Reinforcement On A Regional

The underwater study for the Réserve Marine de Saint-Barth, which was scheduled for December 7-9, was cancelled due to bad weather conditions. The Réserve de Saint-Martin, representatives of the Réserve de Petite-Terre and of CREOCEAN had come to lend a hand to the Territorial Environmental Agency of Saint Barth, as part of their annual cooperation linked to the underwater study of marine parks. The divers tried, but without success, to unroll 150 meters of graduated ribbon along the transect. Explication: the strong swells present around the Northern Islands at the end of the year contributed to the movement of a large quantity of sediment displaced by Irma. Suspended in the water again, it caused a lot of turbidity, but also marks a progressive restructuration of the underwater milieu, under the effect of the swells and currents, towards a return to normal. The study has been postponed until February 2018.

Every year, the European Union invites overseas countries and islands (PTOM) from around the world to a large forum designed to review the support that Europe brings —and could bring— to these territories. The most recent forum was held on February 23-24, 2017 in Aruba and allowed the delegations that came from the Atlantic, the Caribbean, the Pacific, the Indian Ocean, and even the Antarctic, to meet with representatives of the European Commission and four of its member states (Denmark, France, Holland, and the United Kingdon). Romain Renoux, coordinator of the European BEST project for the Caribbean island, was there of course, and was able to highlight concrete examples of biodiversity preservation in the 12 overseas islands in the Caribbean, all of which were represented

Last April we talked about a project to create a network of protected marine zones in all countries that border the northern and southern sectors of the Atlantic Ocean. Led by the European Commission, the idea came to fruition after Romain Renoux, coordinator for the European BEST project for the Caribbean islands and representative of the Agoa sanctuary for the protection of marine mammals in Saint Martin, went to Brussels to present the actions taken by Agoa and the Réserve Naturelle as part of the Megara mission, on the corridors of migration for humpback whales, who do not recognize international borders as they migrate. Convinced by the project, the European Commission decided to finance the creation of workshops with the protected marine zones that are already dealing with this subject, as well as with countries interested in improving their knowledge about the Atlantic Ocean migration corridors. The first of these workshops was held on May 15-17 in Saint Martin at the Beach Hotel. Saint Martin, Sint Maarten, Saint Barth, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Bermuda, The United States, The Netherlands, and Cape Verde were all able to share their experiences and their know-how. All of the countries and islands linked by the migration corridors used by the humpback whales are well aware how important it is for each of them to do their part in providing efficient protection for these large marine mammals. Representing Saint Martin, Julien Chalifour, director of the Réserve’s scientific department, and Michel Vély, president of the Megaptera association, presented the results of the three Megara missions in 2014, 2015, and 2017, emphasizing the importance of the reproductive zone between Saint Martin, Anguilla, and Saint Barth.

The most recent management council meeting for the Agoa sanctuary for the protection of marine mammals took place on January 11, 2017 in Martinique, in two parts.

Saint Martin was represented by Ramona Connor, vice president of the Collectivité ; Nicolas Maslach, director of the Réserve Naturelle ; Bulent Gulay, president of Métimer ; Laurence Vallette for Marine Time ; and Romain Renoux on behalf of Agoa in Saint Martin. First, the council concentrated on several achievements from 2016, notably whale watching and the good practices that should accompany this activity. Most of the whale watching companies benefitted from training in October 2016 to help reinforce these practices. In addition, Agoa worked with the organizers of large nautical events — Heineken Regatta in Saint Martin, The Bucket in Saint Barth, Karujet in Guadeloupe, Jet Race in Martinique — on the one hand to make sure the participants know exactly what to do in the case of encountering a marine mammal, and on the other hand, to verify if marine mammals are present in the area to reduce the risks of a collision. A report on the partnership with the association, «My School, My Whale”, highlighted not only the use of pedagogical tools and visits to 14 classes on the four French Caribbean islands, but also an excursion by boat in late June 2016 for a seventh grade class at the French Quarter middle school.

Le renforcement de l’intégration régionale Reinforcement On A Regional Level 20 Le Journal de la Réserve Naturelle Nationale de Saint-Martin n°28 avril 2017 In the second part, council members discussed projects for 2017, with the principal focus on the REMMOA program for the «census of marine mammals and other pelagic fauna by aerial observation”. This national program was launched in 2008 in the French West Indies by the Agency for Protected Marine Areas and its goal is to increase our knowledge about such species as marine mammals and birds, rays, sharks and sea turtles, in order to reinforce their protection. The different marine zones covered by REMMOA in 2017 — Martinique, Dominique, Guadeloupe, Saint Barth, Saint Martin, Sint Maarten, Saba, Saint Eustache — will be the subject of new aerial coverage. The comparison between the results of the different phases should allow for an estimation of the evolution in the populations of various species, and provide useful information on the quality of the overall marine environment. The program also provides a look at the distribution at sea for certain human activities — maritime traffic, pollution, fishing — that can be potential threats to the pelagic fauna in that same zone. A second project, titled CARI’MAM, hopes to reinforce the international cooperation between several Caribbean countries, including the French islands, in order to improve our knowledge about marine mammals and the management of sanctuaries. Finally, the council proposed a new regulation by the prefect on the observation of marine mammals that concerns all of those who are involved in nautical activities, including individual boat owners, as the current regulation concerns only professionals in the whale watching business. With such a regulation, the rules about approaching and observation that are only recommendations today would become obligatory tomorrow.

