The inauguration ceremony of the territorial marine nature reserve of Prêcheur Albert Falco took place on October 27, 2017, in the presence notably of Albert Falco’s widow and granddaughters, as well as Prince Albert II of Monaco. The latter traveled there aboard the Yersin, the Monégasque exploration ship that embarked on a world tour this summer to carry out various scientific missions related to the oceans.
The name of the reserve was not chosen by chance: Albert Falco, who passed away in 2012, was indeed a true ambassador of the oceans and a lover of Martinique, where he spent part of his retirement (when he was not in his Sormiou cove…). On the occasion of the reserve’s inauguration, a wreath-laying at sea was also carried out to honor the memory of the faithful teammate of Captain Cousteau.
Prince Albert II of Monaco wanted to highlight the importance of marine protected areas. Because the issue of conservation and protection of the marine environment is one of the priorities of his foundation created in 2007.
Created in 2014, this reserve is located along the northwest coast of the island. Bringing together cliffs, beaches, and seabeds, it aims to protect the biodiversity of two sites: the islets La Perle and La Citadelle. The seabed of this reserve is inhabited by pelagic fauna (marlin, mackerel, jacks, barracudas…), eagle rays, and a large number of fish, some of which are heritage species. Among the drop-offs, canyons, and sandy areas, colonies of acropora palmata, nurseries, and seagrass meadows can be observed. These represent the main feeding areas for turtles, which frequently nest on the reserve’s beaches. On land, the nesting areas of protected bird species, such as the Yellow-billed Tropicbird, are also important.
Protecting this biodiversity is a major issue for Martinique. Activities like bottom trawling, the use of traps, frequent moorings, and heavy boat traffic are blamed. Add to that leisure activities such as unsupervised snorkeling or beginner divers who are not in control of their movements, and there are many human actions that can damage the seabed. The creation of the Albert Falco reserve will enable the development of more environmentally friendly marine activities (ecotourism, sustainable fishing…) and protect marine fauna and flora.
Margot Harty