Protect the Chagos Islands

The UK Government is considering plans to create the largest marine reserve in the world around the Chagos Islands which will result in the protection of 210,000 square miles of the Indian Ocean.

The Chagos Archipelago, an isolated group of coral islands are home to an abundance of marine species and seabirds of international importance. The waters around the islands are considered to be among the least polluted in the world, with pristine reefs, turtles, sharks and almost 1000 other fish species. Officially British Indian Ocean territory, the Chagos are at the centre of a proposal, backed by the foreign secretary as well as numerous environmental groups to make the islands a marine protected area, where exploitative activities will be banned.

The critically endangered hawksbill turtle is found on the reefs around the Chagos islands

The case for the marine reserve is a compelling one, as marine reserves have been shown to promote and protect biodiversity. Ed Miliband has said: “This is a remarkable opportunity for the UK to create one of the world’s largest marine protected areas and double the global coverage of the world’s oceans benefiting from full protection.”

Between 1967 and 1973, the population of 1,400 people living on the Chagos Islands were relocated by Britain to Mauritius, some are now resident in the UK. The Chagossians who now number around 4000 have repeatedly called for permission to return to the islands. The case has now been taken to the European Court of Human Rights which is expected to rule on the matter in the summer.

Roch Evenor, a spokesman for the islanders and secretary of the UK Chagos Support Association said “With the Chagossians living on Chagos we will be able to help the marine protected area, as our presence will be a deterrent factor for illegal fishermen who are fishing the sea cucumbers and sharks. We can co-exist – the Chagos archipelago could be something great if we all put our heads together and collaborate.”

If the people of the Chagos are granted the right of return, any conservation agreements will have to be modified to allow them to successfully co-exist on the islands. The public consultation of the marine reserve will end on Friday. You can vote to protect the Chagos online. Although The Independent published an article this morning featuring the conflict between the plans for the marine protected area and the people of the Chagos, the Protect Chagos Facebook page has said there is no such conflict.