As in November 2015 in Saint Martin, a «Kozé Agoa» was organized in Martinique on January 10, the evening before the council meeting. The public was invited to the law school auditorium on the university campus for a presentation on the marine mammals of the Caribbean, the Agoa sanctuary, the CARI’MAM project (read above article), and the initiatives led by associations in Martinique. The audience was also instructed in the good practices for observation of cetaceans.

Did you know that the United States and France collaborate on marine environmental issues and the management of protected marine areas (AMP)?

On January 18 & 19, 2017, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the French Embassy in the United States organized «French-American Climate Talks on Oceans» - FACTO - in Virginia. The French Agency for Biodiversity was among those invited, as well as Sandrine Pivard, the new director of the SPAW-RAC. Romain Renoux, who represents the Agoa sanctuary in Saint Martin, attended via video conference and spoke about the Réserve Naturelle of Saint- Martin, the Agoa sanctuary, and the creation of an international network for those sanctuaries that protect the Caribbean marine mammals : Agoa for France, Yarari for The Netherlands, La Samana in the Dominican Republic, and Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, run by the NOAA, in Massachusetts Bay. He also insisted on the necessity of trans-frontier cooperation between nations in order to respond to the challenges of ecological connectivity. This cooperation is advancing, notably through the CARI’MAM project (read above article) and a program that pairs the sanctuaries.

The BEST initiative has moved into high gear. As the phase for the identification of ecosystem profiles on all of the European islands in the Caribbean has been completed, the final document has been approved by the European Commission, and is now available for the public to consult on the Commission’s website.

Currently, BEST is entering into the operational phases for financing of field projects for the preservation of the region’s biodiversity. Four such projects have already been validated after the first call for projects launched in September 2015 throughout the Overseas Territories in the Caribbean, and will benefit from funding as high as 400,000 €. The projects comprise: saving the marine turtles in Anguilla; creating coral nurseries in Sint Maarten, Saint Eustache, Saba, and the Turks and Caicos; to create a marine park in Aruba; and to fight against invasive species in the British islands of the Caribbean. A new call for projects was launched in April 2016, once again directed at the Overseas Territories (PTOM), for maximum funding of 100,000 €. Twenty eligible projects were presented, 18 of which were preselected. As the dossiers can be complicated to complete, a capacity building workshop offering help was held in Saint Martin on July 21 and 22 at the Beach Hotel in Marigot, in order to train and support the candidates, whose projects were due by August 29. Bermuda, The Cayman Islands, Saint Eustache, Anguilla, Montserrat, Bonaire, Saint Barth, Saba, and Sint Maarten all participated. On September 19 and 20, a committee of four experts comprising Cyril Barnerias from the Global Environment Facility; Eric Newton, a biologist based in Curacao; Paul Hoetjes, coordinator for the nature policies for the Dutch islands; and Yves Renard, a biodiversity expert based in Sainte Lucia, met in Saint Martin to evaluate the propositions. Each project was presented to the European Commission, which retains the 12 best, for a total of 1 million € in funding. Among these projects are such topics as reforestation, protection of the Petites Antilles iguana, the fight against lionfish, and the restoration of coral reefs. All will be undertaken in 2017, and the final call for projects will be launched in 2017, once again for PTOM’s. The European BEST initiative is coordinated in the Caribbean by the Spaw-Rac and the Réserve Naturelle de Saint-Martin. Les

The managers of Protected Marine Areas (AMP) from throughout mainland and overseas France have the opportunity to meet once a year at their annual Forum.

This year, thanks to support from the Agency for Protected Marine Areas, ATEN, and the Overseas Ministry, Saint Martin has the chance to host them! On October 25-27, 2016, at the Beach Hotel, 50 such managers were able to exchange ideas about their daily work, and share their experiences, based on common themes. One atelier explored the practical question about management of moorings, as well as the subject of ecological connectivity, which consists of working in a network in order to take into account the ecological reality of migratory species, such as certain birds or humpback whales. The implication of the general community, in terms of awareness and taking of responsibility by citizens, as is necessary in the management of protected areas was also evoked. Romain Renoux, head of regional cooperation and education for the Réserve Naturelle de Saint Martin, was the president of the Forum since 2014 and has passed the baton to Karine Pothin, director of the Réserve Marine de La Réunion, for the next two years. Overseas territories were in the spotlight and Julien Chalifour, head of the scientific department, presented recent projects by the Réserve, including the creation of coral nurseries, as well as studies on birds and sea turtles. Later, the participants were able to enjoy field trips and see the improvements made at several sites, from Rocher Créole to Pinel, by way of Tintamare, aboard two catamarans - Scoobitoo and Solana, both partners of the Réserve Naturelle, which financed this excursion at sea

