Niue, a tiny island nation in the South Pacific Ocean, off the coast of New Zealand and near Fiji, has been named as the world’s first ever ‘Dark Sky Place'.
It was given the title after its application for the protection of its sky, land and sea was accepted by the International Dark-Sky Association.
When a place is awarded the title of ‘dark sky’ it means there is limited light pollution and it has an ‘exceptional quality of starry nights’ and the title recognises further commitment to preserving its nocturnal environment. Restrictions are also put on artificial light pollution so that starry skies can be observed without intrusion.
The UK has plenty of Dark Sky Areas, including the Brecon Beacons National Park in Wales, Exmoor National Park in England and the Isle of Coll in Scotland, but this is the first time an entire country as been awarded the title.
CEO of Tourism Niue, Felicity Bollen, said in a statement: “It's a huge undertaking for us because it shows clearly to the rest of the world that we take very seriously the sustainability of our environment and culture and how precious we hold the land, the sea and now the sky.”
Andre Siohane, of the Ministry of Infrastructure in Niue added: “Some of the significant measures undertaken by the government include full streetlight replacement for the entire island and the upgrading of domestic private lighting.”
The Dark Sky title is a further notch to Niue’s sustainability efforts – 40 per cent of its surrounding ocean has been designated as a marine reserve and the Huvalu Forest Conservation area has also been protected as it contains endangered flora and fauna.
