This is part of a regional organic farming promotion and development activity in the Pacific. The aim is to develop sustainable, environmentally-sound, island-appropriate economic activities. The project supports the French Polynesian Rural Development Department’s policy.

There are three activities :

• Promote and develop organic farming in the three Frenchspeaking Pacific island OCTs
• Improve organic farming techniques and organic certification process
• Strengthen POETCom (Pacific Organic and Ethical Trade Community), the regional organic-farming promotion network and French-speaking OCT participation in the network

This has involved setting up three pilot organic farms, i.e. one in New Caledonia at Do Neva Agricultural High School, Houaïlou, another on Wallis & Futuna at Wallis Agricultural High School and a third in French Polynesia at Opunohu Agricultural High School. Farm trials, vocational and technical training, and experience-sharing sessions are being conducted there. The results will be shared throughout the Pacific and discussed at regional workshops.

In French Polynesia, the plans are to :

• Conduct soil-fertility, crop-disease, crop-pest and genetic-material trials at Opunohu High School’s organicallycertified farm and at the certified-organic growers’ network’s farms. INTEGRE is taking part in funding or cofunding technical equipment and human resources
• Facilitate experience sharing and vocational and technical training for farmers, students and businesses once a year

Provisional Amount : XPF 2,3 million/ € 19 300

Operators : Service of Rural Development (SDR)

For more details, consulte Activity statement : 

• Fiche activité Mise en place d'une ferme pilote en agriculture biologique à Opunohu

Synthesis of planned activities :

French Polynesian authorities believe setting up a managed marine area throughout the EEZ is one of the best ways of preventing or mitigating climate-change impacts. Keeping coral reefs healthy is one way of ensuring that natural biochemical cycles, particularly CO2 capturing, continue to function properly, thereby preserving ecosystems’ potential resilience. The Ministry of Culture and the Environment is driving the activity that aims to conduct a baseline study on the management and funding of large marine protected areas so as to help the French Polynesian Government select the type of management it wishes to set up.

Provisional Amount : XPF 3 million/ € 25 140

Operators : Culture and Environment Ministry / Pacific Community

For more details, consulte Activity statement :

• Fiche activité Evaluation d'une organisation de la gestion et la surveillance de la ZEE et des couts de gestion de cet espace

Synthesis of planned activities :

Target groups : 

Communication efforts should be aimed at a specific audience, such as partners, experts and decision-makers, but also at the general public who are increasingly concerned about environmental issues. Communication is designed for consumption at local pilot-sites, territory-wide (French Polynesia), regionally in the South Pacific, and internationally in Europe. As a result, the target groups are varied :

• Local project partners, e.g. management committees, operators, staff
• All stakeholders living or working on pilot sites or nearby, such as the community and local associations
• Local decision-makers and government authorities that are directly or indirectly concerned by the project and their departments
• The project’s regional partners and groups set up for this purpose so as to share the lessons learnt by everyone and develop regional cooperation (New Caledonia, Pitcairn and Wallis & Futuna)
• Local stakeholders involved in similar environmental projects, to facilitate exchanges and feedback in both directions, i.e. environmental associations, donors, project leaders, the scientific community, the educational community, tourist information bureaus and NGOs
• Departments and associations involved in Pacific culture, agriculture and the environment
• Local, regional, French overseas, and international media, whether web-based, paper press or television
• General public and schools
• Economic stakeholders operating in the coastal-area pilot sites, e.g. mining companies, fishers, and hotels
• Regional and European organisations that are directly or indirectly involved in the project such as regional cooperation departments, French Overseas Ministry and Europe-Pacific cooperation departments, SPC (New Caledonia and Fiji), the European Union, SPREP (Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme), and POET-Com.

Messages : 

Depending on the target groups, the messages will cover the following concepts :

• French Polynesia has an outstanding natural heritage that should be preserved for future generations
• Integrated coastal management is an appropriate, tried and tested solution for sustainable development in South Pacific islands
• Island communities are closely involved and active parties in decisions and activities relating to preserving and using their environment in order to apply sustainable solutions
• Solutions and activities successfully tried out in French Polynesia can be used as examples and reproduced elsewhere, particularly in the Pacific region and other overseas territories
• INTEGRE provides assistance for local integrated management policies so as to strengthen and improve the process behind shared management of the environment. Environmental departments are also special project partners
• Natural environment conservation helps societies become more resilient to global change and natural disasters. It also helps maintain traditional culture and fosters greater harmony
• It is beneficial to OCTs to cooperate with each other and other Pacific territories when introducing regional solutions to environmental and sustainable-development issues. The European Union and SPC provide them with support for developing their projects

INTEGRE project is working towards the following objectives :

• Assisting with sustainable economic development, particularly in tourism
• Helping control man-made threats.
• Boosting the participatory management process and involving local stakeholders more effectively
• Contributing to sustainable integrated natural and cultural resource management

The balance of the activities is the following one :

- PF - C2BIO : "Organic Farming Pilot Farm Network" Project

"Thanks to the INTEGRE project, organic farming has emerged in French Polynesia" (P. Couraud, Director of Agriculture).                                                                                                                                               

From an initial financing of about twenty million F.CFP provided by the INTEGRE project, this activity succeeded in generating nearly 80M of public funds to reach a total amount of a hundred million peaceful francs. This success is based on the financial commitment of the project partners, the Direction de l'Agriculture and the Etablissement Public d'Enseignement, de Formation et de Promotions Agricoles d'Opunohu (EPEFPA). Their investments made it possible to supply the Opunohu pilot farms with equipment and to provide a specialised engineer who conducted all the experiments and training. Beyond financial investment, the dynamics created are also human. The organisation of regional workshops, in particular the one held in Opunohu, has enabled a collective dynamic to emerge between farmers, particularly in Raiatea where an association of organic farmers, the SPG BioRaiatea, was formed following the Opunohu workshops and is now a real driving force for the development of organic farming in the territory.

