The lands and seas classified as World Heritage by Unesco, in “Stamps magazine”

Thehe classification of lands and seas as a Unesco World Heritage permits France to train sovereignty over the second largest unique financial zone (EEZ) on the earth, after the USA. Cédric Marteau, the director of the Nationwide Nature Reserve of French Southern Territories (TAF) traces the story of this success. This interview is the “lengthy” model of the textual content revealed in Journal stamps December, in a six-page folder dedicated to the occasion.

Cédric Marteau, since when did you’re employed on this file?

The primary reflection on the inscription of the southern islands – Crozet, Kerguelen, Saint-Paul and Amsterdam – to the UNESCO World Heritage follows the announcement of the inscription of New Caledonia’s lagoon as World Heritage. We had been in 2008, and I used to be with all of my ultramarine colleagues at a symposium organized by the Worldwide Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), an advisory physique to the World Heritage Committee to guage proposed pure websites for inscription. Instantly, the discussions centered on the richness of the character reserve of French Southern lands and its potential utility for UNESCO World Heritage.

In 2009, Christian Gaudin, as prefect, senior administrator of the territory of French Southern and Antarctic Lands (TAAF), seized the Minister of the Setting to announce that the neighborhood of TAAF is able to work on a proposal for inscription on the World Heritage Listing. At the moment, the Nature Reserve, created in October 2006, was very younger (too!?), And we had been suggested to correctly construction its administration plan and governance at first … and (re) launch this mission in just a few years … and not using a particular date!

So with the TAAF groups we continued to work and implement the primary main actions to revive biodiversity.

In 2015, it was additionally envisaged to increase the Nature Reserve to a wider marine perimeter than the 15,700 km² of protected territorial sea. Due to COP21, in help of the Océan Climat platform and extra broadly to the scientific neighborhood – CNRS, Nationwide Museum of Pure Historical past (MNHN), French Polar Institute Paul-Emile-Victor (IPEV) … – and with the political port of minister Ségolène Royal, the extension of the Nature Reserve was signed in December 2016.

Confirming the key conservation subject of the southern zone, the perimeter of the Nature Reserve has elevated from 23,000 km2 to 673,000 km², an space bigger than France’s hexagonal, which permits us to place ourselves among the many managers of a the most important marine protected areas on the earth.

On this impetus, we instantly spoke once more with the prefect Cécile Pozzo di Borgo and Ségolène Royal of the inscription of this reserve to the world heritage. We had been firstly of 2017, and was rapidly (re) launched the World Heritage nomination course of … Regardless of some reluctance, we handed all of the filters for submission to the World Heritage Middle, in February 2018 , the nomination of the French Terres and Seas.

I had the prospect to accompany the 2 IUCN evaluators (Swiss and Malagasy) throughout their evaluation mission of the great candidate (aboard the Marion Dufresne) (OP3-2018), following which the IUCN panel of specialists requested France to make clear its place on 4 particular factors.

The responses had been written by all of the groups of the Nature Reserve and submitted in time (February 2019) to the World Heritage Committee by Ambassador Laurent Stefanini. In Might 2019, IUCN really useful in a remaining opinion, the itemizing of lands and seas on the UNESCO World Heritage Listing. A really good collective victory!

On July fifth, 2019, we went with the ambassador of the poles, Ségolène Royal, the Prefect of the TAAF Evelyne Decorps on the 43rd session of the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO, in Azerbaijan, the place the announcement was formally made, thus making this website the 50th inscribed marine property and the most important on the earth.

What had been essentially the most tough obstacles to beat?

It’s a long-term job, a marathon in a approach. To start with, we needed to persuade the French Property Committee that our file was the one providing the very best potential on the worldwide scene. We went with Christophe Jean, former secretary basic of the TAAF, to defend our file in Paris. The primary massive step was taken!

