Phoenix Islands Protected Area
| Phoenix Islands Protected Area | |
|---|---|
Phoenix Islands Protected Area boundary outlined
|
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| Location | Phoenix Islands |
| Area | 408,250 km2 |
| Established | January 2008 |
| Governing body | Republic of Kiribati |
| http://www.phoenixislands.org/index.php | |
| Type | Natural |
| Criteria | vii, ix |
| Designated | 2010 (34th session) |
| Reference no. | 1325 |
| State Party | Kiribati |
| Region | Asia-Pacific |
The Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA) is located in the Republic of Kiribati, an ocean nation in the central Pacific approximately midway between Australia and Hawaii. PIPA constitutes 11.34% of Kiribati’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and with a size of 408,250 km2 (157,630 sq mi) it is one of the largest marine protected areas (MPA), and one of the largest protected areas of any type (land or sea) on Earth. Its sister site, Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, recently became the largest MPA on the planet
In total it is equivalent to the size of the state of California in the USA, though the total land area is only 25 km2 (9.7 sq mi).
The Republic of Kiribati, in partnership with the non-governmental conservation organizations Conservation International and the New England Aquarium, has formed the Phoenix Island Protected Area Conservation Trust (PIPA Trust).
Management and protection requirements necessary to maintain the values of this MPA are reflected both in the current interim management measures and the recently approved management plan. These include, but are not limited to, the following:
The administrators of the reserve have been criticized for the amount of fishing they allow.
There are 514 species of reef fish, including several new species.
Five of the eight islands in PIPA are currently designated as Important Bird Areas by Birdlife International. Today there are 19 species of seabirds living on the islands. Many other seabirds migrate through PIPA, including shearwaters and mottled petrels from Australia and New Zealand. Prominent species include the endemic, endangered Phoenix petrel.
Some of the negative impacts of the introduction of non-native, invasive plants and animals include the elimination of native seabirds and plants, particularly through the destruction of the eggs and young, and introduced plants taking over other plant life, modifying the natural island ecosystem. Plants and animals that have been introduced over time include Pacific and Asian rats, rabbits, cats, ants, pigs, dogs and lantana.
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