Name: Saving the ocean one island at a time
Uploaded: 2010-11-03T07:49:00Z
Duration: 16 min 59 s
Description: Aboard Mission Blue, scientist Greg Stone tells the story of how he helped the Republic of Kiribati to create an enormous protected area in the middle of the Pacific -- protecting fish, sealife and perhaps the island nation itself.

Aboard Mission Blue, scientist Greg Stone tells the story of how he helped the Republic of Kiribati to create an enormous protected area in the middle of the Pacific -- protecting fish, sealife and perhaps the island nation itself.

Saving the ocean one island at a time

Marine conservation can succeed when it aligns with national interests and creative economics. One Pacific nation, Kiribati, established a vast marine protected area by pioneering a 'reverse fishing license' that pays for leaving fish in the sea. In waters where sharks once numbered 150 per dive and coral reefs rebounded from severe bleaching, protection led to rapid recovery. This approach shows that large-scale, market-driven conservation can benefit both biodiversity and vulnerable island communities.