The managers of the Protected Marine Areas (AMP) of the French Caribbean Islands met on June 16 & 17 in Saint Barthélemy for their annual roundtable. The Réserve Naturelle de Saint-Martin was among the participants, along with the Territorial Environmental Agency of Saint Barth, the national marine park of Guadeloupe, and the mission to create a national marine park in Martinique. After a tour around the table during which each of the protected areas presented their ongoing activities and shared information on their national strategies, the managers worked together in ateliers on specific themes:

• Sargassum seaweed
• Health of the coral reefs
• Management and control of human activities in the protected areas
• Environmental restoration of damaged marine sites, especially with the creation of coral nurseries
• Fishing regulations
• Creation of a European Interreg project to protect marine mammals in the Agoa Sanctuary and beyond.

Caroline Fleury, who does a monthly inventory and scientific study of shore birds around six ponds in Saint Martin for the scientific office of the Réserve,

was able to confirm that the French Antilles shelter a large number of migratory and resident species. She made her report during the national meeting for contributors to the observatory of coastal waders, or those birds that live in the humid zones along the shore. The meeting took place on November 17-18, 2015 in the heart of the Camargue, at the Domaine de la Tour du Valat, a research centre for the conservation of humid zones in the Mediterranean. For Fleury, this meeting was the occasion to meet her national counterparts from the association of Réserves Naturelles de France, and also improve her competence in terms of the study of birds. Of course, the season for the observation of migratory birds is not the same in Saint Martin as in the Camargue, and a number of the birds observed in the warmer months in Europe move to the tropics when it starts to get cold.

The goal of the “Kozé Agoa” organized on November 5, 2015 at the Sandy Ground Cultural Centre Sandy Ground was to inform the population about the marine mammal sanctuary in the French Caribbean.

About 200 people attended the lecture presented by Sophie Bedel, who notes that at least 25 of the 31 marine mammal species in the Caribbean visit the sanctuary, including certain little known species such as Gervais’ beaked whale. Daniel Langlois, director of the Saguenay-St Lawrence Marine Park in Canada, and member of the management council, presented a short film about humpback whales that feed in Canadian waters during the summer, in order to gather strength before swimming back to spend the winter in the waters of the Caribbean, where they reproduce and have their young. Jean-Pierre Concaud, a whale-watching operator in Guadeloupe, spoke about this activity that has been expanding, with at least 20 companies involved in the observation of marine mammals in Martinique, and another 10 in Guadeloupe, with an obligation to respect the strict regulations as decreed by the prefecture. The director of the tourism office, Kate Richardson, evoked the necessity to follow a policy of sustainable tourism, especially in the development of eco-tourism, so why not whale-watching? The Saint Martin branch of the association, My School, My Whale, presented a short pedagogical film made by an elementary school class in Grand-Case.

The Agency of Protected Marine Zones manages Agoa, which in turn is run by a management council.

After a first meeting held in Martinique on May 21, 2015, this council held its second meeting à Saint Martin, on November 6, 2015. The 53 members of Agoa’s management council followed a very full agenda, of which one of the key points was the results of a major study on commercial activities in the waters of Agoa—activities that represent a potential threat to marine mammals. They examined measures to take in reinforcing the protection of these large animals, and decided, for example, that whale-watching operators will have future training to make sure they follow the best behavior at sea, and better understand the different species and their way of life. More long-term, large boats, such as cruise ships and cargo ships, which represent potential collision danger for large marine mammals, will be taught how to take their protection into account. The council was pleased to welcome the creation of the Yarari sanctuary and officially proposed that the two projected zones be twinned.

Since large cetaceans do not know they are in danger of being hit by a sailboat during a regatta,

The Agoa protection sanctuary worked with the organizers of the Heineken Regatta and to teach participating sailors how to avoid collisions. This information was shared on several levels, starting with a briefing with the organizers on the subject of such risks, both for the marine mammals and the men, as well as the proper behavior in the case of a meeting with one of these large animals. The race committee received this information with great interest and as a result a flyer recapping the recommendations was included in the race book given to every participant. At the same time, the same information was reprinted in the prefectural regulations for maritime traffic in French waters during the regatta, which took place the first weekend in March as it does every year. The regatta organization also invited Romain Renoux aboard a committee boat in case there was an eventual encounter with a whale. «2016 was the year for an excellent partnership with the Heineken Regatta, the Réserve Naturelle, and Agoa», concludes Romain, who hopes to put the same kind of program in place with the organizers of the Saint Barth Bucket and Les Voiles de Saint-Barth.

