London - The UK is to establish the largest single marine reserve in the world, around the Pitcairn Islands, an overseas territory in the South Pacific.
The Pacific zone will cover 834,000sq km, more than twice the area of the British Isles, and aims to protect a wealth of ocean life from illegal fishing.
The actress Helena Bonham Carter, who has been campaigning to establish the reserve, welcomed the Budget announcement yesterday that the Government will go ahead with the project.
"It's very proud-making that the UK Government has just declared the largest marine reserve in the world. The waters around Pitcairn are teeming with turtles, whales, sharks and tuna," said Ms Bonham Carter, who posed naked with a large tuna to promote the project.
She added: "I never knew taking my clothes off could be so effective. I must do it more often."
The campaign was organised by a coalition including Greenpeace UK, the RSPB and the Blue Marine Foundation.
More than 1,200 marine species have been recorded around Pitcairn, 48 of which are globally threatened, including the critically-endangered hawksbill turtle. The Pitcairn angelfish lives only there.
With the new designation, Pitcairn's waters become off-limits to fishing and activities such as deep-sea mining.
The Independent