The Pitcairn Islands

• Main Authors: Irving, Robert A., Dawson, Terence P., Christian, Michele
• Format: Book Part
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2018
• Subjects: Coral reefs; Ducie atoll; Fisheries; Fisheries management plan; Henderson Island; Marine protected area; Marine-borne litter; Near-pristine; Oeno atoll; Pitcairn Island; Remote location; Seamounts; Small population; Tourism; Pacific
• Online Access: https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/en/publications/the-pitcairn-islands(c5cb76ed-13ba-4cf1-a4fb-f74e0aea9017).html; https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-100853-9.00042-7; http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85080815481&partnerID=8YFLogxK

The Pitcairn Islands are a remote group of four, widely separated islands in the central South Pacific, southeast of the Gambier Islands of French Polynesia. They mark the easternmost extent of the Indo-Pacific biogeographical province. Two (Oeno and Ducie) are small coral atolls, one is a raised coral atoll (Henderson), and other is an extinct volcano (Pitcairn). Pitcairn is the only inhabited island, with a population of about 50 people (in 2017). The group’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) is very large, extending to over 836,000 km 2 . In September 2016, these waters became one of the world’s largest marine protected areas (MPAs). A total of 99.5% of the EEZ forms the nonextractive MPA, with small-scale, licensed subsistence and artisanal fishing allowed within the remaining 0.5% (termed coastal conservation areas-CCAs). In 2017 a Fisheries Management Plan was introduced for the management of fisheries within the CCAs, particularly around the Pitcairn Island. Anthropogenic pressures on their coastal waters are minimal. The main marine conservation concerns center on ocean-borne litter at the Henderson Island and damage to coral reefs at Pitcairn due to anchoring by visiting cruise ships and supply vessels.