A paper recently published in the scientific journal PLOS One shows the positive impact a marine reserve can have on a country. Two years ago the island nation of Palau established a marine reserve the size of California, 193,000 square miles, in its waters. No fishing or mining is allowed in the reserve.
Palau is leading the world by example in the effort to combat illegal fishing in its waters. In a recent and riveting article, the New York Times dove into the challenges faced by the island nation in upholding the protections put in place to conserve ocean wildlife. Palau is embracing the use of satellites to track illegal fishing vessels, from extremely remote locations.
Yahoo News reports that the Republic of Palau has burnt 4 boats that were being used by Vietnamese fisherman to illegally fish in Palau’s waters. They were among the 15 that have been impounded since last year and were loaded with sharks and shark fins, lobsters, sea cucumbers and reef fish.
Together with the President of Palau, President Remengesau, Pew Charitable Trusts and their Global Ocean Legacy team are working to create a fully protected marine reserve. Here is a video that documents the underwater splendor and what exactly they are working to protect.