I came today to the Havre repair a historical oblivion

I came today to the Havre repair a historical oblivion. Too long forgotten did the France of its maritime vocation. "Thus began, on 16 July last in the Norman port, Nicolas Sarkozy speech on the future maritime policy for the France. In the line of a proliferation of initiatives arguing in recent years for a comprehensive policy of the sea, and not more than a simple alignment of sectoral measures on fishing, transport, the environment or the action of the Sea State, because all of these issues interact, the President of the Republic there gave kick off to a "new maritime strategy". A very ambitious strategy, since the Chairman, recalling that the France have second world behind the United States maritime territory with nearly 11 million square kilometres of exclusive economic zone, is that "our nation is now up to its responsibilities and opportunities of great maritime power, for the French of today, but also for all men and all women of tomorrow".

Consultation phase

This strategy, including the Prime Minister, François Fillon, must specify the implementation music tomorrow 2 December, in a speech at Brest at the fifth meeting of the maritime economy and the coast facilitated by French "Les echos" and "The sailor" in collaboration with the maritime Cluster and the French of the Sea Institute, presents the peculiarity of having been developed after a phase of consultation in the spring and summer between the Stateelected officials, employers, trade unions and associations for the protection of the environment. What Jean-Louis Borloo, Minister of ecology, called the Grenelle sea, a reference to the Grenelle of the environment, which had ground method. Other countries have already developed their maritime policy based on a similar approach. In December 2004, in the first issue of our "Blue gold" Supplement, Jean-François Minster, then CEO of Ifremer, explained and the United States, the Japan, the Canada or the Australia had mobilized all the actors to converge towards a strategic vision on a few major areas, based on the duration.

A crowd of commitments

That gave, in France, this approach do emerge from consensus the objectives of the most ambitious sustainable development possible themes sometimes very conflicting as the fishing or the Division of the coast Nether sauce round table and led by the Ministry of ecology, Matignon is remained in withdrawal as a first step, the method has been indisputably positive aspects. "Was finally told the sea in all its dimensions, between players with different views such as NGOs and industry", said a participant in one of the round tables.

But, with respect to which emerged and which is recorded in the blue of the commitments of the round table book of the Sea established by the Department of ecology - then declined by the General Secretariat of the Sea (which depends on the Prime Minister) in another blue book used as the ultimate frame for future maritime strategy for the France will soon adopt the Government convened in interdepartmental Council., this witness adds immediately: "sustainable triumphed over development." Clearly, associations have succeeded at the Grenelle intense lobbying for the maximum preservation of the environment, at the expense of those who live by the sea. Example: fishing. According to another actor, "the representatives of employers and Trade Union of fishermen associations were quite moderate and converged on the search for a compromise between the preservation of nature and of jobs." "However, some environmentalists associations were much more extremist and tried - and sometimes obtained-in last nights before the final Roundtable Grenelle, validate proposals but which were not consensual."

In the end, the Grenelle sea resulted in the development of a variety of commitments - specifically, 137 covering 504 measures - marked by a strong environmental component. Thus of the will, validated by Nicolas Sarkozy in his speech of le Havre, to extend up to 10 of the maritime space marine protected areas here in 2012, and up to 20 by 2020, compared to 1 today. Thus, the ambition also resumed by the President of the Republic to work at the international level to strengthen the law in the high seas. On the other hand, some economic actors feel left behind, such shipping, very little mentioned in the speech of Nicolas Sarkozy and concerned - read about it page 13 - the emergence of a current of thought for a taxation uses of the sea.