Overseas territories save endangered biodiversity!

Five years to try to stop the decline in overseas biodiversity, such is the objective of the "Life+ Cap DOM: conservation of the key birdlife of the Overseas Departments". Coordinated at the national level by the LPO, and locally by three associations and one National Park, this project is included in both "The Year of French Dependencies Overseas" and "the International Year of the Forests", celebrated in 2011.

Life+ Cap DOM, partner in the Year of French Overseas Territories

Nearly 98% of vertebrate species in France is concentrated in just 22% of its territory, overseas. But, today that inestimable wealth is in danger. For that reason France figures 8th in world rankings for endangered flora and fauna and 7th for endangered birdlife. By proposing actions that are pioneering, concrete and adapted to their overseas context, Life+ Cap DOM intends to reverse that situation.

These actions will be set in motion by AOMA in Martinique, GEPOG in French Guiana, and SEOR and the Réunion National Park for this last department. To link the expertise in matters of biodiversity of these associations and their local managers to that provided by financial, institutional and scientific representatives, should put conservation of nature on an equal footing with the economic development of the territories. At the same time, the participants in this programme are working to make the general public aware of the wonderful richness of biodiversity that existing in the overseas territories. For that reason, throughout the “Year of the Overseas Departments” the following educational activities will be organised:

• In May : a visit to sites on Martinique, in French Guiana and on Réunion Island, in the framework of the Festival of Nature ;
• 14th and 15th May: come and find Life+ Cap DOM in the acclimatisation garden for the festival "Nature’s for us": http://www.natureetdecouvertes.com/...
• in June : an event on the subject of the Cock-of-the-rock in French Guiana, in the context of a special football match.

In 2011, there will be other opportunities to discover the rich natural heritage of the overseas territories, particularly a touring photographic exhibition.

LIFE+ CAP DOM, actions at the heart of overseas forests

One of the last primary tropical forests in the world is to be found within the French overseas territory of French Guiana. Nearly 86% of the bird species that depend upon forest habitats can tolerate only a very moderate level of degradation in their environment, 45% of them needing virtually untouched primary habitat.

So deforestation represents the greatest danger threatening this wild flora and fauna.

he Guianan Cock-of-the-rock, the Réunion Cuckoo-shrike and the White-breasted Thrasher, which are at the heart of the Life+ Cap DOM project, are among the birds most dependent on these habitats. The management of these forests’ conservation priorities aims to reconcile the exploitation of their resources with the protection of their biodiversity.

Birds are at the heart of this programme because they are the best known and among the most reliable indicators of the conservation status of the environment.

The richness of overseas biodiversity is unique on the European scale and exceptional at a world level. We must save it!

Press contacts

Marion Grassi
International Mission
06 77 46 71 73
marion.grassi@lpo.fr

Anne-France Touveron
International Mission
06 34 12 50 64
anne-france.touveron@lpo.fr

Claire Lux
Press officer
01 42 73 56 10 / 06 34 12 50 69
claire.lux@lpo.fr

LIFE+ CAP DOM
contact@lifecapdom.org
http://www.lifecapdom.org/

Press release

Communiqué de presse LIFE+ CAP DOM, 22 mars 2011

Dossier de presse LIFE+ CAP DOM, mars 2011