Journal de La Réserve Naturelle Nationale de St.Martin #35

5 Favoriser la conservationdes récifs coralliens et des espèces associées / Topromote the conservationof the coral reefs and related species On June 3-7, the Réserve Naturelle hosted the 35 participants of the IFRECOR natio- nal committee (French Initiative For Coral Reefs). Created in 1999 and led by the environmental and overseas ministers, IFRECOR set out to create a policy that pro- motes the preservation and management of coral reefs. Saint Martin was selected to organize this important biennial event, and to showcase the island almost two years after Irma. After a first meeting at the CCISM, the working meetings took place at the Esmeralda Hotel, where the com- mittee was staying. On the agenda: activi- ties created by all of the local committees as well as the Réserve Naturelle of Saint Martin —as the island does not have its own IFRECOR committee at the moment— to discuss coral conservation, post-Irma shipwrecks, and a post-hurricane report about the island. As coral reefs and related flora, such as the underwater plant beds and mangroves, are threatened throughout all French overseas areas, each participant presented the current situation on their island, in each of the three oceans. At the same time, scientific experts discussed the results of their work and the actions taken IFRECOR Hosted ByThe Réserve Naturelle IFRECOR is the Frenchversion of the ICRI (International Coral Reef Initiative), which was created in 1994 by eight countries: Australia, France, Japan, Jamaica, The Philippines, The United Kingdom, The United States, and Sweden. The goal of the ICRI is to raise aware- ness among waterfront communities close to coral reefs, as well as admi- nistrative and political bodies, nautical activities, and the general public about the importance of protecting this sensi- tive and indispensable habitat. The ICRI is a partnership between governments, international organizations, and NGOs. The ICRI now counts more than 80 countries out of the 100 that have coral reefs along their littoral. Réserve Naturelle SAINT MARTIN Réunion du comité national IFRECOR à la CCISM Meeting of the IFRECOR national committee at the CCISM