Represented in Brest Nicolas Maslach, Romain Renoux, and Julien Chalifour represented the Réserve naturelle de Saint-Martin at the 3rd national symposium for marine protected areas (MPA),

which took place in Brest on October 6-8, 2015. Under the aegis of the Minister of Ecology, this symposium is organized once every three years by the agency for protected marine zones and the world union for nature conservation. Over 500 professionals concerned by the protection and uses of the marine milieu participated in this event: managers, socio-professionals, scientists, politicians, representatives of government services, associations from all across France and its ultramarine territories. In addition to technical exchanges, this symposium allowed for an updated report, at the halfway point, on the national strategy for the creation and management of protected marine zones (2010-2020) and to reinforce the efficiency of the management of the MPA network in order to allow France to keep its national and international promises in terms of the quality and quantity of the marine protected areas. Organized by more then 50 partner organizations, the 24 ateliers discussed the operational management of the marine protected areas in terms of financing, practices, and et de governance.

On November 7-15, 2015, the island of Hispaniola was the meeting place for the protection of biodiversity «hotspots,»

thanks to the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) and its guests, including Romain Renoux on behalf of the European BEST. The first meetings took place on November 7-11 on the eastern side of the island in Haiti, then on November 11-15 in the Dominican Republic. The mission of the CEPF is very close to that of the BEST project, which in a certain way completes it, as the CEPF is interested in the poorest territories in the world and supporting them in the preservation of their eco-systems. Like BEST, with its financing in place, the CEPF creates an eco-system profile in order to identify the priorities in terms of conservation of the biodiversity. The idea, for Romain Renoux, was to learn from the experience of the CEPF in the Caribbean region, particularly by participating in the atelier on the evaluation of their investment in the Caribbean since 2010. Participants included the beneficiaries of funding, financiers, and governmental representatives..

Fourteen projects in favor of environmental protection were presented by the PTOMs of the Caribbean as part of the BEST 2.0 program, which provides a maximum level of 400,000 € of funding for each project selected.

Five experts - Cyril Barnerias (DEAL Martinique), Paul Hoetjes (Dutch Overseas, based in Bonaire), Eric Newton (Dutch Overseas, based in Curacao), Tara Pelembe (British Overseas), Yves Renard (Caribbean expert, based in Sainte Lucie) - were asked to examine each project, based on the ecosystem profiles defined by Amandine Vaslet. Since the opening of the call for projects, the team from the Caribbean hub of BEST 2.0, composed of Julie Belmont, head of the mission BEST 2.0 for SPAWRAC, and Romain Renoux, responded to all of the preliminary questions from candidates and helped them complete their projects, before organizing a regional steering committee, with the five experts. They met from December 15-17, 2015, to examine each dossier on a technical and scientific basis. The proposed projects were rated according to precise criteria of evaluation, established by the BEST 2.0 Consortium and validated by the European Commission. They were able to classify the projects, and the results were sent to the BEST 2.0 secretariat then to the European Commission, which eventually selected four projects for a total budget of 1.5 million €. As explained by Romain Renoux during a presentation in Brussels on February 16, these four projects share a dimension close to the realities of their island and a desire to reinforce local capacities. BEST 2.0 will soon launch a new call for projects, open to all of the PTOMs, for smaller subventions, with a maximum of 100,000 €. Additional information is on the website for this program: portals.iucn.

The Mazda group has made a donation of $3,200 to the Réserve Naturelle de Saint-Martin

In support of its program to protect sea turtles. Maria Zildar Richards, director of the Mazda group for Florida, presented the check to Romain Renoux, on Thursday, February 25, 2016 in Palm Beach... very close to a site where these turtles lay their eggs.

The REMMOA program - whose initials represent the French for «census of marine mammals and other pelagic species by aerial observation»- was launched in the Antilles in 2008, by the Agency for Protected Marine Areas. It continued in 2016 for a six-weeks, between August and October. The goal of this national program is to improve knowledge about certain species, such as marine mammals and birds, rays, sharks, and marine turtles, in order to reinforce their protection. Following the end of the first phase of the project, in which data was collected, the second phase will take place in the various marine zones covered by REMMOA - Martinique, Dominique, Guadeloupe, Saint Barth, Saint Martin, Sint Maarten, Saba, Statia - and comprises a second aerial reconnaissance. The comparison between the results of these two phases will allow for an estimation of the evolution of the populations of these different species and provide useful information on the quality of the marine milieu. This second phase began in the French Antilles, whose exclusive economic zone covers 143,256 square kilometers. The program also provides an idea of the distribution of human activities at sea - maritime traffic, pollution, fishing, etc - that might represent potential threats toward the pelagic species in the same zone. This campaign marks the first concrete technical and scientific exchanges with the Yarari Mammal And Shark Sanctuary (see inset) recently created by The Netherlands for the Dutch Caribbean, as well as with Dominica.