However, difficulties remain regarding the supply of organic seeds, the development of green manures or the economic viability of organic farms. The project has also shown that training attracts few farmers and that the emphasis should be on personalised technical support. Development will continue, the Directorate of Agriculture has recruited the technician trained on the Opunohu pilot farm and will provide a senior technician who will continue experiments on the farm high school. The research laboratory of the Direction de l'Agriculture will also conduct experiments on organic to fuel the dynamics. Finally, the financing of the 11th Regional EDF will make it possible to reinforce the mechanism.

For more details, consulte Activity statement : PF - C2.BIO Réseau de fermes-pilotes en agriculture biologique à Opunohu

- PF - C2Tr : Integrating integrated coastal zone management into public policies

At first sight, the study in support of the establishment of a large managed marine area had little to do with the theme of the INTEGRE project, which focused on coastal areas. However, the results highlight the need to link a pelagic marine protected area with locally managed coastal management tools developed, among others, by the INTEGRE project. This work also makes it possible to design integrated management beyond coastal zones and incorporates the main principles that guide the action of the INTEGRE project, namely intersectoral integration, that of the different levels of public administration and the participation of stakeholders.

Integrated coastal zone management is still not very appropriate by the Polynesian administration. 4 years of project allowed to show the effectiveness of the participatory dimension of this management on concrete examples in fisheries management or sustainable tourism. However, it has not been possible to formalise integrated coastal zone management plans from a legal point of view. The intersectoral dimension remains the most difficult to implement because silo working practices remain deeply rooted in the administrative culture.

The project nevertheless succeeded in mobilising several administrations on common projects and in creating project governance bodies that brought different sectors around the same table and to exchange and thus plant the seeds of a future more integrated management.

For more details, consulte Activity statement : PF - C2.Tr Integration de la gestion integrée des zones cotières dans les politiques publiques

Documents of French Polynesia

Panneau "De la terre à la mer"

Fiches techniques en Agriculture biologique

PF - Activity statement

PF - C2.BIO Réseau de fermes-pilotes en agriculture biologique à Opunohu

PF - C2.Tr Integration de la gestion integrée des zones cotières dans les politiques publiques

REG - Etude sur les aires marines protégées

Synthèse de l'étude d'une aire marine gérée à l'échelle de la ZEE polynésienne

Etude d’optimisation d’une aire marine gérée à l’échelle de la ZEE polynésienne : recommandations et orientations

Etude d’optimisation d’une aire marine gérée à l’échelle de la ZEE polynésienne

Annexe 1

Annexe 2

Annexe 3

Annexe 4

PF - Rahui in French Polynesia

La Rahui, le mode de gestion des ressources maritimes en Polynésie française

PF - Marine Route for Recreational Vessels in French Polynesia

Stratégie de développement d'un circuit maritime pour les navires de plaisance en Polynésie française - Synthèse

Geography :

Raiatea Island, located 210 km to the northwest of Tahiti, is in the Leeward Islands of the Society Island group. With a land area of 238 sq. km, it is the 4th largest in French Polynesia. Nicknamed the “sacred island”, Raiatea has a steep central mountain range with the highest peak, Mount Tefatua, rising to 1017 m. The volcanic mountains are etched by deep green valleys and fertile plateaus.

On its fringes, the fairly narrow coastal plain is home to most of the population of 12,000, who are quite evenly distributed around the island. There are archaeological ruins, including Taputapuatea Marae (sacred site) located on an 8-hectare estate that is French Polynesia’s most important in spiritual and archaeological terms, as the cradle of the Polynesian gods. Raiatea is divided into three municipalities, i.e. Uturoa, Taputapuatea and Tumaraa. Uturoa is the Leeward Islands’ administrative headquarters and main township. It boasts a deep-water port where large vessels can dock and moor.

The smaller nearby 88 sq. km sister island of Taha’a lies in the same lagoon as Raiatea and has similar features. The population is 5220 and Mount Ohiri overlooks the island at 590 m above sea level. The lagoon is dotted with motus and has a surface area of 290 sq. km.

Economy :

Raiatea’s economy is mainly based on small-scale farming and fisheries supplying the local market and Bora Bora’s tourist facilities. All sorts of lagoon fish resources are harvested for the market, including fish, crustaceans and sea urchins. Other business lines are on the rise including pearl farming and tourism. With two marinas, Raiatea is home to the territory’s main yacht rental companies and is developing water sports, a fast-growing line. Numerous air and sea links with Tahiti and neighbouring islands make Raiatea an open and bustling island with daily flights and many schooner wharfs. Taha’a’s economy is based mainly on Tahitian vanilla, for which it is the leading producer in French Polynesia; copra, and the increasingly popular nono fruit (Morinda citrifolia). Family farming for subsistence purposes is well developed. Taha’a has no airport, but many schooner wharfs located all around the island.

