Urge France to Effectively Protect its Maritime Spaces

Call on France to strengthen its marine protected areas.

Following the international agreement at the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 15),  190 countries committed to protecting 30% of the ocean by 2030, sparking new hope for the ocean.

While France claims to be a champion of climate and biodiversity on the international stage, the current conservation policy implemented in its maritime territories is far from adequate, and undermines its international posture.

Given that France oversees the world’s second-largest maritime territory (nearly 11 million square kilometers), it has a critical responsibility to promote the health of the ocean — a crucial regulator of the climate and the largest living space on the planet.

Today, France’s government states that 33% of its maritime spaces are covered by marine protected areas (MPAs). In reality, the government actually permits industrial and extractive activities in most of these so-called “protected” areas. Such activities include aggregate mining, industrial fishing, offshore wind farms, and more.

The European Union is currently calling for an increase in the level of protection of MPAs and for the strict protection of 10% of the EU’s maritime spaces. Yet, only 4% of French maritime spaces are strictly protected as of 2022 and almost all are exclusively located in the French Southern and Antarctic Lands.

Furthermore, France does not align itself with the EU’s definition of “strict protection” and instead promotes its own “strong French protection” — one that allows extractive activities and disturbances with little to no environmental impact assessment. Meanwhile, research from the French scientific community illustrates the clear ecological, economic, and social benefits of strong levels of protection in MPAs.

The Ocean & Climate Platform is launching a campaign to urge the French government to protect 30% of its maritime spaces by 2030 with a network of connected and effectively protected marine areas. We are also asking France to include strict protections in 10% of its maritime spaces across each maritime coastline and outermost sea basin. These new definitions of protection must be supported by the necessary human and financial resources, as well as a continued dialogue between all stakeholders to ensure that these MPAs are successfully implemented and sustained.

Aligned with scientific research findings as well as international standards and regional requirements, we call on the French government to:

1. Adopt the definition of a marine protected area according to the global conservation standards of the IUCN and apply it to the 33% of French maritime spaces covered by MPAs.

2. Strengthen the legal definition of “strong protection” by aligning it with the European definition of “strict protection.”

3. Strictly protect 10% of each maritime coastline and outermost sea basin.

France is currently developing its new National Strategy for the Sea and the Coast, which must define the major policy directions for the marine environment between 2023 and 2029.

Nearly 97% of the French exclusive economic zone (EEZ) is located in its overseas territories.

Join us in urging the French government to create a true and effective network of marine protected areas — and to adopt strong definitions of protection for the future.

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