters of the Pitcairn Islands, including Ducie, Oeno and Henderson Islands”, according to a statement from the Pitcairn Island Council, which has joined with conservation groups to lobby for the protected status.

Conservationists and the Island’s residents have been campaigning for the creation of a reserve around Pitcairn since 2013. In February 2015 a coalition of over 100 conservation and environmental organisations and scientists launched the Great British Oceans campaign to encourage the Government to create fully protected marine reserves in the UK Overseas Territories, principally around the Pitcairn Islands, Ascension Island in the Atlantic and the South Sandwich Islands in the Southern Ocean.

The coalition, led by the RSPB, The Pew Charitable Trusts, the Zoological Society of London, the Blue Marine Foundation, the Marine Conservation Society, Greenpeace UK and the National Geographic Society praises the creation of the Pitcairn marine reserve as a monumental step for ocean conservation.

Jonathan Hall, Head of UK Overseas Territories for the RSPB, said: “We’re delighted that the Government has today granted the Pitcairners wish to see a marine reserve declared in their waters.”

The announcement, he added, “builds the network of marine reserves around the UK’s Territories, and we hope that this achievement will heighten ambition to see further protection around other Territories, such as Ascension.”

Members of the Great British Oceans coalition “now look forward to working with the Government on expanding the UK’s marine reserve network throughout other Overseas Territories, and the possibility of designating reserves in the waters of Ascension Island and the South Sandwich Islands in the near future.”

UK is the world’s 5th biggest ocean ‘owner’

Although the UK is a small country in a big world, its colonial history places it among the biggest ocean owners thanks to its 14 of Overseas Territories, whose marine estate adds up to 6.8 million square kilometres, over twice the size of India, and nearly 30 times the size of the UK itself.

The Overseas Territories are also a treasure trove of biodiversity, containing 94% of its wildlife species, including many that are endemic – found nowhere else in the world.

The announcement of the designation of a Pitcairn marine reserve means that the UK now has the two largest marine reserves in the world, the second largest being the Chagos marine reserve created around the British Indian Ocean Territory in 2010.

This puts Britain virtually level-pegging with the USA, who top the table for the most marine area fully protected following the expansion of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument by President Obama last year. 

The designation of the Pitcairn marine reserve means that the UK Government is now fully protecting nearly a quarter (22%) of waters under British jurisdiction, and has increased the global fully protected area by a quarter.

Excepting today’s announcement, only around 3% of the world’s ocean has any protection at all, and less than 1% is classified as ‘fully protected’. This is despite commitments from 194 countries to protect 10% of the entire global ocean by 2020.

A plethora of praise

Matt Rand, Director of Pew’s Global Ocean Legacy project, which advocates for establishment of the world’s great marine parks, commented: “The United Kingdom is the caretaker of more than 6 million square kilometres of ocean-the fifth-largest marine area of any country. British citizens are playing a vital role in ensuring the health of our seas. The Pitcairn Islands Marine Reserve will build a refuge of untouched ocean to protect and conserve a wealth of marine life.”

Charles Clover, Chairman of the Blue Marine Foundation, said: “Declaring a marine reserve around Pitcairn is a visionary thing to do and the right thing to do. With Pitcairn, Britain is now perilously close to having the largest amount of protected ocean of any country in the world. This is a fantastic achievement and while most would agree this probably isn’t the greenest Government ever, it is certainly now the bluest Government ever.”

Paul Rose, Expedition Leader, National Geographic Pristine Seas, said: “Ocean leadership like this from our Government is exactly right: It protects the pristine waters of our Overseas Territories, sets an example to the rest of the world, giving hope and encouragement to future generations. Thank you UK Government!”

Sam Fanshawe, Chief Executive, Marine Conservation Society said: “Designation of the Pitcairn Islands as one of the world’s largest Marine Reserves is a significant step toward addressing the deficit in global ocean conservation. It’s good to see the UK Government showing some leadership in marine conservation issues at the international level!”

John Sauven, Executive Director of Greenpeace UK, said: “This is good news for the marine environment and a positive sign from the Government about wanting to improve the health of the world’s oceans. This decision will be an opportunity to create a sanctuary for marine life to thrive, and unlocks the possibility for the UK to play a global leadership role in ocean conservation.”

Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall, whose Fish Fight television programmes advocated greater marine protection in both UK waters and British Overseas Territories, said: “Today’s announcement shows this Government really does mean business when it comes to marine conservation.

It is an excellent step forwards towards better protection of our seas and one that will make a genuine difference in a globally important marine habitat.

It’s clear that the British public care hugely about protecting our marine life, and so it’s great to know that our Government is ready to protect some of the most unspoiled parts of the global oceans for the benefit of future generations. And it surely paves the way for even more protection of our seas, both overseas and here at home.”

The Ocean Elders, a collective of global leaders including H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco, Sir Richard Branson, Jackson Browne, James Cameron, Dr. Rita Colwell, Jean-Michel Cousteau, Dr. Sylvia Earle, Jose Maria Figueres, Graeme Kelleher, Sven Lindblad, Her Majesty Queen Noor, Nainoa Thompson, Ted Turner, and Captain Don Walsh, said:

“We are delighted that the UK Government is showing global leadership through its designation of a marine reserve in the Pitcairn Group of Islands. This will offer protection to some of the most pristine waters and coral reefs on Earth. We urge other countries to follow suit and create additional large and protected ocean areas in the face of escalating climate change and constant threats to ocean health.”

 

 

 

 

Principal source: RSPB.

 




391430

World’s greatest marine reserve around Pitcairn Islands Updated for 2026

Leave a reply




The UK Government is to create the world’s biggest fully protected marine reserve encompassing over 830,000 square kilometres of ocean in the South Pacific – an area about 3.5 times the size of the UK.

