Marae Moana

Marae Moana
A reef outside of Aitutaki, Cook Islands.
Interactive map of Marae Moana
Location	Cook Islands
Coordinates	21°14′S 159°46′W / 21.233°S 159.767°W / -21.233; -159.767
Area	1,976,000 km2 (763,000 sq mi)[1]
Established	2017

Marae Moana is a multiple-use marine protected area created on 13 July 2017, when the Parliament of the Cook Islands passed a bill creating the largest multiple-use marine protected area in the world at the time of its passage.^[2] Marae Moana covers the Cook Islands' entire exclusive economic zone of over 1.9 million square kilometers.^[3]

Kevin Iro, an environmentalist, first proposed the idea in 2010. Upon its passage, Iro said, "It's a historic time, particularly because everyone supported it, including our traditional leaders who spearheaded the whole thing." The bill had support from all parties in the legislature. The name of the marine park was created in 2014 during a naming competition won by Bouchard Solomono, a student at Tereora College.^[4] Some media speculated that this legislation was the most significant since the independence of the Cook Islands.^[5]

Iro, who is a co-chair of the Cook Islands Marine Park Steering Committee, which was tasked with Marae Moana's legal designation, said this bill and marine park signifies “the sacredness of how Cook Islanders view our ocean space. It links us to our ancestors – it’s more than just the ocean.”

The legislation also creates fifteen marine protected areas extending to 50 nautical miles around each island where no large scale commercial fishing or seabed minerals activities are permitted.^[5][6] Fishing and mineral exploration will still exist in the exclusive economic zone, but is to be done sustainably.

The Prime Minister, Henry Puna, said, “Socially, economically and spiritually we must all take care of it – and it is imperative that all those that live and exist both within and beyond its boundaries do recognise and respect its sanctity,”.

“We do not only recognise that the ocean brings us revenue in terms of fishery and tourism and potentially sea bed minerals – it also provides us with clean air, clean water, and clean food to nourish and sustain us.”

“So this bill aims to sustain our livelihoods by protecting species and ecosystems as well as our cultural heritage that we inherit and pass on to future generations.”^[5]

Iro was inspired to create this legislation from his experience with the islands and ocean and seeing environmental decay such as pollution and overfishing. "When I moved back here (from New Zealand) about 16 years ago I saw what was happening to the lagoons and reefs and really wanted to protect them for my kids," he said. "I want them to have the same experience I did as a boy growing up."^[7][8]