Source: UnderwaterTimes.com
September 12, 2011

"A year after Pacific Island Leaders made an unprecedented commitment to establish the largest government-endorsed framework for a marine management initiative on the planet, Conservation International applauds the global vision shown once again by leaders here, who pledged bold new ocean conservation commitments—a new marine park and sanctuary—and named the first Pacific Oceanscape Commissioner at the close of the 42nd annual meeting of the Pacific Islands Forum in Aukland, New Zealand.

Cook Islands Prime Minister Henry Puna dedicated the Cook Islands' newly declared marine park as their country's commitment to the Pacific Oceanscape and emphasized the need for Pacific peoples to reclaim their "mana" for the ocean.

"We have inherited our great ocean, Moana Nui o Kiva, and we must feel the "mana" - the honour - of being its stewards," said the Rt Hon Henry Puna. At more than one million square kilometers the marine park, which covers half the country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and the entire southern island group, is the largest in the world today."

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