It will cover the entire marine area of the Pitcairn Islands British Overseas Territory, apart from waters within 12 miles of Pitcairn itself, and taking in the waters around the smaller uninhabited islands of Henderson, Ducie, and Oeno.

Collectively the Territory includes just 47 square kilometres of land, and the total resident population comprises just 56 inhabitants.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, chose to announce the move in the Budget, delighting conservationists the world over owing to the area’s rich biodiversity.

Pitcairn’s waters host some of the best-preserved marine ecosystems on the planet and are of globally significant biological value. Over 1,200 marine species have been recorded around Pitcairn, including whales and dolphins, 365 species of fish, turtles, seabirds and corals.

Forty-eight of these species are globally threatened – such as the critically endangered hawksbill turtle, and some are found nowhere else on Earth – such as the Pitcairn angelfish.

With the designation of the marine reserve, Pitcairn’s waters will become off-limits to all extractive and damaging activities, offering protection from overfishing and illegal pirate fishing, as well as deep-sea mining exploration, pollution and climate change.

Success for local residents and campaigners

“The people of Pitcairn are extremely excited about designation of the world’s largest marine reserve in our vast and unspoiled waters of the Pitcairn Islands, including Ducie, Oeno and Henderson Islands”, according to a statement from the Pitcairn Island Council, which has joined with conservation groups to lobby for the protected status.

Conservationists and the Island’s residents have been campaigning for the creation of a reserve around Pitcairn since 2013. In February 2015 a coalition of over 100 conservation and environmental organisations and scientists launched the Great British Oceans campaign to encourage the Government to create fully protected marine reserves in the UK Overseas Territories, principally around the Pitcairn Islands, Ascension Island in the Atlantic and the South Sandwich Islands in the Southern Ocean.

The coalition, led by the RSPB, The Pew Charitable Trusts, the Zoological Society of London, the Blue Marine Foundation, the Marine Conservation Society, Greenpeace UK and the National Geographic Society praises the creation of the Pitcairn marine reserve as a monumental step for ocean conservation.

Jonathan Hall, Head of UK Overseas Territories for the RSPB, said: “We’re delighted that the Government has today granted the Pitcairners wish to see a marine reserve declared in their waters.”

The announcement, he added, “builds the network of marine reserves around the UK’s Territories, and we hope that this achievement will heighten ambition to see further protection around other Territories, such as Ascension.”

Members of the Great British Oceans coalition “now look forward to working with the Government on expanding the UK’s marine reserve network throughout other Overseas Territories, and the possibility of designating reserves in the waters of Ascension Island and the South Sandwich Islands in the near future.”

UK is the world’s 5th biggest ocean ‘owner’

Although the UK is a small country in a big world, its colonial history places it among the biggest ocean owners thanks to its 14 of Overseas Territories, whose marine estate adds up to 6.8 million square kilometres, over twice the size of India, and nearly 30 times the size of the UK itself.

The Overseas Territories are also a treasure trove of biodiversity, containing 94% of its wildlife species, including many that are endemic – found nowhere else in the world.

The announcement of the designation of a Pitcairn marine reserve means that the UK now has the two largest marine reserves in the world, the second largest being the Chagos marine reserve created around the British Indian Ocean Territory in 2010.

This puts Britain virtually level-pegging with the USA, who top the table for the most marine area fully protected following the expansion of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument by President Obama last year. 

The designation of the Pitcairn marine reserve means that the UK Government is now fully protecting nearly a quarter (22%) of waters under British jurisdiction, and has increased the global fully protected area by a quarter.

Excepting today’s announcement, only around 3% of the world’s ocean has any protection at all, and less than 1% is classified as ‘fully protected’. This is despite commitments from 194 countries to protect 10% of the entire global ocean by 2020.

A plethora of praise

Matt Rand, Director of Pew’s Global Ocean Legacy project, which advocates for establishment of the world’s great marine parks, commented: “The United Kingdom is the caretaker of more than 6 million square kilometres of ocean-the fifth-largest marine area of any country. British citizens are playing a vital role in ensuring the health of our seas. The Pitcairn Islands Marine Reserve will build a refuge of untouched ocean to protect and conserve a wealth of marine life.”

Charles Clover, Chairman of the Blue Marine Foundation, said: “Declaring a marine reserve around Pitcairn is a visionary thing to do and the right thing to do. With Pitcairn, Britain is now perilously close to having the largest amount of protected ocean of any country in the world. This is a fantastic achievement and while most would agree this probably isn’t the greenest Government ever, it is certainly now the bluest Government ever.”

Paul Rose, Expedition Leader, National Geographic Pristine Seas, said: “Ocean leadership like this from our Government is exactly right: It protects the pristine waters of our Overseas Territories, sets an example to the rest of the world, giving hope and encouragement to future generations. Thank you UK Government!”

Sam Fanshawe, Chief Executive, Marine Conservation Society said: “Designation of the Pitcairn Islands as one of the world’s largest Marine Reserves is a significant step toward addressing the deficit in global ocean conservation. It’s good to see the UK Government showing some leadership in marine conservation issues at the international level!”

John Sauven, Executive Director of Greenpeace UK, said: “This is good news for the marine environment and a positive sign from the Government about wanting to improve the health of the world’s oceans. This decision will be an opportunity to create a sanctuary for marine life to thrive, and unlocks the possibility for the UK to play a global leadership role in ocean conservation.”

Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall, whose Fish Fight television programmes advocated greater marine protection in both UK waters and British Overseas Territories, said: “Today’s announcement shows this Government really does mean business when it comes to marine conservation.

