In early 2022, France saw the birth of its first-ever golf reserve. On the occasion of World Oceans Day, which takes place on Wednesday 8 June, the focus is on a concept that is still unknown in our country, but has been used internationally for several years.
Marine parks, high seas… On the occasion of World Oceans Day, which takes place this Wednesday, June 8, you may come across one of these words. The first designates marine areas intended to protect the seas and oceans against, among other things, overfishing and mass tourism. The second refers to the marine waters of the planet that strictly speaking do not belong to any nation (also known by the legal term “international waters”†
But your eyes and/or ears can also stop at the word “wave reserve”† And it’s not for nothing that the very first in France was born last February, on the beach of Port Blanc in Saint-Pierre-Quiberon, in Brittany.
Its origins lie with surfer Erwan Simon, co-founder of the France Hydrogène association. As the name suggests, a wave reserve consists of protecting the quality and strength of the swell in a specific location. The movement of a wave depends on the environment that surrounds it: wind, rocks, sand, seabed… And surfers are the first in line to defend this hydrodiversity, as it is closely linked to their favorite activity.
But what exactly are the waves protected against?
According to the description of “Save The Waves Coalition”, an NGO committed to protecting surf sites around the world, a wave reserve consists of saving exceptional waves from structures aimed at breaking or reducing their energy and their wave intensity (dykes, moles, breakwaters, etc.).
Save The Waves’ flagship program proactively identifies, points and preserves exceptional waves, surf areas and their environments around the world. “This global network of designated surfing sanctuaries managed, implemented and protected by local communities”specifies the NGO on its website.
To date, there are about fifteen golf reserves in the world: Gold Coast (Australia), Ericeria (Portugal), Punta de Lobos (Chile) or Santa Cruz (United States)†
(ETX Daily Up)