The Southern Indian Ocean Blue Book's Abstract

The Southern Indian Ocean Blue Book: France’s Ambition in the Southern Indian Ocean “The sea is a new frontier. For those who will exploit it respectfully, it still is a treasure trove of discoveries, a promise of opportunities.” Prime Minister’s Interdepartmental Sea Commission speech at Guérande on 10 June 2011 “A State’s policy is in its geography”: this famous saying by Napoleon can serve to explain the approach for the Sea and Oceans National Strategy Blue Book adopted in 2009 and its 2011 South Indian Ocean version. France has the world’s second largest maritime zone; it is one of the rare global powers of both land and sea importance, located in the heart of the European continent and present in four oceans. Yet for too long France has ignored this specific asset, insufficiently exploiting all the opportunities she could draw from it. In approving the National Blue Book, the President of the Republic and the Cabinet wish to break with the past and make France a leading maritime power again. This country can find a new impetus in the considerable development potential of the sea and oceans—while maintaining environmental stewardship. As the National Blue Book stresses, “the southern Indian Ocean, extending over some 22 million sq km, is where the French maritime policy can have pride of place.” Around Reunion Island, Mayotte and her Southern & Antarctic Territories (TAAF), France boasts a 2.6 million sq km Exclusive Economic Zone— one fourth of her EEZs throughout the world. It is high time France benefited from her presence in the Indian Ocean, which is the world’s third largest water expanse, a strategic maritime crossroads, an exceptional biodiversity reserve and the place where a unique blend of African, Indian, Asian and European cultures is to be found. * * * History and geography have forged Indian Ocean France since the 17 th century France’s presence in the Indian Ocean is deep-rooted, going back to the first half of the 17 th century when Richelieu and his successors sought to secure a maritime route to the rich East Indies. The fact that French is still widely spoken in Madagascar, Mauritius, the Seychelles and Comoro Islands, in addition to being the official language of the French territories, testifies to France’s heritage. Through the ages, history and geography have forged a multi-faceted, diverse and variegated “France of the Indian Ocean.” Reunion Island is by far the most populated Overseas Department with 830,000 inhabitants today and probably one million by 2030. Reunion’s ambition is to fully catch up with mainland France as regards economic development and, better still, to be at the forefront of innovation, especially in the fields of environment and adapting technology to tropical conditions. Mayotte has a population of 200,000. It is France’s latest territory with Overseas Department status as a result of a referendum that confirmed the people’s will to be part of the French Republic. Mayotte’s objective in the coming decades is to implement such status in a complex economic, cultural and geopolitical context. The French Southern & Antarctic Territories include the “Scattered Islands” (Europa, Juan de Nova, Bassas da India, the Glorieuses and Tromelin), the Crozet and Kerguelen (Saint-Paul and Amsterdam) archipelagos and Terre Adélie. The only French territory without a permanent population, the TAAF give France access to a unique natural heritage, which is currently used for scientific research but whose considerable resources could one day be exploited in compliance with international and environment protection conventions. The South Indian Ocean Blue Book is aimed at banding Indian Ocean France together The South Indian Ocean Blue Book was drafted by a work group of representatives from Reunion Island, Mayotte and the TAAF under the aegis of the Prime Minister; it is aimed at uniting French Indian Ocean territories around a common maritime ambition. For too long Reunion Island, Mayotte and the TAAF, all French lands, only had separate links to mainland France, ignoring each other. The Indian Ocean, which actually connects them, was seen as an obstacle. In the same way, regional cooperation with our close oceanic and African neighbours was neglected in spite of the narrow bonds between us. France’s stakes in the Indian Ocean are huge. Faced with the challenges common to south Indian Ocean territories, our islands have incomparable assets—the first one being their human potential—that have not been sufficiently enhanced so far, and must be better put to use. Our islands’ future is closely linked to that of the Indian Ocean. Through the South Indian Ocean Blue Book the French Government and its local scientific, cultural and economic stakeholders will muster energies and marshal initiatives. The aim is to implement the general consistency that has been lacking too often and foster new dynamics in line with the