Protected areas

Protected areas specific to French Polynesia

French Polynesia has its own competence in environmental matters. As such, it has specific legislation for the protection and management of natural areas, integrated into the environmental code, a Ministry of the Environment and a department, the Directorate of the Environment. The mission of this department is to ensure "the monitoring and protection of physical environments", "the conservation and development of protected natural areas", "the identification, monitoring and protection of fauna and flora".

Article LP. 2111-2 of the French Polynesian Environmental Code distinguishes six categories of natural areas, classified according to their main management objective and inspired by the IUCN typology of protected areas.

  • I - Integral wilderness area (Ib): Wilderness zone: integral wilderness area is a protected area managed primarily for scientific purposes and wilderness zone is a protected area managed primarily for wild resource protection purposes.
  • II - Territorial park: protected area managed primarily for ecosystem protection and recreational purposes.
  • III - Natural Monument: protected area managed primarily for the purpose of preserving specific natural features.
  • IV - Habitat or species management area: protected area managed primarily for habitat and species conservation, with directed management intervention.
  • V - Protected landscape: protected area managed primarily for landscape conservation and/or recreational purposes.
  • VI - Managed marine or terrestrial area: protected area managed primarily for the sustainable use of natural resources and ecosystems.

In addition, the Environmental Code of French Polynesia provides for specific provisions relating to the protection, conservation and management of certain natural areas in French Polynesia, such as the marine environment, the Rahui (land and/or marine areas where unwritten rules dictated by a resource management imperative are traditionally applied), or the biosphere reserves.

Applicable texts

Country Law #2017-25 dated 05/10/2017 - Pages 6381 to 6430

Country Law #2017-25 dated 05/10/2017 - Pages 6431 to 6475