Anyone Can Adopt a Patch of Ocean! The Island Nation of Niue Raises US$18 Million Globally for Marine Conservation

The Editor says: Beyond the familiar beach and ocean cleanups, did you know you can also contribute to ocean protection through adoption? Niue — one of the world's smallest nations — is crowdfunding from around the globe to advance environmental monitoring, assess coral reef health and fishery resources, and has pledged to achieve 100% sustainable management of its waters in the future. Join the Editor in exploring Niue's fundraising plan! <Full article reprinted from the Environmental Information Center, compiled from international sources; translated by Ke-Chih Tsao; reviewed by Tzu-Ling Hsu>

Crowdfunding is how many creators secure their first round of financing — but did you know it can also power marine conservation efforts? The Pacific island nation of Niue has recently launched a campaign inviting people around the world to become sponsors and join forces to protect its vast, pristine stretch of the Pacific Ocean.

Pacific Island Nation Niue Seeks Global Sponsors to Protect Its Vast Ocean Territory

At a forum hosted by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in New York in September, Niue's Prime Minister Dalton Tagelagi unveiled the country's fundraising initiative, the Ocean Conservation Commitments (OCC). The campaign aims to raise more than US$18 million (approximately NT$580 million) from around the world, with all funds to be channelled by the government into the Niue Ocean Wide Trust for the maintenance and conservation of its marine protected areas.

According to an AP report, the OCC plan will protect a no-take marine protected area (MPA) spanning 127,000 square kilometres — an area equivalent to 40% of Niue's exclusive economic zone (EEZ). According to the OCC fundraising website, both individuals and organisations are welcome to become sponsors: for just US$148, a sponsor can support the upkeep of 1 square kilometre of ocean for up to 20 years, keeping it free from threats such as illegal fishing and plastic waste.

The fundraising website stresses that the OCC is not a financial product and offers no monetary returns — sponsors contribute on the basis of trust, and Niue commits to using all funds solely for marine conservation. In return, sponsors will receive a certificate of sponsorship, annual reports, and measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) data on carbon levels within Niue's marine protected area, "Moana Mahu."

At the forum, Prime Minister Tagelagi spoke of the deep bond between the people of Niue and the sea. Niueans, he said, have inherited generations of ocean knowledge from their ancestors and hope to pass that knowledge on to future generations. "Niue is just a small island in a vast blue ocean," he said. "We are surrounded by the sea, we live by the sea — it is our way of life."

"With this funding, Niue will now have the capacity to carry out environmental monitoring, assess the health of coral reefs and fishery resources, and strengthen coastal management programmes across the island's 14 villages," Tagelagi added.

Niue's marine conservation plan has drawn broad support from the academic community. Marine biologist and regional director of the international conservation organisation Blue Nature Alliance, Maël Imirizaldu, noted that the biggest challenge in traditional marine conservation is the need for sustained, long-term funding. This initiative, he said, will help them plan their ocean protection work over the next 10, 15, or 20 years.

Niue lies in the south-central Pacific Ocean, situated between the Cook Islands, Tonga, and Samoa, and is one of the world's smallest nations. Once incorporated into New Zealand during the British colonial era, Niue gained self-governance in 1974 and today maintains a special political relationship of Free Association with New Zealand. The island is currently home to approximately 1,700 residents, while around 30,000 people of Niuean descent live in New Zealand and nearly 5,000 in Australia. The Niuean government has already led by example, sponsoring the OCC on behalf of all its residents — one unit per each of the island's 1,700 inhabitants.

Niue covers just 260 square kilometres of land, yet its EEZ is 1,200 times that area. The country relies predominantly on subsistence fishing, making the health of its marine ecosystem a matter of national survival. Niue is among the first nations in the world to declare its commitment to achieving 100% sustainable management of its EEZ, with the ambition of building a sound, resilient, and sustainable blue economy.

Editor-in-charge: Jenny Tsai

References

• AP (20 September 2023), Sponsor an ocean? Tiny island nation of Niue has a novel plan to protect its slice of the Pacific

• RFA (21 September 2023), Pacific atoll Niue seeks sponsors to protect vast ocean territory

• Niue Ocean Wide Trust

Further Reading

• Invasive Fish Species Run Rampant in Niaosong Wetland — Kaohsiung Wild Bird Society Issues Fishing Permits and Calls for Help

• The Ocean Industries Development Act: The First of Three Marine Laws to Pass Its Third Reading

Full article republished with permission from the Environmental Information Center; original title：Anyone Can Adopt a Patch of Ocean! The Island Nation of Niue Raises US$18 Million Globally for Marine Conservation