December 3, 2021
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The Kiribati government is planning to open up the Phoenix Island Protection area (PIPA) to commercial fishing to boost revenue. The region, almost the size of California, is a UNESCO World Heritage marine park and one of the largest in the world. A no-take zone was declared in 2015 to protect the area but now, that decision is being reversed. Fishing is the island's major source of wealth but there are also concerns about achieving climate change goals.