It was then essential to draft the nomination file in file time, scrupulously respecting the construction requested by the World Heritage Committee. It must be as complete as doable and embody all of the documentation and maps required. The prefect Pozzo di Borgo has contributed rather a lot by rereading every half, typically “oxygenating” a writing too technical, too naturalistic, too scientific. We spent days there, weekends, and naturally within the again finish … we spent lengthy nights there …

The immensity of the property, the land-sea hyperlink, the impacts already current on the islands (local weather change, invasive alien species …) and the makes use of (fishing!) Had been “events” that required a number of work. Past the writing of the file, an important step clearly considerations the go to of IUCN specialists on the southern islands.

For over a month, the specialists checked all the knowledge that we had indicated in our file. That is the longest analysis mission for inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage Listing. The November rotation (of the southern islands by the Marion Dufresne) imposed this format on us. Greater than 100 folks had been interviewed, on the boat, but additionally earlier than departure with conferences organized in Paris with our scientific colleagues, additionally the nationwide navy in command of surveillance of the world, or with the go to to La Réunion. ‘a fishing vessel that exploits toothfish within the perimeter of the Reserve.

Our biosecurity program to keep away from new introduction into the character reserve has been broadly evaluated. In the identical approach, our plans to struggle launched vertebrate species (rats, cats, mice) have been the topic of quite a few exchanges.

Lastly, with regard to fisheries, we needed to show our skill to manage the inventory evaluation, the impacts of fishing and make sure the absence of unlawful fishing within the space. The work undertaken by the neighborhood, in shut collaboration with the workforce of Man Duhamel (MNHN) for a few years, and the presence of the fisheries controllers on every of the vessels have contributed rather a lot to the optimistic evolution of our utility.

What’s the curiosity of the inscription for the territory, figuring out that the TAF usually are not supposed to open to the massive tourism?

At the start, it was necessary to have the wealth of France’s southern lands and seas acknowledged internationally and to emphasise that the work we’re doing with the scientific neighborhood on this space, labeled as a nationwide nature reserve, is being carried out for the good thing about humanity. . Certainly, after we shield endemic species such because the IUCN-listed Amsterdam Albatross, or distinctive habitats reminiscent of peatlands the place this species breeds, these are actions on the finish of the 12 months. profit of world biodiversity.

In the identical approach, the work carried out by scientists below the coordination of IPEV, and particularly these instantly associated to local weather change, goals to help international coverage choices, such because the Paris Settlement.

Registration at the moment represents a brand new starting for the Territory as a result of it marks our motion on the worldwide scene. The administration plan of the Nature Reserve has been totally taken up as France’s commitments for the preservation of this property.

In trade, the worldwide neighborhood, particularly via the conferences of marine world heritage managers is able to accompany us and share its expertise to strengthen our preservation actions.

Is Unesco significantly conscious of what features of the file?

I believe that IUCN’s specialists, who evaluated the nomination, had been delicate to the planning of our actions, to the administration governance of the property, and to the surveillance and police work carried out by the Navy (Floréal, Nivôse, theastrolabe) and maritime affairs (Osiris II).

Our skill to decide to the implementation of a administration plan of greater than ninety conservation actions over the subsequent ten years is a severe assure of our long-term dedication.

Group-based administration of the TAAF, supported by its Administration Committee (TAAF Advisory Council) and its Nature Reserve Scientific Advisory Board, optimizes the functioning of the property and supplies capability via the standard of the members cases, everlasting accompaniment of the supervisor.

Members are repeatedly consulted and might instantly direct the administration of the property. Lastly, as with all safety measure, respect for World Heritage itemizing requires the strict utility of the rules and guidelines of use that France has undertaken to implement.

For the lands and French seas this work of surveillance and police is carried out in an exemplary method by the motion of the State at sea which gathers the warships and theastrolabe, TAAF ship armed by the Navy, which got here to finish this association in July 2017.

A brand new vessel of the Ministry in command of the atmosphere, theOsiris II will reinforce the management of the world by the top of 2019.

What are the most well liked environmental points forward for TAFs?