It is an excellent step forwards towards better protection of our seas and one that will make a genuine difference in a globally important marine habitat.

It’s clear that the British public care hugely about protecting our marine life, and so it’s great to know that our Government is ready to protect some of the most unspoiled parts of the global oceans for the benefit of future generations. And it surely paves the way for even more protection of our seas, both overseas and here at home.”

The Ocean Elders, a collective of global leaders including H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco, Sir Richard Branson, Jackson Browne, James Cameron, Dr. Rita Colwell, Jean-Michel Cousteau, Dr. Sylvia Earle, Jose Maria Figueres, Graeme Kelleher, Sven Lindblad, Her Majesty Queen Noor, Nainoa Thompson, Ted Turner, and Captain Don Walsh, said:

“We are delighted that the UK Government is showing global leadership through its designation of a marine reserve in the Pitcairn Group of Islands. This will offer protection to some of the most pristine waters and coral reefs on Earth. We urge other countries to follow suit and create additional large and protected ocean areas in the face of escalating climate change and constant threats to ocean health.”

 

 

 

 

Principal source: RSPB.

 




391430

World’s greatest marine reserve around Pitcairn Islands Updated for 2026

Leave a reply




The UK Government is to create the world’s biggest fully protected marine reserve encompassing over 830,000 square kilometres of ocean in the South Pacific – an area about 3.5 times the size of the UK.

It will cover the entire marine area of the Pitcairn Islands British Overseas Territory, apart from waters within 12 miles of Pitcairn itself, and taking in the waters around the smaller uninhabited islands of Henderson, Ducie, and Oeno.

Collectively the Territory includes just 47 square kilometres of land, and the total resident population comprises just 56 inhabitants.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, chose to announce the move in the Budget, delighting conservationists the world over owing to the area’s rich biodiversity.

Pitcairn’s waters host some of the best-preserved marine ecosystems on the planet and are of globally significant biological value. Over 1,200 marine species have been recorded around Pitcairn, including whales and dolphins, 365 species of fish, turtles, seabirds and corals.

Forty-eight of these species are globally threatened – such as the critically endangered hawksbill turtle, and some are found nowhere else on Earth – such as the Pitcairn angelfish.

With the designation of the marine reserve, Pitcairn’s waters will become off-limits to all extractive and damaging activities, offering protection from overfishing and illegal pirate fishing, as well as deep-sea mining exploration, pollution and climate change.

Success for local residents and campaigners

“The people of Pitcairn are extremely excited about designation of the world’s largest marine reserve in our vast and unspoiled waters of the Pitcairn Islands, including Ducie, Oeno and Henderson Islands”, according to a statement from the Pitcairn Island Council, which has joined with conservation groups to lobby for the protected status.

Conservationists and the Island’s residents have been campaigning for the creation of a reserve around Pitcairn since 2013. In February 2015 a coalition of over 100 conservation and environmental organisations and scientists launched the Great British Oceans campaign to encourage the Government to create fully protected marine reserves in the UK Overseas Territories, principally around the Pitcairn Islands, Ascension Island in the Atlantic and the South Sandwich Islands in the Southern Ocean.

The coalition, led by the RSPB, The Pew Charitable Trusts, the Zoological Society of London, the Blue Marine Foundation, the Marine Conservation Society, Greenpeace UK and the National Geographic Society praises the creation of the Pitcairn marine reserve as a monumental step for ocean conservation.

Jonathan Hall, Head of UK Overseas Territories for the RSPB, said: “We’re delighted that the Government has today granted the Pitcairners wish to see a marine reserve declared in their waters.”

The announcement, he added, “builds the network of marine reserves around the UK’s Territories, and we hope that this achievement will heighten ambition to see further protection around other Territories, such as Ascension.”

Members of the Great British Oceans coalition “now look forward to working with the Government on expanding the UK’s marine reserve network throughout other Overseas Territories, and the possibility of designating reserves in the waters of Ascension Island and the South Sandwich Islands in the near future.”

UK is the world’s 5th biggest ocean ‘owner’

Although the UK is a small country in a big world, its colonial history places it among the biggest ocean owners thanks to its 14 of Overseas Territories, whose marine estate adds up to 6.8 million square kilometres, over twice the size of India, and nearly 30 times the size of the UK itself.

The Overseas Territories are also a treasure trove of biodiversity, containing 94% of its wildlife species, including many that are endemic – found nowhere else in the world.

The announcement of the designation of a Pitcairn marine reserve means that the UK now has the two largest marine reserves in the world, the second largest being the Chagos marine reserve created around the British Indian Ocean Territory in 2010.

This puts Britain virtually level-pegging with the USA, who top the table for the most marine area fully protected following the expansion of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument by President Obama last year. 

The designation of the Pitcairn marine reserve means that the UK Government is now fully protecting nearly a quarter (22%) of waters under British jurisdiction, and has increased the global fully protected area by a quarter.

Excepting today’s announcement, only around 3% of the world’s ocean has any protection at all, and less than 1% is classified as ‘fully protected’. This is despite commitments from 194 countries to protect 10% of the entire global ocean by 2020.

A plethora of praise

Matt Rand, Director of Pew’s Global Ocean Legacy project, which advocates for establishment of the world’s great marine parks, commented: “The United Kingdom is the caretaker of more than 6 million square kilometres of ocean-the fifth-largest marine area of any country. British citizens are playing a vital role in ensuring the health of our seas. The Pitcairn Islands Marine Reserve will build a refuge of untouched ocean to protect and conserve a wealth of marine life.”