Biodiversity and environmental pressure :

In marine terms, the 10 boat passes around both islands open them up to the ocean and rapidly renew water in the lagoon, which is 290 sq km in area and up to 55 m deep. Raiatea and Taha’a have many deep bays with fringing reefs that are fairly damaged by development, but lend themselves well to aquaculture, e.g. prawns bred in pens and crabs, etc. Coral ecosystems in Taha’a’s north are still well preserved, particularly the barrier reefs.

On land, Raiatea and Taha’a hold outstanding biodiversity with original plant formations and a very high flora endemism rate. Te Mehani‘ute‘ute Plateau on southern Raiatea alone holds half the island’s floral diversity, although it is only 0.06% of its surface area! With a mean altitude of 500 to 800 m and a 69 ha surface area, the plateau has 216 plant species, 96 of which are endemic to French Polynesia and 48 to Raiatea, such as the iconic apetahi variety of gardenia, (Apetahia raiateensis). The plateau also has Tahiti petrel (Pseudobulweria rostrata) nesting sites, a seabird that is protected in French Polynesia. The plateau is also a sacred site with archaeological ruins.

There are several threats to this outstanding heritage’s integrity, including inadequate management of operations in the watersheds, particularly farming, drainage and coastal development and, in the lagoon, fishing, boating and tourism.

Local governance arrangements :

Management plans have been developed in recent years under several programmes with targeted funding so as to work towards the common goal of mitigating environmental impacts and preserving natural environments.

• French Polynesia’s forestry programme
• Endangered endemic species conservation programme: (in place since 2004)
• Agroforestry development plan: develop pilot crop protocols for combined tree and foodcrop planting (Maraeroa state land)
• Maritime planning scheme (PGEM): Uturoa’s application; Tahaa PGEM launched in 2008
• Water sport tourism development project: XPF 120 million for 16 sites in the Leeward Islands implemented by the Raiatea Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Services and Trades Department (CCISM). Taputapuatea Marae UNESCO World-Heritage-listing project
• Faaroa state land integrated management plan.

A regional methodology workshop was held in Noumea in February 2014 for all project partners. A SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis was conducted as a project diagnostic tool and planning aid and was completed during the 1st local site committee meeting the following month.

In order to achieve these objectives, an action plan was developed based on three activity groups:

Activity 1. Help contain pollution

INTEGRE supported the following projects :

• Managing silt and organic pollution from permaculture practices.
• Abattoir waste recycling.
• Industrial waste management .
• Curtail agricultural weed killers.
• Set up organic demonstration farms and vegetable gardens in primary schools.

Provisional Amount : XPF 28,5 M / (i.e. EUR 240,000)

Operators : SARL Vaihuti Fresh / Rural Development Department / Chamber of Commerce Industry and Trades / Taputapuatea Municipality

For more details, consulte Activity statement :

• Fiche activité Gestion de la pollution terrigène et organique, principales menaces pour les récifs coralliens en Polynésie française, par le développement de pratiques issues de la permaculture sur l'exploitation agricole biologique VAIHUTI FRESH à Raiatea
• Fiche activité Mission d'appui technique pour la valorisation des déchets d'abattoir
• Fiche activité Projet-pilote de mise en place d'un système pérenne de gestion des décehts des professionnels sur les îles de Raiatea et Tahaa
• Fiche activité Création d'un potager pédagogique bio pour mieux connaître les manifestation de la vie végétale et responsabiliser les élèves

 Activity 2. In order to develop sustainable economic activity

INTEGRE supported the following projects :

• Local product showcasing and sales by building and fitting out a faré at Tehurui.
• Develop an ecotourism area on Tiarere site.
• Set up shared kitchen gardens and organic farming plots.
• Set up a multi-purpose site for farming, sports and tourism on Puohine.

Provisional Amount : XPF 23,5 M / (i.e. EUR 197,000)

Operators : Tumaraa municipality / Taha’a Municipality / Uturoa Municipality / Tamarii Puohine

For more details, consulte Activity statement :

• Fiche activité Construction d'un "faré pote" à Tahurui, commune associée de Tumaraa dans le cadre de l'accueil des agriculteurs, des pêcheurs, des artisants locaux et des touristes
• Fiche activité Zone d'activité eco-touristique sur le site de Tiarere
• Fiche activité Amélioration du cadre de vie de la population et des touristes
• Fiche activité Développement durable du tourisme nautique

 Activity 3. To set up sustainable integrated lagoon management

INTEGRE supports the following projects :

• Develop an integrated lagoon management plan.
• Preserve and showcase Punaeroa motu, Vaiaau.

Provisional Amount : XPF 18 M / (i.e. EUR 151,000)

Operators : Site municipalities and country departments / Punaeroa Association

For more details, consulte Activity statement :

• Fiche activité Elaboration d'un plan de gestion pour le lagon de Raiatea-Tahaa

Synthesis of planned activities on the site :

INTEGRE Project was working towards the following objectives :

• Assisting with sustainable economic development, particularly in tourism
• Helping control man-made threats.
• Boosting the participatory management process and involving local stakeholders more effectively
• Contributing to sustainable integrated natural and cultural resource management

On the site of Raiatea-Tahaa Islands and Lagoon, the balance of the activities is the following one :

- PF - C2R1 : Reduction of pollution from economic activities

All the activities resulted in extremely satisfactory and sustainable results.

The integration of the Vaihuti Fresh farm into the network of organic farming pilot farms, launched as part of the INTEGRE project and continued by the Agriculture Department, ensures that the results still to come, particularly on the monitoring of runoff water, will be presented and promoted within the network.

