From the Curator of Museum Services at the University of Dundee :
Our next evening event in the D’Arcy Thompson Zoology Museum will be a free talk by Professor Terry Dawson, SAGES Chair in Global Environmental Change at the University of Dundee, which will take place at 6pm on Tuesday 20 October -
Protecting the Real Treasure of the Pitcairn Islands -
Challenges to creating the world’s largest marine reserve
The Pitcairn Islands, located in the South Central Pacific Ocean, consists of two atolls; Oeno and Ducie (the most southerly atoll on earth), a raised atoll Henderson (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and a volcanic island, Pitcairn. Only Pitcairn is inhabited, with a tiny population of around 50, mainly descendants of the ‘HMS Bounty’ mutineers and their Polynesian partners who landed there in 1790.
The islands are the last remaining Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom in the Pacific and are extremely remote, located at the south-eastern limits of French Polynesia, approximately equidistant between Chile and New Zealand.
Pitcairn, along with many other small island developing states, share significant challenges, including isolation, lack economies of scale, have high transportation and communication costs, and have limited means and capacity to implement effective sustainable development goals. However, current plans are underway to revitalise Pitcairn Island with plans to create a Marine Protected Area, the largest in the world!
The Pitcairn Island tourism department is developing new initiatives with a focus on the natural features and biodiversity value of the islands and their pristine marine environment. All of these activities will help to bring more tourism and cruise ships to the Pitcairn islands, to improve the local economy and support more sustainable livelihoods.
Please enter by the front door of the Carnelley Building. Refreshments will be served after the talk.