Palau is increasing efforts to protect its environment by declaring a ban on foreign commercial fishing to create the world’s largest marine sanctuary.

President Tommy Remengesau of Palau issued the statement in a briefing to the press on Tuesday, at UN headquarters in New York.

The Pacific Island nation has decided to close its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), an area of more than 600,000 square kilometres, to enforce its newly-proposed ban.

Jocelyne Sambira has more.

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