Charles Clover, Chairman of the Blue Marine Foundation, said: “Declaring a marine reserve around Pitcairn is a visionary thing to do and the right thing to do. With Pitcairn, Britain is now perilously close to having the largest amount of protected ocean of any country in the world. This is a fantastic achievement and while most would agree this probably isn’t the greenest Government ever, it is certainly now the bluest Government ever.”

Paul Rose, Expedition Leader, National Geographic Pristine Seas, said: “Ocean leadership like this from our Government is exactly right: It protects the pristine waters of our Overseas Territories, sets an example to the rest of the world, giving hope and encouragement to future generations. Thank you UK Government!”

Sam Fanshawe, Chief Executive, Marine Conservation Society said: “Designation of the Pitcairn Islands as one of the world’s largest Marine Reserves is a significant step toward addressing the deficit in global ocean conservation. It’s good to see the UK Government showing some leadership in marine conservation issues at the international level!”

John Sauven, Executive Director of Greenpeace UK, said: “This is good news for the marine environment and a positive sign from the Government about wanting to improve the health of the world’s oceans. This decision will be an opportunity to create a sanctuary for marine life to thrive, and unlocks the possibility for the UK to play a global leadership role in ocean conservation.”

Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall, whose Fish Fight television programmes advocated greater marine protection in both UK waters and British Overseas Territories, said: “Today’s announcement shows this Government really does mean business when it comes to marine conservation.

It is an excellent step forwards towards better protection of our seas and one that will make a genuine difference in a globally important marine habitat.

It’s clear that the British public care hugely about protecting our marine life, and so it’s great to know that our Government is ready to protect some of the most unspoiled parts of the global oceans for the benefit of future generations. And it surely paves the way for even more protection of our seas, both overseas and here at home.”

The Ocean Elders, a collective of global leaders including H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco, Sir Richard Branson, Jackson Browne, James Cameron, Dr. Rita Colwell, Jean-Michel Cousteau, Dr. Sylvia Earle, Jose Maria Figueres, Graeme Kelleher, Sven Lindblad, Her Majesty Queen Noor, Nainoa Thompson, Ted Turner, and Captain Don Walsh, said:

“We are delighted that the UK Government is showing global leadership through its designation of a marine reserve in the Pitcairn Group of Islands. This will offer protection to some of the most pristine waters and coral reefs on Earth. We urge other countries to follow suit and create additional large and protected ocean areas in the face of escalating climate change and constant threats to ocean health.”

 

 

 

 

Principal source: RSPB.

 




391430

World’s greatest marine reserve around Pitcairn Islands Updated for 2026

Leave a reply




The UK Government is to create the world’s biggest fully protected marine reserve encompassing over 830,000 square kilometres of ocean in the South Pacific – an area about 3.5 times the size of the UK.

It will cover the entire marine area of the Pitcairn Islands British Overseas Territory, apart from waters within 12 miles of Pitcairn itself, and taking in the waters around the smaller uninhabited islands of Henderson, Ducie, and Oeno.

Collectively the Territory includes just 47 square kilometres of land, and the total resident population comprises just 56 inhabitants.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, chose to announce the move in the Budget, delighting conservationists the world over owing to the area’s rich biodiversity.

Pitcairn’s waters host some of the best-preserved marine ecosystems on the planet and are of globally significant biological value. Over 1,200 marine species have been recorded around Pitcairn, including whales and dolphins, 365 species of fish, turtles, seabirds and corals.

Forty-eight of these species are globally threatened – such as the critically endangered hawksbill turtle, and some are found nowhere else on Earth – such as the Pitcairn angelfish.

With the designation of the marine reserve, Pitcairn’s waters will become off-limits to all extractive and damaging activities, offering protection from overfishing and illegal pirate fishing, as well as deep-sea mining exploration, pollution and climate change.

Success for local residents and campaigners

“The people of Pitcairn are extremely excited about designation of the world’s largest marine reserve in our vast and unspoiled waters of the Pitcairn Islands, including Ducie, Oeno and Henderson Islands”, according to a statement from the Pitcairn Island Council, which has joined with conservation groups to lobby for the protected status.

Conservationists and the Island’s residents have been campaigning for the creation of a reserve around Pitcairn since 2013. In February 2015 a coalition of over 100 conservation and environmental organisations and scientists launched the Great British Oceans campaign to encourage the Government to create fully protected marine reserves in the UK Overseas Territories, principally around the Pitcairn Islands, Ascension Island in the Atlantic and the South Sandwich Islands in the Southern Ocean.

The coalition, led by the RSPB, The Pew Charitable Trusts, the Zoological Society of London, the Blue Marine Foundation, the Marine Conservation Society, Greenpeace UK and the National Geographic Society praises the creation of the Pitcairn marine reserve as a monumental step for ocean conservation.

Jonathan Hall, Head of UK Overseas Territories for the RSPB, said: “We’re delighted that the Government has today granted the Pitcairners wish to see a marine reserve declared in their waters.”

The announcement, he added, “builds the network of marine reserves around the UK’s Territories, and we hope that this achievement will heighten ambition to see further protection around other Territories, such as Ascension.”

Members of the Great British Oceans coalition “now look forward to working with the Government on expanding the UK’s marine reserve network throughout other Overseas Territories, and the possibility of designating reserves in the waters of Ascension Island and the South Sandwich Islands in the near future.”

UK is the world’s 5th biggest ocean ‘owner’

Although the UK is a small country in a big world, its colonial history places it among the biggest ocean owners thanks to its 14 of Overseas Territories, whose marine estate adds up to 6.8 million square kilometres, over twice the size of India, and nearly 30 times the size of the UK itself.

The Overseas Territories are also a treasure trove of biodiversity, containing 94% of its wildlife species, including many that are endemic – found nowhere else in the world.