The municipality of Taputapuatea is pursuing its policy of developing organic farming by investing its own funds, with the recruitment of an organic farming technician, and by seizing various financial support opportunities such as INTEGRE and more recently assisted contracts to support the installation of young farmers or make volunteers available to run organic educational gardens.

Finally, the implementation of a professional waste management system is a remarkable achievement at the project level since the CCISM has succeeded in making this completely new system operational from the quantification of the deposits, the legal set-up to the launch of the system, with the supply of bins, the creation of a label and the commitment of nearly 80% of professionals from the start. This achievement reflects the good adequacy of the project with the needs of professionals.

For more details, consulte Activity statement : PF - C2.R1 Réduction des pollutions issues des activités économiques

- PF - C2R2 : Development of sustainable economic activities

Most of the activities carried out under this development theme have been carried out by the municipalities of the site. In the case of the Tamarii Puohine association, the president of the association is none other than the mayor delegate of the associated commune concerned. This porting by the communities reflects a political will to generate income or means of subsistence for their citizens and especially those who are on the margins of the usual tourist circuits. In this sense, the INTEGRE project has made it possible to diversify the tourist offer of the site by taking part in a form of small-scale tourism, a diversified offer (crafts, hiking, catering, local products, sport) for tourists but also for the inhabitants. However, the project often ran up against a certain form of inertia on the part of the partners, not out of unwillingness but notably because the co-financing provided by the communes, or even the country, required a sometimes long validation period which often caused the dynamics created at the beginning of the project to fade away. Many reminders had to be sent to the partners to ensure that the deadlines were respected.

For more details, consulte Activity statement : PF - C2.R2 Développement d'activités économiques durables

- PF - C2R3 : Support the implementation of a sustainable and integrated management of lagoon uses

The implementation of integrated coastal zone management in French Polynesia has been hampered by the absence of a legal framework for its implementation at institutional level, despite the objective stated in the project documents to implement integrated coastal zone management plans at all sites. These plans could not be formalised from a legal point of view and the documents produced could not be qualified as "plans", terminology which refers to other legal instruments.

Beyond the absence of a legal framework, participation and intersectorality are emerging within Polynesian administrations, yet they constitute pillars of integrated coastal zone management. The INTEGRE project chose to work in the field according to these two pillars in order to demonstrate their effectiveness for the implementation of sustainable development.

In Raiatea-Tahaa, participatory processes have launched a positive dynamic where actors enjoy meeting to build together or simply exchange. For this site which includes 4 communes, fishermen, pleasure boaters, aquaculturists, sportsmen who share an increasingly frequented lagoon, the INTEGRE project was able to demonstrate the interest of putting these actors around a table to defuse conflicts which become inevitable and to build together shared solutions.

The proposal to perpetuate the INTEGRE local committee into a local development committee could make it possible to organise the continuation of the integrated management dynamic launched by the INTEGRE project. However, it must be validated and implemented by the government of French Polynesia, which is directly identified to lead this committee through its local representation.

For more details, consulte Activity statement : PF - C2.R3 Mise en place d'une gestion durable et integrée des usages lagonaires

Documents of French Polynesia

Atlas - Aide à l'information pour le développement local durable du lagon de Ra'iatea-Taha'a

Document de synthèse - Aide à l'organisation du développement local durable et de la gestion intégrée du lagon de Raiatea-Tahaa

Fiches actions - Aide à la réalisation des actions de développement local durable et de gestion intégrée du lagon de Raiatea-Tahaa

Panneau "De la terre à la mer"

Flyer "Gestion des déchets dangereux, ici on s'engage"

PF - Activity statement

PF - C2.R1 Réduction des pollutions issues des activités économiques

PF - C2.R2 Développement d'activités économiques durables

PF - C2.R3 Mise en place d'une gestion durable et integrée des usages lagonaires

PF - Integrated Management of the Raiatea and Taha'a Islands Lagoon

Accompagnement à la mise en place d'un processus de gestion intégrée du lagon des îles de Raiatea et Taha'a mené dans le cadre du projet INTEGRE

Etude des différents usages et des pressions sur les milieux en contribution à l'élaboration du plan de gestion intégrée du lagon des îles de Raiatea et Tahaa (Polynésie française). Reflexions pour une gestion durable du lagon : focus spécifique sur la gestion des ressources de pêche lagonaire

PF - Coral Garden Network for Raiatea-Tahaa Lagoon

Proposition d'un réseau de jardins de corail pour le lagon de Raiatea-Tahaa

PF - Motu Punaeroa - Raiatea

Mission d'évaluation du motu Punaeroa - Phase 1 - Etat des lieux

Suivi du motu Punaeroa - Vaiaau - Tumaraa - Phase 2 - Bilan et recommandations

PF - Socio-economic profiles, in relation to the fisheries and aquaculture policy of French Polynesia

Spatialisation à l'échelle des quartiers des profils socio-économiques, en relation avec la politique des pêches et aquacole de la Polynésie française, de deux sites à partir des données de recensement de la population de l'ISPF

PF - Functional areas Halieutics of Raiatea-Taha'a Lagoon

Connaissances et gestion des zones fonctionnelles halieutiques du lagon de Raiatea-Taha'a

PF - Flora, fauna and vegetation study of Tahaa

Etude floristique, faunistique et de la végétation dans le cadre du projet écotouristique du site de Tiarere en baie de Vaipiti (Communes Taha'a)

PF - Sustainable organization of waste management in Raiatea and Tahaa

Définition d'une organisation durable de la gestion des déchets des professionnels de Raiatea et Tahaa

