Biodiversity policy and subnational implementation in the remote regions of France.

Biological diversity in the marine and coastal environment is declining globally. Several layers of governance intertwine in the regulation of biodiversity with multiple strains of policy developments taking place at the international, national and subnational levels. In particular, the subnational level of governance has become crucial in the implementation of biodiversity protection.

A bright future for wave reserves?

Wave reserves, initially aimed at protecting surf 'spots', are becoming a way to ensure the conservation of coastal areas that are of great ecological and economic value. They foster local development and contribute to countries' achievements toward international objectives. Several projects to implement large wave reserves are on their way.

Evaluating the official achievement of Aichi Target 11 for West African countries: A twofold challenge of accuracy and catching-up.

Since Aichi Target 11 imposes 10% of national protected marine surface by 2020, the least developed countries have particularly shortcomings towards this goal, this article evaluates the progress of seven West African countries. We compared the area reportedly protected sites from two different sources, the world database on protected areas (WDPA) - which is the official tool to monitor the Aichi 11 Achievements - and the West African Marine Protected Area Network, which conducted a comprehensive survey in collaboration with the national institutions in charge of MPAs. Overall, the countries included in this study are unlikely to achieve the Aichi target.

Is Aichi Target 11 Progress Correctly Measured for Developing Countries?

Developing countries are struggling to meet Aichi Target 11, which calls for 10% of national marine area under protection. In addition, the official tool to measure their progress, the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA), tends to overestimate it. To reach this target, developing countries must set up large offshore Marine protected areas.