The announcement of the designation of a Pitcairn marine reserve means that the UK now has the two largest marine reserves in the world, the second largest being the Chagos marine reserve created around the British Indian Ocean Territory in 2010.

This puts Britain virtually level-pegging with the USA, who top the table for the most marine area fully protected following the expansion of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument by President Obama last year. 

The designation of the Pitcairn marine reserve means that the UK Government is now fully protecting nearly a quarter (22%) of waters under British jurisdiction, and has increased the global fully protected area by a quarter.

Excepting today’s announcement, only around 3% of the world’s ocean has any protection at all, and less than 1% is classified as ‘fully protected’. This is despite commitments from 194 countries to protect 10% of the entire global ocean by 2020.

A plethora of praise

Matt Rand, Director of Pew’s Global Ocean Legacy project, which advocates for establishment of the world’s great marine parks, commented: “The United Kingdom is the caretaker of more than 6 million square kilometres of ocean-the fifth-largest marine area of any country. British citizens are playing a vital role in ensuring the health of our seas. The Pitcairn Islands Marine Reserve will build a refuge of untouched ocean to protect and conserve a wealth of marine life.”

Charles Clover, Chairman of the Blue Marine Foundation, said: “Declaring a marine reserve around Pitcairn is a visionary thing to do and the right thing to do. With Pitcairn, Britain is now perilously close to having the largest amount of protected ocean of any country in the world. This is a fantastic achievement and while most would agree this probably isn’t the greenest Government ever, it is certainly now the bluest Government ever.”

Paul Rose, Expedition Leader, National Geographic Pristine Seas, said: “Ocean leadership like this from our Government is exactly right: It protects the pristine waters of our Overseas Territories, sets an example to the rest of the world, giving hope and encouragement to future generations. Thank you UK Government!”

Sam Fanshawe, Chief Executive, Marine Conservation Society said: “Designation of the Pitcairn Islands as one of the world’s largest Marine Reserves is a significant step toward addressing the deficit in global ocean conservation. It’s good to see the UK Government showing some leadership in marine conservation issues at the international level!”

John Sauven, Executive Director of Greenpeace UK, said: “This is good news for the marine environment and a positive sign from the Government about wanting to improve the health of the world’s oceans. This decision will be an opportunity to create a sanctuary for marine life to thrive, and unlocks the possibility for the UK to play a global leadership role in ocean conservation.”

Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall, whose Fish Fight television programmes advocated greater marine protection in both UK waters and British Overseas Territories, said: “Today’s announcement shows this Government really does mean business when it comes to marine conservation.

It is an excellent step forwards towards better protection of our seas and one that will make a genuine difference in a globally important marine habitat.

It’s clear that the British public care hugely about protecting our marine life, and so it’s great to know that our Government is ready to protect some of the most unspoiled parts of the global oceans for the benefit of future generations. And it surely paves the way for even more protection of our seas, both overseas and here at home.”

The Ocean Elders, a collective of global leaders including H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco, Sir Richard Branson, Jackson Browne, James Cameron, Dr. Rita Colwell, Jean-Michel Cousteau, Dr. Sylvia Earle, Jose Maria Figueres, Graeme Kelleher, Sven Lindblad, Her Majesty Queen Noor, Nainoa Thompson, Ted Turner, and Captain Don Walsh, said:

“We are delighted that the UK Government is showing global leadership through its designation of a marine reserve in the Pitcairn Group of Islands. This will offer protection to some of the most pristine waters and coral reefs on Earth. We urge other countries to follow suit and create additional large and protected ocean areas in the face of escalating climate change and constant threats to ocean health.”

 

 

 

 

Principal source: RSPB.

 




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World’s greatest marine reserve around Pitcairn Islands Updated for 2026

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The UK Government is to create the world’s biggest fully protected marine reserve encompassing over 830,000 square kilometres of ocean in the South Pacific – an area about 3.5 times the size of the UK.

It will cover the entire marine area of the Pitcairn Islands British Overseas Territory, apart from waters within 12 miles of Pitcairn itself, and taking in the waters around the smaller uninhabited islands of Henderson, Ducie, and Oeno.

Collectively the Territory includes just 47 square kilometres of land, and the total resident population comprises just 56 inhabitants.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, chose to announce the move in the Budget, delighting conservationists the world over owing to the area’s rich biodiversity.

Pitcairn’s waters host some of the best-preserved marine ecosystems on the planet and are of globally significant biological value. Over 1,200 marine species have been recorded around Pitcairn, including whales and dolphins, 365 species of fish, turtles, seabirds and corals.

Forty-eight of these species are globally threatened – such as the critically endangered hawksbill turtle, and some are found nowhere else on Earth – such as the Pitcairn angelfish.

With the designation of the marine reserve, Pitcairn’s waters will become off-limits to all extractive and damaging activities, offering protection from overfishing and illegal pirate fishing, as well as deep-sea mining exploration, pollution and climate change.

Success for local residents and campaigners

“The people of Pitcairn are extremely excited about designation of the world’s largest marine reserve in our vast and unspoiled waters of the Pitcairn Islands, including Ducie, Oeno and Henderson Islands”, according to a statement from the Pitcairn Island Council, which has joined with conservation groups to lobby for the protected status.

Conservationists and the Island’s residents have been campaigning for the creation of a reserve around Pitcairn since 2013. In February 2015 a coalition of over 100 conservation and environmental organisations and scientists launched the Great British Oceans campaign to encourage the Government to create fully protected marine reserves in the UK Overseas Territories, principally around the Pitcairn Islands, Ascension Island in the Atlantic and the South Sandwich Islands in the Southern Ocean.