PF - Pressures anthropogenic and quality of the waters of the bay and river of Faaroa - Raiatea

Evaluation des pressions anthropiques et de la qualité des eaux de la baie et de rivière de Faaroa (Raiatea, Polynésie française)

Geography :

Opunohu Bay and Valley are located in the northern part of Moorea Island, a close neighbour of Tahiti’s just 17 km to the northwest. With its amphitheatre valley overlooked by steep peaks hemming in a crystal-clear bay, Opunohu is one of French Polynesia’s most beautiful landscapes. Toheia, the highest peak, rises to 1207 m. Little Papetoai village with its 300 people nestles in the bay. The lagoon is 15 to 50 m deep and the valley has a very wet microclimate with average rainfall between 2500 and 3500 mm/year. It is also a premier archaeological site with over 500 recorded ruins and sacred sites. Moorea residents see the valley as the island’s actual “lung” and freshwater reservoir.

 Economy :

Opunohu is a fishing Mecca and catch is commonly sold on the roadsides. It is also major tourist attraction with over 50-60,000 visitors a year who come for activities on land, such as bush trekking and visiting archaeological sites, and in the water, such as diving, water sports and boating. The valley has huge swathes of farmland covering 15,000 ha managed by the territory, 99 ha of which is leased to some 50 farmers. Approximately 60 hectares are used for growing pineapples to supply the local Rotui fruit-juice factory. Also on the estate are the Opunohu Agricultural High School and an agricultural training and promotion centre (CFPPA).

Biodiversity and environmental pressure :

More than two-thirds of the plant species listed on Moorea are found at the Opunohu site. There are still well-preserved specific coastal environments in the bay including a narrow strip of coastal forest remaining between the lagoon and
road that greatly helps maintain the shoreline. In marine biodiversity terms, the east coast lying at the foot of Mount Rotui is the most abundant with harvested molluscs as well as iconic species, such as green turtles, dolphins and humpback whales.
This outstanding heritage is under both extrinsic and intrinsic threats including farming methods used in the watersheds that affect the river and bay’s quality and resources, invasive species that are a hazard for land biodiversity, rising visitor traffic and shoreline development.

Local governance arrangements :

Management plans have been developed in recent years under several programmes with targeted funding to design multi- partner management plans aimed at working towards the common goal of mitigating environmental impacts and preserving natural environments, as summarised below :

• The General Land-Use Plan (PGA) has been applied throughout Moorea Island
• The marine area management plan (PGEM) is monitored by a standing committee and association. It covers the whole of Moorea Lagoon
• Moorea Lagoon is listed under the RAMSAR Convention as a wetland of international importance.
• In 2012-2013, the French Polynesia Government and the municipalities drove a project to have the bay listed as a protected natural area, but the findings of a public enquiry required prior to official listing prevented the project from
  succeeding and it has been shelved
• The Rural Development Department (SDR), which manages Opunohu Estate, is currently working on a development blueprint for the area to ensure farming and tourism there develop harmoniously.

A regional methodology workshop was held in Noumea in February 2014 for all project partners. A SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis was conducted as a project diagnostic tool and planning aid but because of initial conflictual committee meetings, it could not be expanded with local stakeholders.

In order to achieve these objectives, an action plan was developed based on three activity groups:

Activity 1. Improve environmental and landscape quality

INTEGRE supports the following projects :

• Contain silt pollution
• Reduce chemical and organic inputs,in agriculture

Provisional Amount : XPF 24 million / € 200 000

Operators :  Rural Development Department & CRIOBE / Opunohu Agricultural High School

For more details, consulte Activity statement :

• Réduction de l'érosion terrigène
• Unité de compostage - Valorisation des eefluents d'élevage porcin comme angrais organique
• Mise au pooint d'un itinéraire technique répondant aux normes de l'agriculture biologique sur la culture d'ananas

Activity 2. Ecotourism activities

INTEGRE supports the following projects :

• Set up an ethnobotanical trail with explanations and interpretations
• Set up a fitness track
• Set up a visitor and cultural facility

Provisional Amount : XPF 29 million / € 243 000

Operators :  Culture and Heritage Department / Rural Development Youth and Sports Department / Moorea Municipality

For more details, consulte Activity statement :

• Parcours de découverte et d'interprétation éthnobotanique
• Mise en place d'un "parcours santé"
• Réaliser une étude de faisabilité et de programmation d'une structure d'accueil et d'animation sur le domaine d'Opunohu

Activité 3. Helping set up local governance for sustainable development

INTEGRE supports the following project :

• Devising a sustainable development plan

Provisional Amount : XPF 21 million / € 176 000

Operators :  CRIOBE / Moorea Municipality / SPC

For more details, consulte Activity statement :

• Elaborer un diagnostic et des actions partagés pour une gestion intégrée du bassin versant d'Opunohu
• Animation du processus d'élaboration du plan de gestion d'Opunohu

Synthesis planned activities on the site :

INTEGRE project is working towards the following objectives :

• Assisting with sustainable economic development, particularly in tourism
• Helping control man-made threats.
• Boosting the participatory management process and involving local stakeholders more effectively
• Contributing to sustainable integrated natural and cultural resource management

On the site of Opunohu Bay and Valley, the balance of the activities is the following one :

- PF – C2O1 : Improve the environmental and landscape quality of the site

Erosion is an environmental and economic threat to the Opunohu site, slowly killing the marine ecosystems at the bottom of the bay and contributing to the loss of the extremely rich agricultural land of the Opunohu estate. It has also been known for many years but few actions or studies had been carried out on the subject before the INTEGRE project.

