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Polar / Sub-polar hub Arctic/Sub-Arctic: 2 entities (FR / DK)
Antarctic/Sub-Antarctic: 4 entities (FR/UK)
The most productive marine environments on the front
line of climate change Ecosystem profile for the
Polar / Subpolar overseas region
Vincent Piton Terres australes et antarctiques françaises (TAAF)
Antarctic context • No permanent population • Extreme climate, limited access
Economic situation in sub-Antarctic • Strong fishing sector ~80% of revenue (ca. €15 million) Sustainable development: certified fisheries
• Development of wildlife watching tourism
Challenges • Extremely vulnerable to climate change • Manage balance between economic activities
and wildlife preservation
Antarctic / Sub-Antarctic
© Samuel Blanc
© Fabrice Lebouard
© RNN TAAF
Biological importance of the sub-region
Antarctic / Sub-Antarctic
4 uninhabited remote OCTs Sub-Antarctic : French Southern Lands, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands (SGSSI) • Biodiversity studies and conservation Antarctic Adélie Land and British Antarctic Territory (BAT) • Wide and exceptional pristine areas: 1,827,000 km² • Sanctuary to study unique wildlife and climate
change impact
© Samuel Blanc
© Fabrice Lebouard
© Fabrice Lebouard
Existing biodiversity
Antarctic / Sub-Antarctic
# Species
Total plants 2445
Lichens 950
Mosses 600
Birds 235
Marine mammals 32
Fishes 216
Exceptionally important bird nesting areas in SGSSI • 38 key bird species • 30 millions breeding pairs
Some of the rarest birds in the world Ex: Diomedea amsterdamensis (CR) Marine life: 88% endemic species on sea floor
© Samuel Blanc © Fabrice Lebouard © RNN TAAF © RNN TAAF
187 globally threatened species
Threats and pressures on biodiversity Climate change
• Impact on all ecosystems: terrestrial, marine and coastal
• Modification of food chain • New habitats for invasive alien species (IAS)
Invasive Alien Species (IAS)
• Through human activities (research / tourism) • 85 plant IAS on Amsterdam Island • Possible to contain the spread with
biosecurity protocol
Antarctic / Sub-Antarctic
© RNN TAAF
© RNN TAAF
© RNN TAAF
Key biodiversity areas (KBAs) Identified
KBAs Priority KBAs
Terrestrial 33 10
Marine 7 2
Total 41 12
Antarctic region – French Southern Lands
Antarctic / Sub-Antarctic
Kerguelen Crozet Amsterdam & Saint Paul
Key biodiversity areas (KBAs)
[Hub] Logo (please remove
box)
South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands
Identified KBAs Priority KBAs
Terrestrial 16 3
Marine 17 1
Total 33 4
Antarctic / Sub-Antarctic
Identified KBAs
Priority KBAs
Terrestrial 113 0
Marine 0 0
Total 113 0
Antarctic / Sub-Antarctic
Key biodiversity areas (KBAs)
Terre Adélie British Antarctic Territory No priority KBA in
Antarctic lands • Very few anthropic
interaction (tourism / research)
• No marine EEZ
• Many completely untouched areas
• No situation of emergency
Arctic context • Very sparsely inhabited
• St Pierre & Miquelon (SPM): 6000 inhab. • Greenland: 0.03 inhab/km²
Economic situation Strong fishing sector • Greenland: 89% of revenue from fish (€ 340 million) 2nd sector of employment (19%)
• Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon: declining economy after depletion of fishing stocks in 1990s
Extraction industry (oil, gas, mining) in Greenland: 50% of the world rare earth in one mine
Challenges Extremely vulnerable to climate change Increasing exploration by extraction industry Manage balance between human development and
wildlife preservation
Arctic/Sub-Arctic
© Samuel Blanc
© Joël Detcheverry
Biological importance of the sub-region Sub-Arctic: Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon • Seabirds and fish Arctic: Greenland • Biodiversity study and conservation Greenland Northeast National Park: 972,000 km² • Traditional whaling and seal hunting 170,000 seals/year and 175 whales/year • 15% ice free zone (increasing with climate
change)
Arctic/Sub-Arctic
© Samuel Blanc
© Joël Detcheverry
Existing biodiversity
Arctic/Sub-Arctic
# Species
Total plants 928
Lichens 550
Mosses 225
Birds 83
Marine mammals 29
Fishes 183
