Monaco Faces up to the Challenge © Rémy Marion / Pôles D’Images
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10 #lemag NOV2015 COP21 Monaco faces up to the challenge © Rémy Marion / Pôles d’images Sustainable news by the 04 FOCUS French Southern and Antarctic Lands (TAAF) SUMMARY 20 ZooM SUR... The challenges of COP21 12 THE PRINCE ALBERT II OF Monaco FoundaTION Reintroducing the Bearded Vulture Mr Goodfish - Gastronomy Festival Wood For Ever Pact 8th Foundation Awards Ceremony 11 24 GRIMALDI MONACO FORUM Columbus monte-carlo : MONACO M.A.G. 100% eco-friendly to the power 10 European Mobility Week 28 SHORT NEWS On the occasion of the “Journeys to the ends of the earth” exhibition hosted by the Grimaldi Forum last September, MAG invites you to travel alongside us and FOCUS discover a little-known community that deserves to be brought to light to ensure the preservation of its exceptional biodiversity. Journeys to the ends of the earth Cap Feron (Kerguelen Islands) 4 Ever since the discovery of the Amsterdam and St. Paul Islands in 1552 and later the Kerguelen and Crozet Islands in 1772, scientific expeditions, marine mammal hunting and failed economic exploitation attempts punctuated the life of these islands until the early 20th century. It was not until the 50s and 60s that scientific bases were set up in Kerguelen, Amsterdam and then Crozet such that a small number of people would take up residence there permanently. It is this absence of human activity coupled with these lands’ insularity that gives them their highly unique status and a large number of endemic flora and fauna. King, emperor and macaroni penguins, wandering and yellow-beaked albatrosses, green turtles, humpback whales… their very names evoke escapism and TAAF, the great poets. Preserved and protected, possessing original characteristics you say? thanks to their isolation for long periods of time, they remain fragile nonetheless. In order to restore the original nature of these environments, the TAAF t first glance, these distant works hard to reduce the impact territories seem unknown, as of human activities, as well as though laden with mystery, controlling species introduced A during colonization attempts over and yet… The islands making up this overseas community have names that the preceding centuries, in view of resonate with all of us: Kerguelen, St. preserving this nature that still has Paul, the Austral Islands and indeed so many secrets to reveal. Adélie Land… All of them evoke daydreams of adventures to the ends of the earth in hidden paradises. Who wouldn’t be tempted to get on board? The French Southern and Antarctic Lands constitute the most unusual and exotic of the French overseas communities. Preserved from the activities of mankind and under military protection, 5 districts make up this natural reserve covering more than 2,200,000 hectares, 1,500,000 of which are a marine reserve. 5 Gulf of Morbihan (Kerguelen Islands) FOCUS A special stopover in the Monaco Principality! So that the Principality’s inhabitants and Millimeter- scholars can discover the immensity of these isolated territories, their history precision logistics and the biodiversity to which they are home, the “Journeys to the ends of the earth” exhibition came to the Grimaldi Supplying these isolated lands at the Forum from the 8th to the 27th of ends of the earth constitutes a genuine September this year. challenge. 4 ships rotate between the bases and the continent in order to carry out team changes as well as bringing Thanks to collaboration with the supplies and equipment. National Education Directorate, more than twenty primary and secondary TAAF flagship the Marion Dufresne, school classes came to study the 42 which was renovated in time for its presentation boards on the 5 districts 20th birthday, makes 4 rotations per of the French Southern and Antarctic year from Reunion Island. Its primary Lands. From the importance of stamp missions are supply provision, but collecting and fishing to the islands’ also oceanographic scientific research history and the discovery of their flora with the Institut Paul-Emile Victor and fauna, the youngest pupils were (IPEV, Paul-Emile Victor Institute). able to tame these vast territories and Simultaneously an ocean liner, cargo understand the challenges associated ship, oil tanker (to provide fuel to the bases), helicopter-carrier and research with their preservation. ship, the Marion Dufresne remains a unique experience for passengers lucky enough to travel on board. The missions of La Curieuse and l’Aventure II are concentrated around the Kerguelen archipelago, whereas l’Astrolabe, an icebreaking vessel, serves Adélie Land from the Tasmanian city of Hobart. These lengthy voyages – sometimes dangerous and exciting – inspire a desire to take to the open sea in search of winter creatures... Official inauguration attended by H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco, Ms. Cécile Pozzo di