The territorial financing of the INTEGRE project has enabled the Directorate of Agriculture to take up the subject and regional financing, through bilateral exchanges, to encourage certain farmers to modify their practices. The project has had a significant leverage effect since with INTEGRE financing of nearly 4 million, the country has invested nearly 30 million, almost seven times more for the implementation of the anti-erosive scheme.

From the scientific point of view, the CRIOBE, a research centre that has characterized the erosion phenomena in the bay, will continue monitoring work on a dozen sites in order to measure the evolution of sedimentation with regard to upstream developments in the field.

The organic pineapple as developed under the project is not yet economically viable due to the difficulties of combating weediness but experiments will continue beyond INTEGRE with funding from the Country. The strong demand for this product and the country's proactive policy on organic farming should lead to a viable itinerary for this crop.

The setting up of a composting station made it possible both to support the organic farming activities of the farm of the agricultural high school but it also made it possible to develop a method of treating pig effluents.

For more details, consulte Activity statement : PF - C2.O1 Amélioration de la qualite environnementale et paysagère du site

- PF – C2O2 : Developing sustainable ecotourism activities

The project supported traditional development activities by trying to stimulate a participatory dynamic in the definition of development projects with mixed success concerning the archaeological zone since the monitoring committee, which had been proposed by the project coordinator, was not set up, despite the provision of the local facilitator INTEGRE to help with its animation. The developments carried out in the area still constitute a real enhancement of the site's heritage.

In parallel, the real mark of the project in terms of integrated coastal zone management lies in the development of the reception structure which combines both an intersectoral (culture, agriculture, tourism and environment), land-sea (eel, canoe) and participatory approach. The realization of the project is not yet certain, now charges the association to prove that it can manage such an investment.

This project has demonstrated that the population, well supported, is capable of developing convincing tourism projects. It would certainly be desirable that in the future such projects be developed in even closer partnership with the country so that the latter does not position itself only as funder but as co-porter of the project and its implementation.

For more details, consulte Activity statement : PF - C2.O2 Développement d'activités écotouristiques

- PF – C2O3 : Participate in the establishment of a governance conducive to the development of sustainable tourism

The thanks of the population towards the INTEGRE project during the last local committee of the site in Papetoai show all the progress made these last 4 years. The substantial investment (nearly 20M XPF) in animation and listening finds here all its justification and proved necessary given the climate of mistrust that was encountered at the beginning of the project. This investment benefited the local facilitator, who gradually proved to be extremely gifted in facilitating meetings, anticipating conflicts or a fine understanding of actors' games. It represents a large part of the success of the participation on the site. As soon as her contract ended, she was hired by the Moorea municipal services to manage the Maritime Space Management Plan, where she will continue to ensure the participation of stakeholders in municipal policies. This project also marked the beginning of a productive collaboration between the Directorate of Agriculture, manager of the Opunohu estate, the commune and the population of Papetoai. The Director, present at the last local committee and strongly involved in the field during the duration of the project, undertook to perpetuate the INTEGRE dynamic of "working together" for the years to come.

For more details, consulte Activity statement : PF - C2.O3 Participation à la mise en place d'une gouvernance propice au développement d'un tourisme durable

Documents of French Polynesia

PF - Activity statement

PF - C2.O1 Amélioration de la qualite environnementale et paysagère du site

PF - C2.O2 Développement d'activités écotouristiques

PF - C2.O3 Participation à la mise en place d'une gouvernance propice au développement d'un tourisme durable

PF - Sustainable farming practices in the Opunohu area

Accompagnement vers des pratiques agricoles durables sur le domaine d'Opunohu, Polynésie française

Etude des moyens disponibles pour la maitrise de l'enherbement en agriculture biologique dans le contexte polynésien

Etude de la faisabilité de la production d'ananas semi-intensive en agriculture biologique dans le contexte polynésien

Caractérisation et valorisation d'une station de compostage en région tropicale

PF - Terrigenous deposits of Opunohu Bay - Moorea

Caractérisation et suivi des dépôts terrigènes de la baie d'Opunohu

Caractérisation de l'impact anthropique que le littoral de Moorea

PF - Reception structure within the Opunohu Estate

Mission d'accompagnement des acteurs de Opunohu à la définition des modalités de pilotage, de gestion et d'un programme d'activités pérennes pour une structure d'accueil au sein du domaine d'Opunohu - Rapport final - Mission d'expertise conseil

Mission d'accompagnement des acteurs de Opunohu à la définition des modalités de pilotage, de gestion et d'un programme d'activités pérennes pour une structure d'accueil au sein du domaine d'Opunohu - Rapport de synthèse de l'enquête.

Programme d'activités - structure d'accueil du domaine d'Opunohu

PF - Contribution to a shared diagnosis of Opunohu

'Opunohu, Mo'orea, Polynésie française - Contribution à un diagnostic partagé

Les défis de 'Opunohu, Mo'orea, Polynésie française - Contribution à la gestion intégrée des territoires du Pacifique insulaire

PF - Characterization fauna flora remarkable on the archeological zone of Opunohu

Inventaire, cartographie et caractérisation faune flore - arbre et végétaux remarquable sur la zone archéologique de la vallée d'Opunohu

Geography :

Some 50 km to the southeast of the capital, Papeete, lies the Tahiti Peninsula, also known as Tahiti Iti or Little Tahiti. It is joined to the rest of Tahiti by the Taravao isthmus and the town with the same name. Highly varied, often spectacular and still preserved landscapes can be seen on the peninsula ranging from the vast Taravao farming tableland reminiscent of the Normandy plains to the rugged inland peaks and deep, narrow, green valleys. Mount Roniu rises to 1,332 m. On either side of Taravao, the urban area gradually gives way to wilder areas some 20 km away that are mainly accessed by sea. Tahiti Peninsula has a population of 18,545.