9400 species - 375 globally threatened species At least 6 critically endangered (CR) species, all marine mammals. High concentration of plankton in cold waters and mixing zones
© Samuel Blanc © Samuel Blanc © Samuel Blanc © Joël Detcheverry
Threats and pressures on biodiversity
Climate change
Invasive Alien Species (IAS) Pollution
• Development of extraction industry (GRL) • Potential impact in pristine areas
Overfishing
• Cod almost depleted (SPM)
Arctic/Sub-Arctic
Key biodiversity areas (KBAs)
Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon Identified KBAs Priority KBAs
Terrestrial 5 2
Marine 1 1
Total 6 3
Arctic / Sub-Arctic
Key biodiversity areas (KBAs)
Greenland Identified KBAs Priority KBAs
Terrestrial 56 1
Marine 11 6
Total 67 7
Arctic / Sub-Arctic
Current conservation activities
Polar / Subpolar hub
Protected areas Specific conservation action
Greenland
11 protected areas World’s largest National park 12 RAMSAR sites
• BEST project PISUNA: Protecting biodiversity & creating multiple benefits for local communities
• Report identifying biodiversity hotspots (2015)
Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon
ZNIEFF RAMSAR site • Protection of seabirds
French Southern
Lands
National Nature Reserve
• Help threatened populations • Reduce impact of fisheries • Eradication of IAS • Enhance knowledge of species of the Reserve
South Georgia and South Sandwich
Islands
13 Protected Areas • Help threatened population • Massive eradication of introduced vertebrate species
British Antarctic Territory
26 Antarctic Specially Protected Areas
• BEST project: Identifying important marine areas for macaroni penguins
Current conservation activities
National action plan for the conservation of the Amsterdam albatross Diomedea amsterdamensis
Budget: 480,000 € (2011-2015) Activities: Long term monitoring / survey Study of marine habitat use and interactions with fisheries Study of terrestrial habitat Public awareness / Communication Results (expected): Increase the population size long-term. Maintain current rates of total population increase and adult survival.
Identifying important marine areas for macaroni penguins Eudyptes chrysolophus in the UK and French Overseas Territories
Budget: 302,429 € (BEST 2011/2012) Activities: Identify and map most important at-sea areas for macaroni penguins to inform MPA design
Polar / Subpolar hub
© RNN TAAF
Current investments in conservation International level • IUCN (implementation of research activities) EU level • FED / BEST Regional level • Ministry of Environment (Global Management Plan of National Park) • French Ministry of Overseas (indirect conservation action by sustaining infrastructure cost) • Specific national initiative
Polar / Subpolar hub
Current investment in conservation in French Polar OCT per year (in million €)
Comparison between national current investment in conservation (TAAF) and BEST initiatives (in million €)
Critical areas for action & investment needs • Investigation of long term effects of climate change
• in key exploited fisheries • on the breakdown of natural barriers (e.g.
glaciers) in terrestrial systems; • Knowledge on invasive alien species and
eradication/control programmes • Establishment/extension of marine protected areas
(MPAs) and protected areas as appropriate Polar / Subpolar hub
© Joël Detcheverry
Priorities & investment niches • Data collection to inform MPA design • Management of sustainable fisheries to avoid fishing
sector collapse Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon • Economic diversification, aquaculture and inshore
fishing fleet (€12 million*) • Invest in coastal protection (€17 million*) Greenland • Fishing sector modification • Offset by extraction industry South Georgia and French Southern Lands • Rat eradication of South Georgia main land (ca. € 6.2
million*) and “Ile Longue”
* already invested
Arctic / Sub-Arctic
© Judith Brown
© Joël Detcheverry
© Paul Tixier
Polar / Subpolar hub
Terres australes et antarctiques françaises
Paul TIXIER
Contact us in the Polar / Subpolar hub
BEST III Polar / subpolar Coordinator
http://www.taaf.fr
[email protected] [email protected]
Cédric MARTEAU Vincent PITON BEST III Polar / Subpolar Ecosystem Profile Expert
BEST III Polar / Subpolar Expert
