http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jklcupKrK34

WHERE ARE THE CHAGOS ISLANDSThe Chagos islands and

surrounding waters are a British Overseas Territory, also known as the British

Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT)

The land area totals only 21 square miles but is spread

over a total oceanic exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of

210,000 square miles, twice the size of the UK’s land

surface.

These 55 islands, located in central Indian Ocean, are tiny

in size and are distributed amongst a vast area of coral

reefs and open sea.

WHAT ARE THEY DOING?

REEFS IN CRISIS

9% of the world’s reefs have been lost already and a further

35% may be lost by 2050. Remaining reefs are under

pressure from pollution, over-fishing and climate change pressures such as rising sea

temperatures.Reefs are facing a spiral of

decline, as warming temperatures continue to drive

mass coral bleaching while future acidification threatens recovery and future growth.

Coral reefs in the Indian Ocean are under particular pressure from human activities, but the Chagos archipelago is the big exception. Almost 50% of the

remaining reefs in good condition in this region can be found in Chagos. The Chagos is

a vital stepping stone linking east and west Indian Ocean reefs and replenishing over-

exploited habitats ‘down-stream’ in places like East Africa, where

millions of people depend on reefs for food security.

If strictly protected from direct human pressures, Chagos can form a precious reference site

against which to compare other reefs’ recovery. It will become

a natural laboratory for scientists to study how a truly

healthy reef lives and thrives in a changing world. As the

challenges of climate change face all reefs around the world it is important for us to have a few good sites that can remain

resilient to these pressures.

50% of the world’s coral reefs could be gone by

2050. A Chagos Protected Area would help to

safeguard one of the healthiest reef systems on Earth, and thus provide a glimmer of hope for the

future of coral reefs worldwide.

SPECIES

A host to 220 different types of coral.

Despite a large amount of coral lost due to a coral bleaching event in 1998,

Chagos Island has made a great recovery.

The coral cover is dense and healthy.

Home to at least 784 species of fish that stay near to the

shores but a lot have been lost from over fishing.

The remote islands makes a perfect undisturbed nursery sites

for turtles.

The green turtle and the hawksbill turtle were heavily exploited during the last two

centuries but are now recovering due to the protection from the British Indian Ocean Territory.

Seventeen species of seabird nest in huge colonies on the islands and 10 of the islands

have been designated as ‘Important Bird Areas’

The Chagos Islands have the most diverse seabird community

in this region.

The birds take 95,590 – 24,784 tonnes of fish per year. By

declaring Chagos as a protected area, the species would be freed

from fishing pressures.

SIGN THE

PETITION

http://protectchagos.org/

http://www.chagos-trust.org/index.asp