Economy : 

Tahiti has a diverse economy. The fertile Taravao plateau is the powerhouse of commercial farming, where egg and pig farms, dairy herds producing locally marketed Vai Ora fresh milk, vegetable crops and fresh flowers jostle for space. The plateau also hosts an aquaculture industry based on innovations and transfers from Ifremer (French Marine Industry Research Institute) and the CTA (Aquaculture Technical Centre). Taravao Harbour also has an industrial zone, including a noni-juice factory and shipbuilding facilities. In less urban areas, family-run leisure businesses dominate, delighting walking, diving and surfing enthusiasts drawn by the legendary Teahupoo wave.

Biodiversity and Environmental Pressure :

In the sea, Taiarapu Peninsula has a standard high-island lagoon with well-developed barrier and fringing reefs. Tahiti Iti is one of few places in French Polynesia with gorgonian coral. The shoals in northern Taravao, Pari and the brackish-water lagoons near Taravao isthmus diversify and enrich these remarkable habitats.

Te Pari on the peninsula’s eastern point is one of nine listed natural landscapes in French Polynesia due to its cultural and archaeological value with its marae, petroglyphs and legendary sites. Vahi Waterfall and Vaipoiri Cave are also protected sites.

There are several threats to the integrity of this outstanding, heritage including inadequate management of activity in the watersheds, e.g. pesticides used in farming, the growing urban sprawl from Taravao town and lagoon resource over-harvesting.

Local governance arrangements :

Management plans have been developed in recent years under several programmes with targeted funding so as to work towards the common goal of mitigating environmental impacts and preserving natural environments. Strengths and opportunities are summarized below :

• An Environment Code Class VI protected natural-resource area was set up in 2014 following a request by Teahupoo residents. It is better known as Teahupoo rahui. A management committee has been set up
• The erosion hazard was assessed by classifying the plant cover and a baseline study conducted on fertiliser and pesticide use under IRD’s GERSA component of CRISP (Coral Reef Initiative for the South Pacific)
• A general land-use scheme (PGA) is currently being developed in West Taiarapu township
• The Rahui Research Programme conducted from 2008 to 2011 yielded the information required to set up the Teahupoo rahui. It set out to study land and lagoon natural resource management methods against the backdrop of French Polynesia’s cultural and legal pluralism. It also aimed at proposing forward-looking assessments for striking a balance between sustainable resource management and cultural identity.

A regional methodology workshop was held in Noumea in February 2014 for all project partners. A SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis was conducted as a project diagnostic tool and planning aid and was completed during the 1st local site committee meeting the following month.

To achieve these objectives, an action plan was developed based on three activity groups :

Activité 1 . Mitigate environmental impact

INTEGRE supports the following project :

• Provide resources for developing organic farming and properly managing farm waste

Provisional Amount : XPF 10 million / € 84 000

Operators : Biomarama Association

For more details, consulte Activity statement

Acitivité 2. Introducing natural and cultural resource management measures

INTEGRE supports the following projects :

• Setting up a protected natural resource area or rahui at Fenua ‘aihere
• Managing traffic on Aoma River
• Preserving and showcasing archaeological sites in the Maraetiria protected-area watersheds in Faaroa eu Fenua ‘aihere

Provisional Amount : XPF 10 million / € 84 000

Operators : DIREN / West Taiarapu Municipality / Culture and Heritage Department

For more details, consulte Activities statement :

• Protection et valorisation des sites archéologiques et ethnologiques (études toponymique) du côté terre de la zone de Rahui de Maraetiria à Faaroa
• Réhabilitation de la rivière d'Aoma et de son environnement / Accompagnement de la mise en place et de la gestion effective des pistes de randonnées d'Aoma
• Accompagnement de la mise en place et de la gestion effective de l'aire protégée de ressources naturelles gérées au Fenua Aihere

Activité 3. Help develop sustainable activities in the lagoon

INTEGRE supports the following projects :

• Support for setting up a rahui network in collaboration with stakeholders
• Developing low-cost aquaculture methods for marketing and reseeding purposes
• Harmonising environmental monitoring networks as part of a participatory approach.

Provisional Amount : XPF 52 million / € 435 000

Operators : Department of Culture and Heritage, CRIOBE and municipalities / French Polynesia Aquafarmers’ Association / Office of Marine and Mining Resources

For more details, consulte Activities statement :

• Le développement d'un réseau de Rahui à Taiarapu
• Cartographie marine de la presqu'île pour le développement pérenne de l'activité aquacole
• Harmoniser les réseaux de suivi de l'environnement dans le cadre d'une démarche participative

Synthesis planned activities on the site :

INTEGRE project is working towards the following objectives :

• Assisting with sustainable economic development, particularly in tourism
• Helping control man-made threats.
• Boosting the participatory management process and involving local stakeholders more effectively
• Contributing to sustainable integrated natural and cultural resource management

On the site of the peninsula of Tahiti, the balance of the activities is the following one :

- PF - C2T1 : Reduction of the impact of anthropogenic pressures on the site environment

One of the actions relating to the design of water purification systems for shrimp basins, carried out by the Environment Department and validated within the framework of this activity, has been cancelled. A budget of 33.500€ had initially been allocated. Following a change of direction in the environment, the new team did not consider it appropriate to carry out this activity, which involved a private partner. So the funds were reallocated.

