Moorea

Moorea is a high island in the Society Archipelago. Its proximity to Tahiti, located about 17 kilometers to the west, has largely contributed to its demographic growth and its attractiveness to international tourists. The pressure on the land and the coastline, but also the intensification and diversification of the use of the lagoon have profoundly changed the profile of the coastline and disrupted the ecological balances of local coralreef ecosystems.

To face this growing pressure, the municipality designed a Maritime Space Management Plan (PGEM), applicable since 2004. Eight Marine Protected Areas have been delimited around the island and regulate fishing practices, but also navigation, tourist or nautical activities, etc. A standing committee and local management committees (per associated municipality) examine the requests for exploitation of the lagoon and define the regulations relating to fishing.

In 2015, the municipality and its partners undertook a review of the initial provisions: the new PGEM of Moorea should be ratified in 2021. The consultation resulted in a midofied geography and regulation of the practices and uses of the lagoon.

In Moorea, the participation and empowerment of fishers is one of the main issues to ensure the success and effectiveness of this management program.

• Conducting a study aimed at defining the multiple meanings of the term rāhui in Moorea and at describing local stakeholders perceptions on this term – Putting these perceptions or representations into perspective with the concepts and practices of environmental conservation.
• Carrying out a roadside study to estimate part of the fishing effort intended for selling and inventory of roadside food sales stands to estimate the development of this type of activities as a consequence of the COVID-19 crisis.