Creating offshore MPAs

I recently read about the establishment of the marine protected area around Easter Island. It got me to thinking about our Micronesian marine protected areas. When was the last time there was a MPA created in Micronesia? Researching back, I think it was Palau in 2015. As you’ve heard from me before, I believe that marine protected areas are vital for the preservation and conservation of our oceans, so it’s really great to see other island nations stepping up to protect their natural resources.

As islanders, we rely on the ocean, not only for food but as a vital part of our economy. Overfishing is destroying fish populations around the world, which in turn has far-reaching impacts. It is not just about the fish; it’s about our people and our livelihoods. I often hear people speak of protected areas as being against fishermen, but it’s really not. Marine protected areas are helping to ensure we will be able to fish for years to come. They are also creating the opportunity for our children and grandchildren to fish.  If we are going to be fishermen, we need to have fish. We must look at the big picture and not just the immediate future. Marine protected areas help maintain healthy fish stocks and healthy reef systems, which in turn benefit fishermen, people living on islands, and businesses that rely on the ocean.

I am very curious about the design of the Palau MPA and how it’s working for them now that it’s been a little over two years since they passed their law. Their MPA covers 80 percent of their entire EEZ. There are pockets designated for nearshore sustenance fishing and a domestic commercial fishing zone near their capital. The Easter Island design is more traditional and covers an area of about 740,000 square kilometers (285,716 square miles), which is roughly the size of Chile’s land area.  With all of their marine protected areas together, Chile protects about 40-percent (?) of their country’s EEZ. These MPA designs fit with what science is suggesting, which is that 30 percent of our ocean waters on the planet should be protected.

The MPA at Easter Island is a great example of local people and organizations coming together with a common goal. It took them five years of dedicated work, but the outcome will be healthy oceans for the future. I want to thank and congratulate the people of Easter Island on the efforts as stewards for the ocean and for setting such a strong example for other nations to follow. It is my wish for our people of the CNMI to look carefully at how we can follow the suggestion that science is telling us for creating offshore MPAs.

Ignacio V. “Ike” Cabrera
I Agag, Saipan