French Southern Territories National Nature Reserve

The National Nature Reserve is home to one of the world’s largest bird populations, and some of the most diverse and abundant marine mammal populations in the Southern Ocean. The wealth of the nature reserve’s bird communities is partly due to the proximity of three ocean fronts, the isolation of the archipelagos, and the presence of highly productive continental shelves. These islands are the breeding grounds for 47 species of seabirds, 14 of which are assessed as threatened by the TAAF Red List and 3 species of pinnipeds. Their marine domain, which represents food and breeding zones, is essential for these species.

Species of Concern: king penguin, Amsterdam sea lion, orca

Restrictions

It is prohibited:
1. To introduce into the reserve all marine animals, irrespective of their stage of development, unless authorized by the representative of the State;
2. Subject to fishing activities authorized by this Decree:
a. To harm the marine fauna in any way, unless authorized by the representative of the State issued for scientific or safety purposes;
b. To collect all or part of the marine fauna, unless authorized by the representative of the State issued for scientific or safety purposes;
c. To disturb or disturb the marine fauna by any means whatsoever, unless authorized by the representative of the State issued for scientific or security purposes.
3. The State representative shall take any action leading to the significant limitation of pressures affecting the conservation of marine birds and mammals in a material manner.
4. At all times, the destruction, mutilation, capture or removal, naturalization of birds and marine mammals, or, whether alive or dead, their transport, hawking, use, sale or purchase, unless otherwise permitted by the representative of the State in accordance with the management plan is granted for scientific purposes.
5. To introduce into the reserve any marine plants, in whatever form, unless authorized by the representative of the State;
6. Subject to fishing activities authorized by this Decree:
a. To harm the marine flora in any way, unless authorized by the representative of the State issued for scientific or security purposes;
b. To collect all or part of the marine flora, except with the authorization of the representative of the State issued for scientific or safety purposes.
7. To abandon, deposit or discard any product, likely to impair the quality of water, air or the integrity of marine life, with the exception of products authorized by order of the representative of the State;
8. Dispose of any waste, garbage, litter or material, with the exception of organic waste and fish waste permitted under the conditions laid down by order of the representative of the State;
9. To disturb the tranquillity of the premises by using any sound instrument, subject to the exercise of the activities authorized under this Decree.
10. Targeted fishing for sharks and rays is strictly prohibited.
11. The use of gillnets is strictly prohibited as well as the use of fishing gear with dragnets likely to impact the integrity of the seabed.
12. Any mining activity.
13. The extraction and collection of minerals or fossils, unless authorized for scientific purposes by the representative of the State under the conditions laid down by the latter, after consulting the scientific council of the reserve.

Allowed

1. Only the targeted fishing provided for by order of the representative of the State is authorized.
2. Any new fishing project, whatever the proposed technique, must be authorized by the representative of the State after consulting the advisory committee and the scientific council of the reserve.