Definition

What are marine protected areas?

Marine Protected Areas (or MPAs) are defined areas at sea that meet long-term nature protection objectives. Most MPAs make it possible to reconcile protection issues with the sustainable development of activities. Their modes of governance most often involve users, elected officials, experts, etc. in the management of the marine area identified.

The environment code (article L334-1 modified on 24/07/2019), recognises different categories of protected marine areas, each of which meets its own objectives while being complementary.

These are the :

•     biotope protection areas, natural habitats and sites of geological interest* (ministerial or prefectural decrees),
•     national parks* including the core areas and their possible wilderness areas, membership areas and adjacent marine areas,
•     natural marine parks,
•     nature reserves* (national, regional, Corsican) and their possible protection areas
•     national hunting and wildlife reserves*,
•     Natura 2000* sites, namely the :
•         - Special Protection Areas / Bird Directive
•         - Special Areas of Conservation / Habitat-Fauna-Flora Directive
•     maritime parts of the domain under the jurisdiction of the Conservatoire de l'espace littoral et des rivages lacustres (Conservatory of Coastal Areas and Lake Shores)
•     maritime parts of regional nature parks,
•     fisheries conservation areas,
•     Properties inscribed on the World Heritage List* (UNESCO)
•     Biosphere Reserves* (UNESCO Man and Biosphere Programme)
•     Wetlands of International Importance* (Ramsar Convention)
•     protected areas under the Oslo-Paris Convention (OSPAR Convention)
•     Specially protected areas of Mediterranean importance (Barcelona Convention)
•     Specially Protected Areas of the Cartagena Convention
•     Nairobi Convention Marine Protected Areas
•     Antarctic Treaty Specially Protected Areas*
•     marine protected areas established under the environmental codes of French Polynesia, New Caledonia and the provinces, as well as Wallis and Futuna

* having a maritime part

In addition to these categories recognized in the environmental code, this portal takes into account the categories recognized by the regulations of French Polynesia, in particular the Te Tainui Atea Managed Marine Area.