The government of Gibraltar invited the overseas British territories from around the world to meet on July 9-15, 2015 for the United Kingdom Overseas Territories Conservation Forum (UKOTCF).This event, which was last held in 2009 in the Cayman Islands, saw the participation of managers of protected British areas in the Pacific, the Indian Ocean, the North and South Atlantic, and the Caribbean basin. These territories have access to the European project BEST, through which the European Commission diffuses indispensable information for selecting and financing the “best” projects for the conservation of ultramarine biodiversity. Romain Renoux, responsible for project BEST for the 15 European territories of the Caribbean, as part of the European cooperation division of the Réserve Naturelle, presented a progress on his work for the identification of key biodiversity, as did his counterpart Maria Taylor, who is based in the Falkland Islands, for her southern Atlantic region. A major interest for this forum is to share common experiences - at the end of the day it is evident that the methodologies remain the same, even at distances of thousands of miles and in wildly differing environments.

The European Commission has launched BEST 2.0 and has reinforced its support for the protection of ultramarine biodiversity by offering new possibilities for financing to Overseas Countries and Territories (PTOM). In the Caribbean, this is good news for Saint Barthélemy, the five British Territories, and the six Dutch territories, as there is now 6 M€ available over a period of five years. Studies are underway for such Outermost Regions (ORs) as Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Saint Martin in the Caribbean to benefit from a similar initiative. Stay tuned… Of course, these RUP’s already have access to European funds, if their politicians consider protection of their environment as a major cornerstone of their political strategy. Let’s hope they make the right choice! Concerning the PTOM’s, a first call for projects has been launched, requesting about 400,000 € in aide. These projects will be evaluated by a committee of experts, then followed- up by Romain Renoux, Amandine Vaslet, and the project BEST team for the European territories of the Caribbean, as part of the regional cooperation division of the Réserve Naturelle of Saint Martin. Their mission will be to best advise the project leaders and to make sure that the financing corresponds to the issues identified during consultations with the local representatives in each territory. They will work in concert with Julie Belmont, a new recruit for BEST, based at CAR-SPAW in Guadeloupe and in charge of tracking the new projects as funded.

As part of his training program, Guillaume Escolar, a 22 year-old intern at the Réserve Naturelle from February through August 2015, is especially interested in learning about the systems put in place on neighboring islands to monitor the state of coral and sea plants. He has already met with Tadzio Bervoets, director of the Sint Maarten Marine Park, and plans to meet with the managers of the protected marine zones in Saint Barthélemy, Anguilla, Saba, and Saint Eustatius. A Master’s degree student at the University of La Rochelle, he is studying the management of ecosystems. His internship, as financed by Ifrecor, will not only allow him to increase his knowledge, but also compile and compare the results of various systems already in place, and allow him to propose a standardization of activities throughout the region. His ultimate goal is to improve the conservation of marine zones and communication between islands. At the end of his internship, the Réserve Naturelle will provide a recap of all the existing systems for the directors of the protected marine zones on the five islands, as part of its regional cooperation mission.

The Réserve de Saint-Martin, which since 2014 has led the Project Negara study of lemon sharks, hosted a group of Dutch scientists working with the Marine Park of Sint Maarten, on April 21 and 22, 2015, along with Tadzio Bervoets, the Park director. The two academics were with consultants on assignment by the Dutch government, in order to increase knowledge about the marine zones in the Dutch Antilles, with a special focus on the identification, distribution, and management of sharks and rays. After working in Saint Eustatius and Saba, this team spent two months in Sint Maarten, where they sampled 150 points in the sea and observed numerous Caribbean reef sharks and nurse sharks. Knowing that lemon sharks and tiger sharks had been found in the waters around the French side of the island, the Marine Park contacted the Réserve Naturelle, which lent its expertise to the study by suggesting 18 observation points. The technique used by the Dutch comprised submerging two cameras that recorded in stereo and filmed everything that passed in their field of vision, with bait attached on a telescoping pole to attract these large predators. This means of recording allows for a precise measurement of the size of the sharks, and provides information about the stage of development of the species filmed. Over the course of two days, aboard the boat belonging to the Réserve, three systems of two high-definition cameras were submerged for one hour, pulled out of the water, and then re-submerged at another point, on so on. The Dutch and French each worked on their respective projects : the Dutch concentrating on an inventory and diversity of the various species; and the French continuing their study of the lemon shark, to acquire additional expertise in the manipulation of these individuals. The images recorded will be examined, with the data collected used to enrich global knowledge about sharks. «There are sharks in the waters around Saint Martin that pose absolutely no danger and even signify the good health of our ecosystems. They represent an interesting subject of observation for divers, as the sharks are furtive but not very fierce. But we must not forget that these are wild animals and they should never be fed,” explains Julien Chalifour.

