Protect Chagos

"The Chagos Archipelago represents a magnificent conservation opportunity that could be of lasting benefit to humanity. There can be few places on this planet that represent better value for leveraging spectacular returns. What is needed is vision and a leadership initiative by Britain to create the Chagos as an iconic, pristine area held in trust for the future of the world community."

Professor Callum Roberts, University of York.

Protect Chagos

Creating one of the world's greatest natural conservation areas

The Chagos Environment Network (CEN) is a collaboration of nine leading conservation and scientific organisations seeking to protect the rich biodiversity of the Chagos Islands and its surrounding waters.

One of the islands of the Chagos archipelago

Our Goal

The Chagos archipelago is a very special and rare place – a relatively unpolluted and undisturbed part of the Indian Ocean, with its islands, reefs and waters still teeming with life. Protecting this area would be a major contribution by the UK to global marine biodiversity conservation.

The CEN urges the UK Government to declare the Chagos archipelago and waters, out to its 200 mile Environmental Preservation and Protection Zone, a full no-take marine reserve in which extractive activities such as fishing would be prohibited.

We encourage people to support the designation of the Chagos as the world’s largest protected area, and by doing so, help preserve one of the most unspoiled marine environments left on Earth.