脆弱天堂 15

With so many fish, some spill over into the waters beyond the reserve

Where fishermen now catch many more than they did before the reserve was set up.

Marine reserves clearly work.

So why aren't there more of them?

In truth, marine protection is decades behind wildlife protection on land.

Take the islands of New Zealand.

Beyond the farmed landscape are wild places where nature can flourish.

More than a quarter of the country

is set aside in national parks and other reserves.

In contrast, less than 1% of the Pacific ocean is protected.

Instead, it is divided up into fishing zones.

Each island nation owns the fishing rights up to 200 miles offshore.

Beyond these territorial waters are the so-called "high seas".

Bounded by national waters

The high seas pockets of the western Pacific cover half a million square miles.

The surrounding island nations would like these pockets

to be declared marine reserves - safe havens where migratory fish can breed.