Comme tous les ans depuis 2013, l’équipe du sanctuaire Agoa pour les mammifères marins dans les Antilles françaises s’est mobilisée à l’occasion de la Karujet 2015, au cours de laquelle plus de 60 jet-skis étaient lancés à pleine vitesse entre Petit-Bourg, Le Gosier, les Saintes, Saint-François et Marie- Galante, dans les eaux de la Guadeloupe. Cette compétition d’engins à moteur représentant une source de dérangement et un risque de collision pour les cétacés, l’Agence des aires marines protégées a préconisé des mesures préventives afin de minimiser les risques, aux frais des organisateurs de la Karujet. Le départ des courses n’a été donné qu’après le survol en autogyre de la zone environnante et l’observation du parcours depuis un bateau, afin de s’assurer qu’aucun mammifère marin ne soit mis en danger. Compte tenu des risques et des perturbations, l’Agence des aires marines protégées a de nouveau cette année demandé que cette étape du championnat du monde de jet-ski se déroule à l’avenir sur une période où les baleines à bosse ne sont pas présentes.

The European Union, which comprises 9 Outermost Regions and 25 Overseas Countries and Territories worldwide, has placed the protection of its exceptional biodiversity at the top of its list of priorities, as seen in the creation of the BEST project, coordinated in the Caribbean by the SPAW RAC and the Réserve Naturelle of Saint Martin. The goal is to establish an inventory of the biodiversity and its challenges in terms of conservation in each of these European territories and to guarantee the continuation of European funding, which often is lacking at the moment. Along the same lines, the second International Conference On Biodiversity and Climate Change in Overseas Europe, which was held in Guadeloupe on October 22-25, 2014, attracted 200 attendees who represent the who’s who of leaders, managers, and scientists concerned by these challenges, including Ségolène Royal and George Pau-Langevin, respectively minister of the environment, and overseas minister. Co-organized by France, the Bristish Virgin Islands, the association of overseas countries and territories, the Region of Guadeloupe— which led the conference for the Outermost Regions—the Secretary for the Convention on Biological Diversity, the International Union For Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the European Commission, this meeting allowed all of these territories—British, Spanish, Portuguese, Danish, and French—to work together in a series of five workshops that allowed them to discuss such subjects as the decline in the biodiversity, research, the economic impact of natural environments, the mobilization of financial resources, and of course the effects of climate change. This work resulted in a roadmap that defines the actions that are required over the next few years to respond efficiently to the challenges of biodiversity and to climate change.

Romain Renoux, the head of regional cooperation for the Réserve and for the coordination of the BEST project in the Caribbean, took the opportunity to meet his counterparts from around the region and to share the most possible information with them

Getting an estimate for the actual cost of building a cruise ship dock on a Caribbean island is one of the first steps, for example, in its construction. But what is the cost to the environment? What consequences, generally considered irreversible, would this new dock have for the eco-systems? On the coral? The beaches? This is one of the points that Romain Renoux and 19 other managers from a total of 15 Caribbean territories discussed in a workshop on the economic evaluation of eco-systems. Organized by the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) and the Dutch Ministry of the Economy, September 16- 18 in Bonaire, this workshop was designed to demonstrate the necessity to make all leaders - including elected officials - aware with total transparency that the cost to the environment from construction and concrete is not neutral. And at the end of the day, the bill may be higher than expected!

It was on the Ile d’Oléron, on October 15-17, 2014, that Romain Renoux and Franck Roncuzzi met with 50 other managers of protected marine areas—national parks, nature reserves, marine parks, Natura 2000 zones, Conservatoire du Littoral sites—during the 13th annual Forum for Protected Marine Areas, an informal network that these managers belong to. For them, it provides an opportunity to share mutual experiences as well as successful techniques, and discuss their difficulties. One issue is funding, the eternal holy grail, but also such questions as the possible eco-certification for anchors and moorings in order to make them more compatible with the management of protected zones, as well as the prospective on climate change. Renoux had the honor of being elected president of this Forum for the next two years, which means that with his office, he will work on the themes for the next national colloquium for protected marine areas in 2015, and will centralize and bring the concerns of the managers to the attention of the minister of the environment and the agency for protected marine areas.

Strategies to manage invasive alien species were the subject of a workshop organized by the Nature Reserve from May 12th to 14th, at the Mercure Hotel. Saba and St. Eustatius Marine Parks attended, along with Petite-Terre Nature Reserve, Bonaire National Park, the Marine and Terrestrial Park of Anguilla, the Minister of Environment from Anguilla, the ONCFS from Guadeloupe, as well as the British Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). The first two days were devoted to sharing experiences, with presentations of different actions used to eradicate and control the invasive species found in each territory. Anguilla is the only island to have successfully eradicated all the rats that had invaded Dog Island through implementing a very costly and extensive program of poisoning. They were warmly congratulated by the others as the fight against invasive species is a challenge for everyone. Bonaire, like Saint- Martin (see pages 12 and 13), faces the invasion of the underwater algae Halophilastipulacea. The ONCFS from Guadeloupe, for its part, has had a proliferation of the green iguanas, whilst St. Eustatius is fighting against rats and achatinas that is, of course, when the orchid-loving goats leave them the time to do so!

