There's a new development when it comes to protecting part of the Pacific Ocean. French Polynesia's president has announced plans to establish one of the world's largest networks of highly protected marine areas.
The newly established conservation areas will surpass the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, which spans 583,000 square miles and is currently the largest in the world.
The highly protected areas will safeguard 347,000 square miles of remote waters near the Society Islands and 263,000 square miles near the Gambier Islands.
Speaking last week at the U.N. Ocean Conference in Nice, France, French Polynesia President Moetai Brotherson pledged to protect nearly 23% of his country's waters.
"In French Polynesia, the ocean is much more than a territory — it's the source of life, culture, and identity," he said.
Once created, it will be one of the world's single-largest designations of highly protected ocean space in history.
Access will be limited, and all forms of extraction, such as fishing and mining, will be banned.
The government is also aiming to create a highly protected fishing zone in French Polynesia. Fishing in that zone will be limited to traditional single-pole-and-line catch from boats less than 40 feet in length.
