Marine Protected Areas - Review of FGEF's cofinanced project experiences. Assessment carried out by Thierry Clement ... et al.

Abstract

France has an important role and extensive responsibilities in protecting the world's oceans. It is the world's third largest maritime power with an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) covering 11 million km2, and has the fourth largest area of coral reefs representing biodiversity hotspots. According to a recent Nature Conservancy assessment, only 1% of marine areas (as against 12 % of all land areas) are officially protected today, despite government commitments under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity to place 10% of all marine areas under protection by 2012. Furthermore, only 4 % of coastal areas across the globe are under protective measures, and their coverage is very uneven (70% in New Zealand and less than 2% in the Mediterranean). Protection of the world's marine environment therefore still demands major efforts.