The third day was spent out in the field at Tintamare where the Reserve gave a demonstration of their method of rodent eradication, which trapped and killed 211 rats and 79 mice in March 2013.

The European Union knows that most of its biodiversity exists in its 34 overseas territories and that it is imperative to preserve them. In the Caribbean, 15 European territories are concerned. They are French (Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Barths, Saint-Martin), Dutch (Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten) and British (Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Montserrat, Turks and Caicos), and are all involved in the BEST program, implemented in 2010 by the European Commission, on an experimental basis to preserve their biodiversity. In Brussels on January 30th and 31st, 2014, after having presented the Saint Martin Nature Reserve to the European Commission, at the first steering committee of the project BEST, Romain Renoux, responsible for the Regional Cooperation Division, was appointed to become the coordinator for the «hub» platform of these 15 territories. This appointment confirms that Saint Martin’s role as a Caribbean «hub» for all environmental issues within the region is a necessary one. With the cooperation of the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) and CAR-SPAW based in Guadeloupe, Saint Martin Nature Reserve had previously responded to a proposal from the European Commission to define the scientific criteria most relevant to the preservation of the biodiversity in the overseas territories. A work plan has been drawn up for the next four years.

From April 10th to 13th, 2014, Guadeloupe welcomed more than 60 jet-skis for Karujet, an annual world championship that took place between Petit-Cul-de-Sac-Marin, Pointe-des-Châteaux and the Saintes. This popular nautical event enjoyed by a large public, can however have a significant impact on marine mammals that are very sensitive to noise and are slower than these motorized engines that risk hitting them. It is particularly dangerous for humpback whales that are in full breeding and calving season at the time of the race. As explained to us by Romain Renoux, in charge of managing the Agoa Sanctuary in Saint Martin, one of the roles of the sanctuary is to define recommendations to avoid disturbing or harassing marine mammals. In order to reduce the risks at hand and avoid accidents, the prefect of Guadeloupe obliged the organizer of Karujet to set up a system of aerial surveillance. The autogyro picked up humpback whales twice when flying over : a single whale just before the start of the race, and a group of three individuals, female, male and calf, on the last day at the end of the races. It was agreed that the start of the race would be delayed if any marine mammals were present on the circuit. Given the risks and the disturbance, the Protected Marine Areas Agency and CAR-SPAW recommend that in the future this stage of the World Jet-skiing Championships takes place when the humpback whales are not present.

Nicolas Maslach, Julien Chalifour, Romain Renoux and Franck Roncuzzi attended the IMPAC 3 that took place in France for the very first time from October 21st to 26th, at the magnificent site of the Palais du Pharo in Marseille. Every four years, this is the traditional “rendez-vous” of all managers of marine protected areas from around the world, who are able to exchange and participate in dozens of specialized workshops. IMPAC 3 is the opportunity for our country to highlight the conservation policy France implements with its marine environments and the various existing tools, which includes the Saint- Martin Nature Reserve.

The Reserve follows the whales in Martinique The Saint-Martin Nature Reserve participated in a scientific marine mammal monitoring program from October 1st to 8th, in the coastal waters of Martinique. This mission, organized by the AAMP and CAR-SPAW in the AGOA Sanctuary, permitted numerous visual and acoustic observations of many different species of these large mammals. One to note was the observation of a Gervais’ beaked whale, a rare species, in the Saint Lucia channel. These programs improve our knowledge on the diversity of the marine mammals around our islands, as well as their geographical breakdown, which in turn helps us to improve their protection. These missions also help to train the managers of marine protected areas to understand and protect these species better.

Thirty million tourists visit the Caribbean each year. Two million of them choose Saint-Martin, where the tourism industry comes first, and they have estimated that 400,000 visit the Nature Reserve. On these fragile sites, often under threat, how can they welcome visitors without destroying sites? Consequently, sustainable tourism was the subject discussed in great depth, from June 12th to 14th at the Mercure Hotel in Saint-Martin, where TE ME UM and CAR-SPAW had invited area managers of marine protected areas. As co-organizer of the event, the Saint-Martin Nature Reserve was there around the table with the Marine Parks of Anguilla and St. Eustatius, the National Park of Guadeloupe, the Petite-Terre Nature Reserve in Guadeloupe, the Martinique branch of the Conservatoire du Littoral and Martinique’s DEAL, as well as Reunion’s Marine Nature Reserve, in the Indian Ocean. Regulations and welcoming of visitors onto sites, the various partnerships established with tour operators in each territory, marketing and product development, charters and eco-labels, were the four topics around which managers held discussions, arguments and debates. Everyone came with their experiences and questions, keen to learn from the others, the goal being to improve management practices along the lines of what exists elsewhere. For example, the Nature Reserve in Petite-Terre, Guadeloupe, was greatly inspired by the mooring fee initially set up by the Saint- Martin Reserve, that is successful thanks to a trust partnership held with the users. A bilingual report of experiences is being put together to share the content of these meetings with other managers of protected natural sites.