The conservation points are divided amongst seven principal aims of the administration plan and embody the discount of the impacts of our actions (southern bases: sanitation, waste …) and our fisheries (limitation of the catch of stingrays and sharks, lack of traces …), the implementation of a biosecurity technique, or the struggle towards plant and animal invasive alien species.

Due to the help of the Ministry of the Setting and the 11th European Improvement Fund (EDF), we’ll proceed the restoration of Amsterdam Island. After the elimination of cattle, and the reintroduction of greater than 6,000 Phylicas arborea, the one tree within the space, we’ll remove all launched terrestrial vertebrates.

It is a very bold program as a result of the atmosphere is tough to entry and the island is comparatively massive for such a operation (55km²). The target of this work is to seek out colonies of plentiful birds, together with petrels, just like the very passable outcomes obtained in St Paul (8km²) or Tromelin (1km²). This is a crucial problem for the TAAF.

This program is complemented by the Nationwide Motion Plan for the Amsterdam Albatross. Our purpose is to make each effort to safeguard this emblematic species, in nice hazard of extinction.

On the fishery degree, we’ll work with fishing vessel house owners, and the MNHN to place in place an motion plan to scale back the incidental catch of rays and sharks.

The work is underway, and we hope to satisfy the challenges of this space.

Martinique, French applications in CFA francs, and “Le Monde”, in “Stamps journal”

Exceptional varieties and uncommon letters are on this system of an article by Nicolas de Pellinec on “Martinique, an genuine philately”. The writer returns to the historical past of this territory which has its “first official contact” with France solely within the 17th century when “Richelieu sends a contingent of volunteers to defend the colours of France, going through these of Spain, Holland and England”. On the postal aspect, letters loaded with postal marks bear witness to this time earlier than, “In 1851 the Division of the Navy determined that the colonies might additionally emancirir their mail with stamps (…). Martinique has three values ​​on August 14, 1851 » whose “The primary identified date of use is November 2nd”. The forms of stamps used are linked collectively: “Napoleon III”, “Ceres”, “Eagle”, and many others. a few of that are affected by printing defects that worth them accordingly.

“Letters stamped with metropolitan stamps are uncommon,” says the writer. The Marianne catalog lists solely 26 folds freed from French stamps “, earlier than the “Aigle” sort stamps (basic colonies points) are put into service. Lastly, it’s in 1886 “which can be issued the primary stamps particular to Martinique”: “Alphée Dubois” overloaded “Martinique”, then “Peace and Commerce” …

French abroad territories nonetheless, with the “French points denominated in CFA francs”, by Matthieu Singeot: “These marks testify to the actual historical past of one in every of our abroad departments, previously colony, which had longer than the others of a philately personal. That is exactly the usage of the CFA franc which has ensured the stamps of Reunion a sizeable reprieve of 26 years “, from 1949 to 1975, with the return of the French franc. The writer explains that “Amassing the overloaded CFA is kind of straightforward (…) and in all, it’s mandatory to assemble rather less than 200 stamps to be full”. Air postage stamps have an actual added worth in comparison with their metropolitan counterparts. And “When you have a better price range, it is rather fascinating to search for varieties as a result of, which says overloaded stamps stated overload anomalies (…). The 10 francs “Marianne“ of Muller with reverse surcharge is quoted at least 2,700 euros (as a substitute of two euros for the conventional model) and the double surcharge on the 20 francs “Tlemcen Mosque“ 1,300 euros (as a substitute of 19 euros) ».

The journal celebrates 75 years of World via the postcards. The writer, Serge Zeyons, has unearthed a sequence of picture playing cards, drawn 300 copies (estimated 50 to 60 euros), relationship from 1987, which inform the story of the night newspaper, the place we acknowledge Plantu at his desk Josyane Savigneau, and many others. : Philippe Quillet had tried to scrutinize The world along with his digicam, producing in thirty-two numbered playing cards photos that exposed the lifetime of the newspaper in every of its parts “. There are additionally playing cards that reproduce drawings of Plantu, Pancho or the “one” of the World…

“Magazine stamps”, 108 pages, on sale in kiosks, 6.50 euros.