How the infamous Pitcairn Island became a model of ocean conservation

AFTER 4 nights at sea on a pitching and rolling ship, the announcement over the Tannoy is the sound of candy aid. “Land ahoy!”

I dress and lurch out onto the foredeck. If it truly is ahoy, I can’t see it. The solar is developing and dazzling the purpose on the horizon the place terra firma ought to be, due east of our place in the course of the South Pacific. The ship rolls sickeningly and I retreat to my berth.

A few hours later, I re-emerge and am greeted by an superior sight – a rugged inexperienced rock rising out of the ocean like one thing from the movie Jurassic Park.

That is Pitcairn, one of many remotest inhabited islands on this planet and a part of a British abroad territory. I’m right here to learn the way this remoted group is aiming to place its darkish previous behind it and reinvent itself as a paradigm of ocean conservation – and likewise if there are classes to be realized extra typically about find out how to shield marine biodiversity. However as at all times on this precarious outpost, there are squalls gathering on the horizon. How can Pitcairn’s stellar conservation efforts proceed when its already tiny inhabitants is dwindling?

Pitcairn is greatest often called the ultimate vacation spot of 9 mutineers from the ship HMAV Bounty, who made landfall in January 1790 together with 11 Tahitian ladies and 6 Tahitian males they…