Opinion: Pacific nations lead sea-change in ocean conservation

By Gregory Stone, Special to CNN

Updated 0440 GMT (1240 HKT) September 3, 2012

Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds.

16 tiny island nations in the Pacific Ocean met last week to discuss protecting 10% of the world's seas.
Photos: Protecting the Pacific Ocean
Protecting the oceans – 16 tiny island nations in the Pacific Ocean met last week to discuss protecting 10% of the world's seas.
Hide Caption
1 of 8
A lagoon viewed from a mountain top in New Caledonia. The Pacific island state announced last month that it will creat a 1.4 million kilometer marine conservation zone. The Cook Islands have created a marine park the size of Egypt.
Photos: Protecting the Pacific Ocean
Protecting ocean paradise – A lagoon viewed from a mountain top in New Caledonia. The Pacific island state announced last month that it will creat a 1.4 million kilometer marine conservation zone. The Cook Islands have created a marine park the size of Egypt.
Hide Caption
2 of 8
The newly created marine protected area encompasses New Caledonia's 1.5 million hectare UNESCO World Heritage site.
Photos: Protecting the Pacific Ocean
Blue heritage – The newly created marine protected area encompasses New Caledonia's 1.5 million hectare UNESCO World Heritage site.
Hide Caption
3 of 8
The Pacific Oceanscape is an ambitious intitiative to preserve and sustainably manage an area covering 10% of the world's oceans.
Photos: Protecting the Pacific Ocean
Fiji's coral reefs – The Pacific Oceanscape is an ambitious intitiative to preserve and sustainably manage an area covering 10% of the world's oceans.
Hide Caption
4 of 8
The Pacific Oceanscape was set up in 2009 at the Pacific Island Forum in 2009 attended by 15 Pacific region governments.
Photos: Protecting the Pacific Ocean
Papua New Guinea – The Pacific Oceanscape was set up in 2009 at the Pacific Island Forum in 2009 attended by 15 Pacific region governments.
Hide Caption
5 of 8
Rising sea levels threaten the very existence of the tiny island nation, located halfway between Australia and Hawaii. In 2006 Kiribati's president Anote Tong created a no-fishing, protected area the size of California.
Photos: Protecting the Pacific Ocean
Kiribati on the frontline – Rising sea levels threaten the very existence of the tiny island nation, located halfway between Australia and Hawaii. In 2006 Kiribati's president Anote Tong created a no-fishing, protected area the size of California.
Hide Caption
6 of 8