The coalition, led by the RSPB, The Pew Charitable Trusts, the Zoological Society of London, the Blue Marine Foundation, the Marine Conservation Society, Greenpeace UK and the National Geographic Society praises the creation of the Pitcairn marine reserve as a monumental step for ocean conservation.

Jonathan Hall, Head of UK Overseas Territories for the RSPB, said: “We’re delighted that the Government has today granted the Pitcairners wish to see a marine reserve declared in their waters.”

The announcement, he added, “builds the network of marine reserves around the UK’s Territories, and we hope that this achievement will heighten ambition to see further protection around other Territories, such as Ascension.”

Members of the Great British Oceans coalition “now look forward to working with the Government on expanding the UK’s marine reserve network throughout other Overseas Territories, and the possibility of designating reserves in the waters of Ascension Island and the South Sandwich Islands in the near future.”

UK is the world’s 5th biggest ocean ‘owner’

Although the UK is a small country in a big world, its colonial history places it among the biggest ocean owners thanks to its 14 of Overseas Territories, whose marine estate adds up to 6.8 million square kilometres, over twice the size of India, and nearly 30 times the size of the UK itself.

The Overseas Territories are also a treasure trove of biodiversity, containing 94% of its wildlife species, including many that are endemic – found nowhere else in the world.

The announcement of the designation of a Pitcairn marine reserve means that the UK now has the two largest marine reserves in the world, the second largest being the Chagos marine reserve created around the British Indian Ocean Territory in 2010.

This puts Britain virtually level-pegging with the USA, who top the table for the most marine area fully protected following the expansion of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument by President Obama last year. 

The designation of the Pitcairn marine reserve means that the UK Government is now fully protecting nearly a quarter (22%) of waters under British jurisdiction, and has increased the global fully protected area by a quarter.

Excepting today’s announcement, only around 3% of the world’s ocean has any protection at all, and less than 1% is classified as ‘fully protected’. This is despite commitments from 194 countries to protect 10% of the entire global ocean by 2020.

A plethora of praise

Matt Rand, Director of Pew’s Global Ocean Legacy project, which advocates for establishment of the world’s great marine parks, commented: “The United Kingdom is the caretaker of more than 6 million square kilometres of ocean-the fifth-largest marine area of any country. British citizens are playing a vital role in ensuring the health of our seas. The Pitcairn Islands Marine Reserve will build a refuge of untouched ocean to protect and conserve a wealth of marine life.”

Charles Clover, Chairman of the Blue Marine Foundation, said: “Declaring a marine reserve around Pitcairn is a visionary thing to do and the right thing to do. With Pitcairn, Britain is now perilously close to having the largest amount of protected ocean of any country in the world. This is a fantastic achievement and while most would agree this probably isn’t the greenest Government ever, it is certainly now the bluest Government ever.”

Paul Rose, Expedition Leader, National Geographic Pristine Seas, said: “Ocean leadership like this from our Government is exactly right: It protects the pristine waters of our Overseas Territories, sets an example to the rest of the world, giving hope and encouragement to future generations. Thank you UK Government!”

Sam Fanshawe, Chief Executive, Marine Conservation Society said: “Designation of the Pitcairn Islands as one of the world’s largest Marine Reserves is a significant step toward addressing the deficit in global ocean conservation. It’s good to see the UK Government showing some leadership in marine conservation issues at the international level!”

John Sauven, Executive Director of Greenpeace UK, said: “This is good news for the marine environment and a positive sign from the Government about wanting to improve the health of the world’s oceans. This decision will be an opportunity to create a sanctuary for marine life to thrive, and unlocks the possibility for the UK to play a global leadership role in ocean conservation.”

Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall, whose Fish Fight television programmes advocated greater marine protection in both UK waters and British Overseas Territories, said: “Today’s announcement shows this Government really does mean business when it comes to marine conservation.

It is an excellent step forwards towards better protection of our seas and one that will make a genuine difference in a globally important marine habitat.

It’s clear that the British public care hugely about protecting our marine life, and so it’s great to know that our Government is ready to protect some of the most unspoiled parts of the global oceans for the benefit of future generations. And it surely paves the way for even more protection of our seas, both overseas and here at home.”

The Ocean Elders, a collective of global leaders including H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco, Sir Richard Branson, Jackson Browne, James Cameron, Dr. Rita Colwell, Jean-Michel Cousteau, Dr. Sylvia Earle, Jose Maria Figueres, Graeme Kelleher, Sven Lindblad, Her Majesty Queen Noor, Nainoa Thompson, Ted Turner, and Captain Don Walsh, said:

“We are delighted that the UK Government is showing global leadership through its designation of a marine reserve in the Pitcairn Group of Islands. This will offer protection to some of the most pristine waters and coral reefs on Earth. We urge other countries to follow suit and create additional large and protected ocean areas in the face of escalating climate change and constant threats to ocean health.”

 

 

 

 

Principal source: RSPB.

 




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India: tiger reserve tribes face illegal eviction Updated for 2026

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Tribespeople living inside a tiger reserve in India face imminent eviction from their ancestral land.

Three of an original six indigenous villages are holding on in the Similipal Tiger Reserve in Odisha state, following a round of evictions in December 2013 in which 32 families of the Khadia tribe were expelled to the Asan Kudar resettlement village outside the forest.

They have not been provided with sufficient land, animals or essential services. They had to live through the heat of April and the deluge of the monsoon under plastic sheets, and have received only a fraction of the Rs 10 lakh they were promised.

Sheltering under plastic shelters on a tiny patch of land, the Khadia tribe members are now entirely dependent on government handouts for their survival (see photo).