TE ME UM and CAR-SPAW, what are they?

• The specific objective of TE ME UM is to strengthen the capacity of managers of protected natural sites in the overseas territories, at a local level with each Collectivity and also regionally via networking to facilitate exchanges, as with the three days of technical discussions about sustainable tourism.
• Based in Guadeloupe and funded by the French State, CAR-SPAW (Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife) Regional Activity Center for specially protected species and areas in the Caribbean, implements the SPAW protocol related to the protection of marine and coastal biodiversity within the wider Caribbean region, from the Gulf of Mexico to the Caribbean Sea. This protocol to date includes 16 countries in the region.

The tourists learn about Pinel’s protected site thanks to this panel

The workers guild between managers of protected natural sites allows these professionals to share their practices, to benefit from the experience of others and to help others benefit from their own experience. Thus, Soraya Issop Mamode, Director of GIP - management body of Reunion’s National Marine Nature Reserve in the Indian Ocean - and Yanick Clain, Head of the Reserve’s Police and Surveillance Unit, were welcomed by the Saint-Martin Nature Reserve for one week in early June 2013, after having spent the previous week in two of Guadeloupe’s reserves; Petite-Terre and Désirade. Management of marine protected areas was the focal point during these exchanges, as well as the protocols put in place to ensure that reserve visitors comply with regulations. Reunion’s Director was greatly interested in the maritime passenger levy applied in Saint-Martin, and in Petite-Terre, as during these times of fiscal restraint they too are trying to increase the share of self-financing in their annual budget. In turn, Reunion’s reserve was approved to provide vocational training in 2011, allowing it to offer training courses on coral reefs, the marine zones in Reunion or the coastline along the west coast of the island, to people interested in doing these courses within a professional context. In 2012, all of Reunion’s Investigating Commissioners went on training courses, and in 2013, lookouts from associations and surfing leagues, responsible for shark risk prevention surveillance, were trained up by the Reserve. Several towns are now interested in this training course related to shark risks.

Le cap Homard, La Réunion © B. Cauvin

Spread out over 3,500 hectares and five municipalities, Reunion’s Marine Reserve is surrounded by 40 kilometers of coastline and employs 15 staff members. 3,500 fauna and flora species have been recorded, and the recording continues! The Reserve works with a budget of 1.02M€, which is proportional to its functions and existing equipment, co-financed by the State, the Region, the Department and the five municipalities. It is home to 40 surfing spots, 58 diving sites, a range of water sports (kayaking, stand-up paddle...), sea excursion operators and fishermen, fishing is allowed there, but it is closely regulated. By comparison, Saint-Martin’s Reserve covers 3,060 hectares, of which 2,907 hectares are at sea, it employs 7 people and worked with a budget of 420,000€ in 2012, 63% State financed, and 35% self-financed.

Romain Renoux was invited by the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) to attend a regional coordination meeting in Saba on April 24 - 26.
Invited by the RAC-SPAW and the only representative of the French West Indies, the director of the Réserve Naturelle de Saint-Martin shared his professional experiences with the managers of protected sites in the Dutch islands, and in return profited from their knowledge.
He met with Eugene Holiday, the governor of Sint Maarten, and Tadzio Bervoets, director of the Marine Park of Sint Maarten, and congratulated them on their commitment to the protection of natural sites.
They evoked the idea of creating a protected marine zone to the southeast of Sint Maarten.
This zone, which comprises several small islets that serve as havens for marine birds, is located alongside waters already under the jurisdiction of the Réserve on the French side and could serve as important coastal protection for both sides of the island.
This project will figure on the agenda of the next meeting between Saint Martin and Sint Maarten on the subject of regional cooperation.

The Council of French Coasts In The Americas (CRFA) was held on February 9-11, 2012 at Sinnamary in French Guiana.
All of the branches of the Littoral Conservancy in the Americas were there and Pierre Aliotti, vice president of the Collectivity of Saint Martin, was elected president of the CRFA, representing the Northern Islands.
The CRFA members expressed their concerns about the proposition for the modification of a law by the Senate, which requests a transfer of responsibility for the environment, currently the responsibility of the French government, to the Collectivity of Saint Martin. In this context, the coastal council is concerned about the future preservation of the environment and the coastline in particular.

A special motion was adopted with this in mind: “In the local context of string pressure for the urbanization of the shoreline, the coastal council is concerned about the eventual modification of the current regulations of protection for the natural sites in Saint Martin.”