French Polynesia

The project to create Marine Education Areas (MEAs) is a response to the challenge of degrading the marine environment by raising awareness among young people in schools. The network of AMEs helps to make them aware of and responsible for their local environment, so that they can better commit to defending it.

The project financed by the European BEST 2.0 program aimed to extend the AME network of Marquesan origin to French Polynesia.

The activities planned in the project coincided with this desire to create AMEs, such as carrying out an initial ecological survey, giving talks in classrooms, supplying teaching materials and communicating about the actions carried out.

The project involved pupils from 5 schools in French Polynesia in the management of an AME. They were thus involved in actions linked to the study of the marine environment.

The pupils' skills were developed through a variety of educational, scientific and management activities.

Overexploited for the Asian market, white sea cucumbers(Holothuria fuscogilva) are now recognized as vulnerable (IUCN Red List) and listed in CITES (Appendix II). To participate in the conservation of this species, it is essential to understand the animal's behavior in the wild, its distribution and its stock. The study is taking place in Vairao (southwest coast of Tahiti), where the holothurian hatchery is based. Underwater assessments have identified 10 sites suitable for the aggregation of the species. These sites represent 15% of the lagoon's total surface area and are categorized into 3 types of geomorphological zones: pass approaches, deep channels and the lagoon's inner slope. The results show a density of 53 ind./Ha in the pass approaches, 41 ind./Ha in the channels and 125 ind./Ha on the inner slopes, i.e. an average density of between 65 ind./Ha (low estimate) and 73 ind./Ha (high estimate).

In June 2015, an operation aimed at restoring islands of interest was carried out in the Gambier and Actéons islands. The eradication of the targeted introduced species was a success on all of these islands, except Kamaka, where the eradication of the Pacific rat (Rattus exulans) failed. In 2022, a second attempt via drone aerial baiting was made to preserve this site. It succeeded, and in 2023 rats were no longer found. The project was set up with the help of ENVICO, a drone company based in New Zealand, the landowners of Kamaka, Island Conservation, local members of the community & the Town hall of the Gambier.

By removing rats, the project has contributed to the conservation of rare seabird species, such as the Polynesian Storm-petrel (Nesofregetta fuliginosa) and many other indigenous species of the island. In addition, the local community has benefited from this restoration project through increased natural resources, reduced risk of diseases and increased economic opportunities.