Now Kol and Munda tribe members in Jamunagarh village are in the firing line. They have told Survival International that they were “threatened” and “cheated” into signing an eviction document drawn up by India’s forest department.

Telenga Hassa said: “We would rather die than leave the village. The forest department is pressurising us to go – they are giving a lot of threats to us, saying things like, ‘If you try to stay we will lodge many police cases against you, we will say that you are Maoists and we’ll arrest you.'”

“All of us have had the same threats. We are threatened, so please tell us, how can our rights be protected? How can we be safe from these false cases?”

Another added: “They threaten us to relocate or to face dire consequences.”

Official promises betrayed

On 19th September 2014, Jamunagarh residents met with Odisha Forest Department officials. They were told that the meeting was to confirm their Community Forest Rights, which they had applied for under the Forest Rights Act 2006.

But after receiving documents confirming their rights they were asked to sign a further document that would grant them each five acres of cultivable land. But as they cannot read or write in Oriya, they did not know what the document contained.

One man told Survival: “Unknowingly I gave my signature, I didn’t know what was in the paper, other people near me signed so I signed it too. I cannot read or write but can only sign my name.”

Another said: “We signed the document with the belief that it’s about the Palli Sabha (village meeting). Later we knew that it was the resolution in agreement for relocation.”

Another witness explained: “Really, most people signed out of fear, but people have been threatened and harassed and they agreed to go to escape from this trauma. They don’t know what life will be like there. They agreed to sign because they were frightened.”

Only after signing the document were they told that the document committed them to leave their village – and that they would not even receive the five acres of land they had been promised, as there was no land available.

A Munda man told Survival: “We were cheated and are now very afraid of the consequences.”

Tribal people face eviction across India

The evictions are planned in the name of tiger conservation – even though there is no evidence that the indigenous tribes harm the wildlife, and they desperately want to stay on their land.

A Munda elder from Jamunagarh has said: “We should be rehabilitated in the same village where we are now. We will protect the wildlife and get benefit of all government programs. We should stay there and protect – we promise.

“Don’t displace us! Rehabilitate us in the same place we are now … We have been there [to Asan Kudar]. Seeing their condition made my heart cry. Please don’t displace us. Please rehabilitate us in the same village where we are now.”

According to Survival, “Tribal peoples are better at looking after their environments than anyone else.” Also India’s Forest Rights Act recognizes their right to live in and from the forests, and to manage and protect them.

But across India, tribal peoples are being illegally evicted from their ancestral homelands in the name of conservation, particularly for tiger reserves.

In addition to threats and harassment, they’re promised land, housing and money as compensation, but often receive little or nothing. Without access to the forest’s produce, and no adequate housing, they are forced to live in miserable conditions.

Survival’s Director Stephen Corry said: “Many of the forests where tigers survive in India have been cared for by tribal people, who are better at looking after their environment than anyone else.

“But now the government is using threats and tricks to force the tribespeople out in the name of conservation, and leaving them in squalor.

“What’s worse, the tribes’ forests are opened up to thousands of tourists each year, and poaching and illegal logging are rampant. It’s time the conservation industry spoke out against this injustice.”

Official complaint ignored

In May 2014, Survival submitted a complaint to the Odisha Human Rights Commission. They did not respond, so Survival sent another urgent and updated complaint on 9th October.

In the document Survival argues: “The Families have not been advised of their legal rights to remain in the core of the STR if they wish to do so, or of the legal procedures which have to be followed before they can be moved, or of what will await them if and when they are moved.

“The Families cannot therefore have given their free, prior or informed consent to their relocation. As things stand, their removal from the core will constitute an illegal eviction.

“As members of Scheduled Tribes whose traditional land is central to their way of life, culture and identity, this will have a profound effect on the Families.

“It was in recognition of their unique attachment to the land that Parliament decided to protect them against relocation unless and until it can be shown both that this is genuinely necessary and that they have truly consented to be moved.”

“The unlawful removal of the Families will infringe their rights to internal self-determination under Article 1(1) of the Civil and Political Rights Covenant; not to be deprived of their own means of subsistence under Article 1(2); not to be subjected to arbitrary or unlawful interference with their homes under Article 17(1); to freedom of religion under Article 18(1); and to enjoy their own culture in community with other members of their group under Article 27.”

 

 

 

 

Source: Survival International.

 




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Botswana government lies exposed as $5bn diamond mine opens on Bushman land Updated for 2026

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A $4.9bn diamond mine opens tomorrow in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR), the ancestral land of Africa’s last hunting Bushmen – exactly ten years after the Botswana government claimed there were “no plans to mine anywhere inside the reserve.”

The Bushmen were told they had to leave the reserve soon after diamonds were discovered in the 1980s, but the Botswana government has repeatedly denied that the illegal and forced evictions of the Kalahari Bushmen – in 1997, 2002 and 2005 – were due to the rich diamond deposits.

It justified the Bushmen’s evictions from the land in the name of “conservation”.

In 2000, however, Botswana’s Minister of Minerals, Energy & Water Affairs told a Botswana newspaper that the relocation of Bushmen communities from the Central Kalahari Game Reserve “is to pave way for a proposed Gope Diamond Mine.”

And in 2002, the Bushmen told Survival International: “Foreign Minister General Merafhe went to the reserve and told us we had to be moved because of diamonds.”

The mine opening has also exposed Botswana’s commitment to conservation as window dressing. The government falsely claims that the Bushmen’s presence in the reserve is “incompatible with wildlife conservation” – while allowing a diamond mine and fracking exploration to go ahead.

Khama’s government has also been heavily promoting tourism to the CKGR while driving the Bushmen off their land.

