Kiribati is a California-sized ocean wilderness that includes pristine reefs and eight coral atolls teeming with fish and birds. It falls under the Phoenix Islands Protected Area, or PIPA, lies about halfway between Hawaii and Fiji and also includes undersea mountains. It is said that the island will conserve one of the Earth’s last intact oceanic coral archipelago ecosystems.
According to Kiribati Environment Minister Tetapo Nakara the government wanted to conserve the area’s “biological diversity.” He said that the coral reefs and bird populations of the islands are unique, virtually untouched by man, a true wilderness of natural beauty. The island is covering an area of 164,200 square mile and the government is keen to establish the island as a protected zone by the end of the year with the goal of attracting more tourists to Kiribati.
Nakara informed that the authority has decided to restrict some commercial fishing licences in the area. This will bring loss to government but with the creation of reserve the government is hoping to recoup some of the losses by boosting tourism.
