The world’s most remote inhabited island will be surrounded by a new reserve in an effort to protect the wildlife living in the area.
The waters around the remote British overseas territory of Tristan da Cunha, located in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, is set to become one of the biggest marine sanctuaries in the world.
The marine protection zone declared by the government of Tristan da Cunha will cover 687,000 square kilometre (265,000 square mile), which is equivalent to three times the size of the UK.
Fishing and other human activities will be banned as the reserve will act as a no-take zone. The new sanctuary will help protect a range of species including albatross, penguins, whales, sharks and seals.
Beccy Speight, CEO of the RSPB, said to Sky News: “Tristan da Cunha is a place like no other. The waters that surround this remote UK overseas territory are some of the richest in the world. Tens of millions of seabirds soar above the waves, penguins and seals cram on to the beaches, threatened sharks breed offshore, and mysterious whales feed in the deep-water canyons. From today, we can say all of this is protected.”
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