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Help create the world's biggest Marine Reserve

Right now the government is holding an open consultation on whether to create a Marine Reserve around the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean.

If they go ahead it will be the largest on the planet, protecting over 200,000 square miles of ocean, including half of the Indian Ocean’s pristine coral reefs and the world’s largest coral atoll.

The window for comments is only open for a very limited time - in fact it closes on 12th February. You can help by writing to Foreign Secretary David Miliband - tell him you want a no-take Marine Reserve to protect the colourful coral reef life around the Chagos.

Please take a couple of minutes to personalise the sample letter below. All form fields marked with an '*'are mandatory. For further information about how we treat your data please consult our privacy policy.

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Rt Hon David Miliband MP
Foreign Secretary
King Charles Street
London SW1A 2AH

Dear David Miliband,

The government has a great opportunity to create the world's largest Marine Reserve in the waters of the Chagos archipelago in the Indian Ocean.

No-take Marine Reserves have a vital role to play in protecting our seas from the increasingly destructive forces of dredging and fishing. We urgently need more of them - scientists say that 20-50% of our oceans should be set aside and protected in this way. Reserves help our marine life withstand all of the other pressures we are creating, from climate change to destructive fishing practices.

The Chagos archipelago, which contains 55 small islands, the world’s largest coral atoll, and about half of the pristine coral reefs in the Indian Ocean, is an ideal candidate for such a reserve. It would provide a vital refuge for the amazing plants and animals that live in our oceans, from slow growing corals, to turtles, sharks and seabirds, as well as a safe place for commercially-important fish species to recover and thrive. Crucially, for this area to be properly protected, it needs to be fully protected, which means excluding fishing activities.

I would like to add my voice to those already calling for the Chagos Marine Reserve to be created. Please make it happen!

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