Réserve de Fakarava © Maridav - shutterstock.com.jpg
Lagon de l'île de Moorea © izanbar - iStockphoto.com.jpg

Protected areas

In April 1768, aboard the Boudeuse, Bougainville discovered Tahiti and it is with these words that he testifies, in his book Voyage autour du monde: "I thought I was transported to the Garden of Eden: we were travelling across a grassy plain, covered with beautiful fruit trees and cut by small rivers that kept it deliciously cool, without any of the inconveniences that humidity brings". The botanist Philibert Commerson and his assistant, who was none other than Jeanne Barret, the first woman on board - and disguised as a man to escape the ban on women sailing - collected botanical specimens on this occasion. Years later, after Commerson's death, Jeanne brought back the precious boxes to the King's garden, the current National Museum of Natural History in Paris. The biogeographical situation of French Polynesia, its climate and its insularity explain the exceptional and often endemic character of its flora and fauna, both terrestrial and marine. It is home to 20% of the world's atolls and over 15,000 km² of coral ecosystems. Different types of protected areas have been created to preserve this unique and fragile biodiversity, with different governance and requirements.

The concept of marine educational areas (MEAs), was born in 2012 in the Marquesas. It is a space whose management is ensured in a participatory manner by students from an elementary school. This governance is associated with the expertise of environmental protection associations and users, with the support of local communities, the Polynesian government and the State agency in charge of marine protected areas. Thus, the first MPA was set up on Tahuata Island, led by the children of the Vaitahu school. Today, a network of several marine educational areas is being deployed in the Marquesas Islands, called Pukatai (the Marquesan name for coral). The concept has since flourished and spread to metropolitan France.

The Fakarava Taiaro Biosphere Reserve includes 7 atolls: Aratika, Fakarava, Kauehi, Niau, Raraka, Toau and Taiaro and is part of the UNESCO "Man and Biosphere" program.

The large marine protected area of the Marquesas, Te Tai Nui a Hau, with a surface area of 700,000 km², reconciles the preservation of ecosystems with a concerted approach with the population. It is also part of the project to have the Marquesas Islands listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The area known as "50 geometric steps" is also located in the Marquesas. It is the result of a regulation instituted by Colbert in the 17th century. Owned by French Polynesia, this coastal strip is protected from construction and development.

Since 2004,Moorea has benefited from a maritime space management plan (PGEM), the purpose of which is to associate stakeholders to ensure the preservation of ecosystems and the sustainable management of resources.

The Te Faʼaiti Nature Park in Tahiti was created in 2000. It is located in the Papenoʼo Valley, and aims to protect the natural, as well as cultural and archaeological heritage of the site.

The Tainui Atea Marine Managed Area (MMA) is one of the largest marine managed areas in the world, covering approximately 5,000,000 km². It is not a sanctuary for living organisms, but an area that integrates human activities (fishing) with a view to sustainable management.

There are also unregulated natural areas, whose management is left to the initiative of local populations, such as Rapa and the peninsula of Tahiti.

In addition, as part of the National Strategy for Biodiversity 2011-2020, French Polynesia has set up green brigades, two of which are already operating in the territory. These brigades raise awareness about good waste management, but also penalize offenders. In 2022, the association la Brigade Verte Tahiti has deployed more community actions.

A fragile territory exposed to natural risks and anthropic pressure

French Polynesia, a vast territory in the South Pacific of 5 million km², is exposed to risks of floods, landslides, storms, earthquakes and tsunamis. The cyclonic risk is low except for the Australs. Anthropic pressure has resulted in an increase in the frequency and severity of certain risks. Thus, intensive agriculture, the artificialization of the land by constructions, the exploitation and the taking of sand have the effect of accentuating erosion. Action programs have been implemented to preserve the environment and ecosystems. The mayor of Bora Bora has decided to ban the entry of mega ships in the lagoon from 2022. The RESCCUE program (Restoration of Ecosystem Services and Adaptation to Climate Change) aims to support sustainable agriculture, with the development of agroforestry, a technique that promotes both the maintenance of soils, the development of life and productive ecological crops. It should be remembered that water and soil are polluted by pesticides, of which there are sometimes significant levels in agricultural production. The second axis of the program is based on soft actions to fight against coastal erosion, and the third is focused on the control of invasive species. These systemic actions are also part of the context of climate change, which is also accelerated by human action and could have significant impacts in French Polynesia. The rise of the sea level could indeed alter beaches. On the other hand, extreme events would be more frequent there. A report published in 2017 by the Territorial Chamber of Accounts of French Polynesia points out the inadequacy of current policies in the face of environmental issues, the lack of global management of the problem, as well as action plans that are not always followed up. More and more Polynesians are aware of the urgency of the environmental situation, associations and more and more young people are working in the field. Here, as in other territories, the ecological transition has yet to be initiated.