Borgo, prefect of the TAAF, © Bruno Marie Mr. Jean Pastorelli, CEO of Grimaldi Forum and Mr. Philippe Ortelli, a partner of the TAAF. 6 Meeting with the photographers Bruno Marie & Stéphanie Légeron How did this project come about? Armées de la Zone Sud de l’Océan there for the first time in late 2012, when The idea came to us in 2011, at the “The Indien, Southern Indian Ocean Armed the Marion Dufresne suffered serious Sea Bed” symposium held in Saint- Forces) gave us a very warm welcome damage in Crozet. So our journey Pierre on Reunion Island, which we both and allowed us to follow their daily lives. stopped on Possession Island, where we attended. After a chance meeting with the We will tell the story of this wealth of spent around ten days at the Alfred Faure then prefect of the FSAL, Mr. Christian encounters in the book through a great base before being repatriated without Gaudin, we were able to talk about his many portraits – of the scientists, FSAL being able to explore the Kerguelen desire to promote the fabulous heritage of staff, sailors and many more. It was really Islands. We made a second voyage to the the still too little-known French Southern a beautiful human adventure to be able to Kerguelen Islands in November 2013 and Antarctic Lands through a book on exchange with these passionate people. and were lucky enough to spend a month them. In July 2012, we therefore signed there. an agreement offering us access to all of the districts so that we could create “Exploring these vast, This long stay allowed us to organize our reports and hold interviews. We thus almost virgin territories our report schedule better, to accompany agreed that, in return for the logistical the scientists in the field and to discover assistance provided, we would make was a true privilege” the archipelago’s many sites. We moved a portion of our photographs available from cabin to cabin, as is customary for and that we would independently create long discovery trips on this archipelago a book revealing some of the islands’ Kerguelen, the Scattered Islands or almost the size of Corsica, or in a barge rich biodiversity as well as the human Adélie Land… Which is your favorite? in order to visit the small preserved and personal adventures encountered on We really fell in love with Europa Island, islands of the gulf of Morbihan. We were these isolated islands. You can imagine the most southern of the Scattered thus able to get to Ratmanoff, one of the how enthusiastic we were at the idea of Islands, but also the largest and most island’s biggest penguin colonies, in the doing this project! However, the crucial unspoilt. It is an incredible island south-east, before reaching the “Black question of funding for it remained, so however you look at it. First of all, Eyebrows” canyon, where the albatrosses we approached a number of public and because of the great many birds you can – black-browed, of course – go to mate, private institutions in search of partner watch there, such as frigatebirds, red- as well as Port-Jeanne d’Arc, a site where organizations to support us. footed bobbies or tropicbirds. the remains of the only whaleboat factory built on French soil can be found. It is an You were lucky enough to set off on a The landscape is more varied there than important cultural heritage site, which mission to discover these distant lands. on the other islands, with a mangrove was able to be rehabilitated by the FSAL What memories do you have of them? of 700 hectares – the equivalent of the cultural heritage directorate. We were lucky enough to make several area of mangrove in Mayotte – which journeys to the FSAL between June 2012 has never been used or spoilt by man Bruno visited Adélie Land alone. After and June 2015, to the Scattered Islands, and is thus in an exceptional state of a very long plane journey to reach the Austral Islands, Adélie Land and then conservation. Among the final remains of Tasmania from Reunion Island, he had the Scattered Islands again. We were this primary vegetation system, it forms to board the polar ship L’Astrolabe and met with a unique and incredibly rich an important biodiversity reservoir and travel some 2700km between Hobart territory. Exploring these almost virgin a benchmark for the whole of the south- and the French Antarctic base Dumont territories, where man’s impact remains western Indian Ocean. D’Urville in Adélie Land. It was worth very limited, was a great privilege. The And of course the Kerguelen Islands, it. The Antarctic landscapes are fabulous staff of the bases and ships (Marion the largest archipelago of the French and varied. Bruno stayed on-site for 12 Dufresne and L’Astrolabe), as well as the Southern and Antarctic Lands. We went days… punctuated by several storms! military personnel of the FAZSOI (Forces 7 I suppose these kinds of expeditions and sometimes a few imposing males Principality, since the project’s scope need real preparation? weighing several tonnes.