National Blue Book. The South Indian Ocean Blue Book is France’s road map for the coming years, organised around five themes. The South Indian Ocean Blue Book’s 5 main guidelines Ensure France’s better governance in the Indian Ocean All actors, be they public or private, currently implement their Indian Ocean projects without real coordination between themselves. A South Indian Ocean Basin Overseas Maritime Council will therefore be set up to address this issue. The Council will include representatives from the French Government, Reunion Island, Mayotte and the TAAF, as well as French ambassadors to the region’s countries, who play an important role regarding, in particular, the regional cooperation fund. A Scientific Board will also be set up to provide the Council with expert opinion. Tap the South Indian Ocean’s economic potential Several priorities here: first, fisheries and fish farming (subsistence fishing in Mayotte, coastal and longline fishing in Reunion Island, deep-sea fishing in the TAAF); the aim being to foster their local spin- off, ensure fish resource renewal and arrive at a concerted regional management of the sector. Secondly, increase maritime transport and strengthen the role of French ports as regional hubs. Thirdly, promote the South Indian Ocean route, becoming interesting again in a global perspective as piracy hampers the North Indian Ocean route. Lastly, develop marine tourism in connection with the “Vanilla Islands” strategy and promote varied, attractive, sustainable development-oriented tourist destinations. Protect the unique natural heritage The South Indian Ocean islands are one of the world’s 34 biodiversity hotspots, i.e. an area where a minimum of 1,500 species of endemic vascular plants can be found—but also where at least 70% of primary vegetation has been lost. The sea is in a similar situation: its exceptional marine heritage is also threatened. The Blue Book will lead to the creation of a network of protected marine areas with a view to proposing their listing as World Heritage Sites, like Reunion Island’s Pitons, Cirques and Remparts, and finding a fair balance between environment preservation and sustainable exploitation by man. Build a cutting-edge science cluster in the southern Indian Ocean After space, the sea has become the new frontier for scientific research. In this respect the vast expanse of the southern Indian Ocean, with its rich natural heritage, makes it a privileged field for biology, environment or energy science. France has some assets here: Reunion Island’s sea cluster, Mayotte’s marine excellence cluster and the TAAF science cluster, whose major field of research is the sea. The Blue Book will help to tie those systems into an Indian Ocean sea science cluster. In addition to basic research, the aim is also to develop concrete applications: innovation adapted to tropical environment (in connection with the Qualitropic competitiveness cluster), marine renewable energy or marine biotechnology. Ensure maritime security Southern Indian Ocean is fraught with threats of many types including piracy extending down from the northern Indian Ocean, illegal fishing, drug traffic, illegal immigration. France’s responsibility as a major naval power is to control those threats and impose her sovereignty. This requires considerable naval and airborne means, as France’s maritime zone extends over some 22 million sq km, or 40 times her mainland surface area. Regional cooperation is a core element of the South Indian Ocean Blue Book Each of the South Indian Ocean Blue Book’s 5 guidelines is aimed at giving regional cooperation a new dimension, first and foremost with our Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) neighbours: Madagascar, Mauritius, the Seychelles and Comoro Islands (in addition to Reunion Island representing France). The IOC, a relatively young organisation set up in 1984, can be an efficient coordination vector in the southern Indian Ocean, as evidenced by the recent creation of an anti-piracy unit in the Seychelles and the appointment of a French liaison officer. Regional cooperation must also extend to East African countries of the Indian Ocean rim, starting with South Africa, a major emerging power, as well as Mozambique, Tanzania and Kenya. * * * The South Indian Ocean Blue Book is a novel approach in terms of the geographical areas, themes and institutions it covers. It shows that there still are large uncharted territories where government action can be deployed. Implementing this Blue Book’s guidelines will no doubt take time and require commitment from all stakeholders, public and private, as well as citizens themselves who must make this ambitious project their own too. The French Government is the prime mover of the initiative and must guarantee its completion. In the same way as France is a chance for the Indian Ocean, the Indian Ocean is a blessing for France. .

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