On Wednesday March 18, the UK government unveiled plans to designate the area around Pitcairn Island a marine reserve. When established, this will be the largest marine reserve in the entire world, encompassing 322,000 square miles.

The island, made famous as the landing spot of the mutineers from the HMS Bounty in 1790, supports a rich array of marine life including a healthy population of sharks. The move is particularly successful as it was just last year that scientists were calling for its protection. The four islands, Pitcairn, Henderson, Oeno, and Ducie, would be off limits to commercial fishing.