Half the CKGR opened up to fracking

Botswana has opened up large parts of the CKGRto international companies for fracking, it was revealed last year in the documentary film ‘The High Cost of Cheap Gas‘.

A leaked map shows that exploration concessions cover half of the CKGR – a reserve larger than Switzerland – raising fears of land grabbing, a drop in water levels, water pollution and irreparable damage to a fragile ecosystem essential for the survival of the Bushmen and the reserve’s wildlife.

Licenses have been granted to Australian Tlou Energy and African Coal and Gas Corporation, without consulting the Bushmen.

While Botswana’s government has denied any fracking in Botswana, Tlou has already started drilling exploratory wells for coalbed methane on the traditional hunting territory of the Bushmen.

CKGR Bushman Jumanda Gakelebone said: “The government is doing everything it can to try to destroy us … Fracking is going to destroy our environment and if the environment is destroyed our livelihoods are too.”

Hypocrisy personified: Botswana’s President Ian Khama

Botswana’s dash to develop extractive industries in the Kalahari, and its abuses the the indigenous Bushmen, are plenty bad enough in their own right.

But adding insult to injury, Botswana’s President Ian Khama is widely feted as a great conservationist. In 2010, the UK’s Princes William and Harry paid Khama a visit in Botswana in support of the Tusk Trust, which supports various African conservation projects.

And Khama is a board member of Conservation International, the US-based NGO. CI and other conservation organizations have heralded Khama’s conservation efforts – while remaining silent on the persecution of the Bushmen and mining and fracking in the CKGR.

A Bushman whose family was evicted told Survival, “This week President Khama will open a mine in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. Do those organizations who have been awarding President Khama for his work with the flora and fauna still believe he is a good example to the world?

“The residents of the Reserve are not benefitting anything from the mine. The only benefits go to communities living outside the reserve, while our natural resources are being destroyed. We strongly oppose the opening of the mine until the government and Gem Diamonds sit down with us and tell us what we will benefit from the mine.”

‘Poaching’ on their own land

The government continues its relentless push to drive the Bushmen out of the reserve by accusing them of “poaching” because they hunt their food.

The Bushmen face arrest, beatings and torture, while fee-paying big game hunters are encouraged. The government has also refused to reopen the Bushmen’s water wells, restricted their free movement into and out of the reserve, and barred their lawyer from entering the country.

Survival’s Director Stephen Corry said: “When the Bushmen were illegally evicted from their ancestral homelands in the name of ‘conservation’, Survival cried foul play – both we and the Bushmen believed that, in fact, diamond mining was the real motivation for kicking the tribe off their territory.

“Forced evictions of Bushmen from the CKGR have nothing to do with conservation and everything to do with paving the way for extractive industries to plunder Bushman land. Why does President Khama continue to receive prizes for his ‘conservation’ efforts?

“It’s an absolute scandal that Conservation International accepts on its board a man who has opened up the world’s second biggest wildlife reserve to fracking, whilst persecuting the Bushmen whose home it is in the name of conservation.”


Diamond mine timeline

Early 1980s – A diamond deposit is discovered in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve within the territory of the Bushman community of Gope.

12 October 1986 – Botswana’s Minister of Commerce and Industry, Mr Moutlakgola Nwako, announces the government’s decision to relocate the Bushmen.

1996 – A formal evaluation of the mine is completed.

May 1997 – First evictions of Bushmen from the Central Kalahari Game Reserve take place.

1997 – Anglo American drills two exploratory holes in the reserve.

31 August 1997 – Anglo American (the majority shareholder in diamond company De Beers) “denied any knowledge of its activities within the reserve” to South African paper ‘Sunday Independent’.

1999 – Mineral exploration camps are set up a few miles from the Bushman community of Molapo.

July 2000 – Botswana’s ‘Midweek Sun’ reports that Botswana’s Minister of Minerals, Energy & Water Affairs, Boometswe Mokgothu, told Ghanzi District Council that “the relocation of Basarwa (Bushman) communities from the Central Kalahari Game Reserve is to pave way for a proposed Gope Diamond Mine.”

2001 – In its draft management plan for the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Botswana’s Government Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) writes, “DWNP should continue to point out that mining is incompatible with the Game Reserve’s objectives.”

2002 – Bushmen tell Survival, “Foreign Minister General Merafhe went to the reserve and told us we had to be moved because of diamonds.”

2002 – A second wave of Bushman evictions from the reserve. The Bushmen’s water borehole is destroyed.

7 November 2002 – President Festus Mogae claims, “the program of assisted relocation of Basarwa (Bushmen) from areas of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve … was in no way related to any plan, real or fictitious, to commence diamond mining in the reserve.”

2004 – The Botswana government releases a statement which claims: “There is no mining nor any plans for future mining anywhere inside the CKGR as the only known mineral discovery in the CKGR, the Gope deposit, has proven not commercially viable to develop the mine.”

2005 – Third wave of Bushman evictions from the Central Kalahari Game Reserve.

2006 – The Bushmen win their historic case against the government. High Court Judge Justice Dow states that the Bushmen were evicted “forcibly, unlawfully and without their consent.”

May 2007 – De Beers sells its deposit at Gope to Gem Diamonds, for $34 million. Gem Diamonds’ chief executive calls the Gope deposit “a problematic asset for De Beers” because of the Bushman campaign.

5 September 2014 – Gem Diamonds’ official opening of the Ghaghoo (formerly Gope) mine worth an estimated $4.9 billion. The mine lies within the territory of the Gope Bushmen and just 3.2 kilometers from their community in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve.

 

 

Oliver Tickell edits The Ecologist.

Principal source: Survival International.

 




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