Island nation in the Pacific: Kiribati wants to open up a huge marine reserve for commercial fishing

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Fishermen in North Tarawa, an island in the Republic of Kiribati

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Jonas Gratzer / LightRocket via Getty Images

The government of the Pacific state of Kiribati plans to open one of the largest marine protected areas in the world for commercial fishing.

The current protection concept does not meet the needs of the people in Kiribati, the government defended the project.

Affected is the protection zone called Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA), which extends around the group of Phoenix Islands - about halfway between New Zealand and Hawaii.

With a size of 408,250 square kilometers, it is one of the largest marine protected areas on earth.

The world heritage status is in danger

The marine reserve is home to large coral reefs and ecosystems with tuna, turtles and other marine animals.

The protection zone has been on the list of world heritage in Kiribati since 2010.

In 2015 it was closed to fishing.

But this status is threatened if it is possible in future to use the "marine resources sustainably", as the government of the island state put it.

Kiribati’s plans not only have an ecological, but possibly also a geopolitical dimension.

The island nation cut its diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 2019 and instead established relations with the People's Republic of China.

The government of Kiribati rejected allegations from critics of the project, according to which China had pushed for the opening of the marine reserve because of the lucrative tuna deposits, as "neo-colonial".

Controlled fishing would bring "significant and tangible benefits for our people and nature," it said.

The former president of the Pacific state, Anote Tong, described the fishing plans as a "heavy blow to environmental protection."

Tong helped build the marine reserve during his tenure.

Kiribati is particularly at risk from climate change

Fish is considered one of the staple foods for the people of Kiribati.

However, in recent years the fish population in the oceans has been decreasing and it is becoming more difficult to make a living from fishing.

The climate crisis also poses a particular threat: due to rising sea levels, the island nation could have sunk into the sea between 2060 and 2070.

The danger of flooding and swell is already increasing.

Many people could be forced to leave their homes in the future.

vki / AFP