The RMI’s first national marine sanctuary was officially established Tuesday evening at a signing ceremony at the International Conference Center.
President Hilda C. Heine joined with Iroojlaplap Boklon Zackious, Minister of Natural Resources and Commerce Tony Muller, Utrok Nitijela Member Hiroshi Yamamura, and Utrok Mayor Tobin Kaiko in signing documents to establish the RMI’s first national marine sanctuary at the International Conference Center.
The sanctuary, covering 18,500 square miles, protects the remote Bikar and Bokak atolls, which are home to vital marine life, including the nation’s largest green turtle nesting colony and deep-sea sharks.
The sanctuary will protect these areas from fishing and other destructive activities, ensuring the preservation of crucial ecosystems. This is part of the Republic’s ongoing commitment to meet national, regional, and global targets on ocean conservation through its Reimaanlok Framework, which integrates traditional knowledge with modern science to sustainably manage natural resources and establish protected areas.
“Reimaanlok — ‘looking to the future’ — is rooted in our cultural knowledge and insights to ensure sustainable use” of resources, Muller told a large crowd on hand for the ceremony.
While the government of the Marshall Islands has the authority to manage, sustainably develop and conserve its natural resources, decision-making on the use of these resources are made within the local communities under the guidance and authority of both the local government and traditional leaders, a practice that is fully supported under the Reimaanlok process.
MIMRA Director Glen Joseph commented: “The ocean is life. The world’s ocean is being degraded, but we are able to bring part of it back by recognizing that protection and food production are not mutually exclusive. Our future depends on protecting our ocean.”
A 2023 expedition by National Geographic Pristine Seas and MIMRA gathered extensive data on the area’s exceptional biodiversity, including healthy coral reefs, abundant fish populations, and rare species.
“Bikar and Bokak’s coral reefs are a time machine, like diving in the ocean of 1,000 years ago,” remarked Enric Sala, National Geographic Explorer in Residence and founder of Pristine Seas. “In these remote atolls, we saw the healthiest coral, giant clam, and reef fish populations in the central and western Pacific. They are our best baselines for what the ocean could look like if we truly let it be.”
This sanctuary has officially become a part of the RMI Protected Areas Network and marks a significant milestone in the country’s efforts to protect its marine environment and secure a sustainable future for its people.
The signing was followed by the premiere of the National Geographic’s film on Bikar and Bokak, which features both MIMRA representatives and international scientists talking about the richness of the marine environments at the two atolls.