The Indigenous community of Rapa Nui, commonly known as Easter Island, is taking the lead in managing one of the world’s largest marine sanctuaries, setting a new precedent for Indigenous-led conservation.

Spanning more than 700,000 square kilometres of the Pacific Ocean, the sanctuary was established to safeguard rich marine ecosystems from industrial overfishing and habitat degradation. It is also one of the first Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) globally to be co-managed by an indigenous majority. The governing board consists of six democratically elected Rapa Nui representatives and five Chilean government officials, giving local Indigenous leaders a voting majority.

The island’s local Sea Council, Koro Nui o Te Vaikava, has partnered with international non-profits Island Conservation and the Blue Nature Alliance to oversee the Te Moana Tapu a Hotu Matuʻa ocean reserve.

While many marine reserves around the world struggle with enforcement and resources, this new partnership brings international funding from donors, including the David and Lucile Packard Foundation – alongside other anonymous donors – to operationalise the reserve. 

“This partnership is about ensuring that Rapa Nui’s marine protected areas are not only designated, but also effectively managed and sustained for generations to come,” said Jose Luis Cabello, Island Conservation’s Senior Regional Director for Latin America. 

“By supporting Indigenous leadership and strengthening long-term stewardship, we are helping translate protection on paper into real outcomes for people, biodiversity, and ocean heals,” he added.

Funding will support active maritime patrols, scientific monitoring and community outreach, and the MPA management plan aims to combine modern scientific methods with traditional ecological knowledge to manage the protected area effectively.

The initiative also links marine protection with land restoration under the Island-Ocean Connection Challenge (IOCC). The IOCC – led by Island Conservation, Re:wild, and Scripps Institution of Oceanography – aims to restore and rewild 40 globally significant island-ocean ecosystems from ridge to reef by 2030.  

Conservationists note that healthy island ecosystems directly nourish surrounding coral reefs through natural nutrient transfers. By removing invasive species and restoring native wildlife on land, local leaders hope to revitalise the surrounding marine environment.

“We know that marine conservation is not isolated,” said Sebastian Yancovic Pakarati, an elected member of the Rapa Nui Sea Council. “We are very happy to begin this joint journey to restore our territory and allow emblematic species to return to the island.”

The reserve’s management framework recently received a 2026 Blue Park Award, an international recognition for rigorous ocean conservation standards. The project is increasingly viewed by environmental policy experts as a model for how Indigenous governance and international science can combine to deliver sustainable ocean management.

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