In November 2012 the Australian Government announced the designation of its new marine parks. The country’s marine reserves will cover more than three million square kilometres, or one third of its waters, which is the world’s largest system of marine parks ever established by one country.
The Australian Government substantially increased the peripheral area of the protected waters by including the Coral Sea Marine National Park that surrounds the Great Barrier Reef in the Northeast. Roughly the size of Spain, this is the second largest protected marine reserve in the world. The largest marine reserve is still the Chagos Marine Reserve at 640,000 square kilometres, which was also supported by Oak Foundation.
Oak Foundation supports the Pew Environment Group, which along with its partners has funded the programme Global Ocean Legacy, with the aim of establishing a worldwide system of large, highly protected marine reserves. These areas will help protect the diverse wildlife, including whales, dolphins, sea lions, tuna, sharks, sea turtles and coral reefs. The designation of the Coral Sea Marine National Park is a hopeful sign for the future of the oceans.
Photo: © Oak Foundation - Kristian Parker
The North Pacific/Arctic regions are renowned for endemic biological diversity, productive fisheries and populations with a rich marine culture and heritage.
Although the Central American country of Belize is one of the most beautiful and untouched regions of the world, some of its barrier reef and associated marine ecosystem are not being managed sustainably, in part due to funding constraints and emerging climate impacts. More>>
We support the development of a network of marine reserves that maintain the health of the barrier reef ecosystem and its wildlife. This network also supports food security and the sustainable economic development of local coastal communities.
The European Union (EU) is one of the biggest consumers, importers and exporters of fish. With its large fishing fleet, strong domestic markets and political and commercial influence, it exerts an enormous influence on fisheries policies worldwide, many of which encourage overfishing. In addition, the EU does not have a sustainable fisheries policy in place. More >>
| Organisation | Amount |
|---|---|
| New England Aquarium | USD 150,000 |
| Pew Charitable Trusts | USD 1,500,000 |
| Wildlife Conservation Society | USD 99,944 |
| Alaska Conservation Foundation | USD 303,617 |
| Marine Stewardship Council | USD 465,373 |