As regards the actions carried out, it is interesting to note that the BioMarama association can be assimilated to a FEC (Farm Equipment Cooperative) even if it is not registered in French Polynesia in this form. The shared use of agricultural equipment is still poorly developed in the country, despite the existence of this type of cooperative in Polynesian law. However, it makes it possible to acquire equipment that is difficult to amortize on a single farm scale. The operation established by the BioMarama association can provide an interesting example for farmers wishing to share the costs of agricultural equipment. 

Concerning the unfinished activity of the association Te Ao Uri, these are the risks inherent to the implementation of a participatory project. It was difficult to anticipate the tensions that emerged within the association that had been supported by the Department of Culture and Heritage. At the beginning of the INTEGRE project, while most of the proposed activities concerned the commune of Taiarapu-Ouest, an activity proposal of the association Te Ao Uri, resulting from the 2nd commune of the site, Taiarapu-Est, was considered interesting so that the benefits of the project could be distributed more equitably.

For more details, consulte Activity statement : PF - C2.T1 Diminution de l'impact des pressions anthropiques sur l'environnement du site    

- PF - C2T2 : Support for the establishment and functioning of natural and cultural resource management areas

The study on the development of the Aoma valley is currently leading to the development of a recreation area near the lower part of the river. This work, implemented by the Environment Department, is financed by the French Ministry of Ecology.

They will lead to the construction of a rest area where information panels on the ecology of the river will be installed. An access to the river will allow to observe eels, emblematic fauna of Polynesian rivers. However, this funding did not allow the development of an access trail to the waterfall in the valley due to the land status of the lands crossed. The Country cannot indeed carry out developments on private land. It is up to the municipality to negotiate transfer agreements with the owners and to carry out capital improvements. Thanks to the studies carried out, the municipalities and stakeholders concerned have all the maps in hand to develop these trail projects and create an economic activity.

For more details, consulte Activity statement : PF - C2.T2 Appui à la mise en place et au fonctionnement des aires de gestion des ressources naturelles et culturelles

- PF - C2T3 : Contribution to the sustainable development of the site

Beyond the concrete implementation of 3 "rahui", the project led by the Institute of Coral Reefs of the Pacific made it possible to sensitize elected officials and local actors to environmental issues and the administrations involved, particularly the Marine Resources Department, to the socio-cultural dimension of resource management and economic development. The alchemy between science and culture worked perfectly. The factor of this success undoubtedly lies in the choice of the team led by a Polynesian anthropologist from the site, himself supported by a multidisciplinary research center, the CRIOBE. This same team had already been involved in the implementation of the "rahui" of Teahupoo, perceived as a success by the population, and had already forged bonds of trust and respect with the actors of the site.

Work on the control of Marava breeding must continue even if the progress made during the project is very significant. If the technique is mastered, costs must be further reduced, in particular through the production of a local food.  Concerning the re-seeding phase, the ecological and social impacts of the first release indicate that the Marava is an excellent candidate to carry out marine re-seeding campaigns. It is highly appreciated by fishermen but is declining sharply in the lagoons, which facilitates their mobilization to participate in re-seeding. Following the release, other associated communes have expressed their interest in setting up a release of livestock Marava in association with the presence or even establishment of marine protected areas. This project has thus highlighted the strong demand for such reseeding operations as well as the technical and socio-cultural potential of this species.

For more details, consulte Activity statement : PF - C2.T3 Contribution au développement durable du site

Documents of French Polynsia

Flyer "Un espace partagé"

Panneau "Préservons nos ressources. Ensemble, respectons le Rahui"

FP - Activity statement

PF - C2.T1 Diminution de l'impact des pressions anthropiques sur l'environnement du site

PF - C2.T2 Appui à la mise en place et au fonctionnement des aires de gestion des ressources naturelles et culturelles

PF - C2.T3 Contribution au développement durable du site

FP - Thesis on the development of a network of Rahui in Taiarapu

Sujet de thèse "le développement d'un réseau de rahui à Taiarapu: démarche participative et plan de gestion intégré"

Aide méthodologique à la mise en place d'un réseau de Rahui (gestion traditionnelle du lagon et des terres) à Taiarapu, Tahiti

Accompagnement à la mise en place d'une Gestion Participative dans le lagon de Tautira

PF -  Ichthyological populations of Tahiti iti

Rapport sur les comptages des peuplements ichtyologiques de Tahiti iti

PF - Lagoon fishing in Taiarapu - Marava reseeding project

Etude du système de pêche lagonaire à Taiarapu à l'appui d'un projet de réensemencement en Marava (Siganus argenteus) - Rapport final

PF - Erosion of watersheds on the peninsula of Tahiti

Etude comparative de l'érosion de bassins versants sur la Presqu'île de Tahiti - Approches spatiale, hydrologique et humaine

PF - Natural and cultural issues at the Aoma River site

Mission d'expertise conseil - Définition des enjeux naturels et culturels sur le site de la rivière Aoma et conduite d'actions de valorisation du patrimoine

PF - Multidisciplinary approach of Fenua-Aihere

Approche pluridisciplinaire du Fenua-Aihere, Commune de Teahupo'o