Sanctuaire Agoa

On January 1st, 2010, the population of Martinique is estimated to 399 637 inhabitants and welcomed 620 781 tourists, the same year. According to the last demographic balance sheet of INSEE (NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR STATISTICS AND ECONOMIC STUDIES), the Guadeloupian population is estimated to 404 394 inhabitants on January 1st, 2010. Guadeloupe welcomed approximately 390 000 tourists the same year. In 2008, the population of Saint Martin French side counted 36 661 inhabitants, increasing by 23,4 % compared with 1999. The population of Sint-Maarten in 2010 is estimated to 37 429 persons. In 2010, both territories welcomed no less than 2 150 616 tourists. In 2008, the population of Saint-Barthélemy counted 8 673 inhabitants and in 2010 Saint-Barthélemy welcomed a total of 281 272 visitors. The Agoa sanctuary has a population of approximately 849 365 inhabitants and welcomes 3 442669 visitors / year.

 

MAIN THREATS	HUMAN ACTIVITIES	IMPACTS ON ANIMALS
Persistent disturbance	Military activities Watercraft competition Professional Fishing Seismic surveys Scientific research Maritime traffic (commercial and recreational) Whale watching	Desertion of habitats Increased energy expenditure Decline in reproduction Disruption of vital activities and social ties   Serious injury to the inner ear Malfunction of the echolocation system Behavioral changes Death of the animal
Vessel strikes	Military activities Watercraft competition Professional Fishing Recreational boat   Scientific research Maritime traffic (commercial and recreational) Whale watching	Injuries Death of the animal
Chimical pollution	Antropiques activities of terrigenous origin (industry, agriculture, assinissements failed, careening areas ...) Offshore Piling Oil dumping, hydrocarbon leaks, tanker accident ... Sailing (antifouling paints, waste oils, hydrocarbons ...)	Immune capabilities and reproductices affected can lead to death of the animal, tumors ... Intoxication (hydrocarbons)   Physiological dysfunction (nervous system) Poisoning newborn  Endocrine disruption
Bacterial pollution	Sailing (direct discharge of sinks and WC   domestic wastewater discharge	Developpement of diseases
Large waste	Terrestrial human activities Recreational boat Professional Fishing  Maritime traffic (commercial and recreational)	Injuries Death by entanglement or intestinal obstruction
Physical degradation and modification of the environment	Development offshore and inshore	Desertion of habitats
Acoustic pollution	Military activities Coastal activities Watercraft competition Seismic surveys Scientific research Maritime trafic	Serious injury to the inner ear Malfunction of the echolocation system Behavioral changes   Death of the animal Temporary or permanent hearing loss
Mortality and direct injuries	Depredation phenomenon Accidental take	Injuries Death of the animal
Competition for prey	Commercial fishing Recreational fishery	Time quotas for increased foraging

Several recent studies allowed us to list, characterize and locate potential and ascertained anthropogenic pressures on marine mammals and their habitat within the sanctuary. (Annex anthropogenic pressures)

According to these researches, the issues of all the anthropogenic pressures on marine mammal within Agoa can be summarized as follows :

- Issues related to the survival of animals: collisions, illnesses caused by stress or contaminants, entanglement, ingestion of macro-waste and noise pollution are so many threats that face directly marine mammals.

- Issues related to animals growth : low energy balance caused by a nutritional deficiency or by an energy expenditure related to a repetitive disturbance (maritime traffic, whale watching); leakage from feeding areas …

- Issues related to the reproduction and birth rate: which can be reduced by the disease, the disturbances, a low energy balance, a contamination by pollutants and chemical molecules....

- Issues related to the environment: which can be threatened by coastal developments and marine pollution.

In Guadeloupe, current knowledge mainly concern sperm whales, thanks to a photo-identification catalog made by AET in the leeward coast for 15 years. Since 2007, monitoring campaign using transects line protocol, combining visual observations and acoustic detections, are conducted by Breach in the dry season and wet season since 2009. These campaigns cover the entire coastal area up to about 12 NM offshore. In Martinique, the relative abundance and distribution of cetaceans in territorial waters are followed by SEPANMAR since five years of field campaigns in wet and dry seasons, combining visual observations and acoustic detections. The protocols used in Martinique and Guadeloupe are a priori the same since 2009. Since 2012, the antenna of the French marine protected areas Agency in the French Antilles and the technical secretariat of the Agoa sanctuary coordinate the scientific activities in collaboration with governments and local associations. From March 9th to 14th, the Agoa scientific campaign 2012, directed by the French marine protected areas Agency, in collaboration with the SPAW RAC, and the associations Breach and Sepanmar, has initiated an extensive exploration of marine mammals but also birds, waste, vessels and all anthropogenic activities, in all the French Antilles and the Netherlands Antilles with the islands of Sint-Maarten, Saba and St. Eustatius and also the island of Anguilla. First conducted in the "Northern Islands", it continued from April 9th to 15th in Guadeloupe and Martinique was completed in April 30th. More than 10 species were observed in less than two months of observation. Cetacean acoustic recordings were made??, as well as some unidentified noise that can be described as disturbing to cetaceans. The results of this campaign will be available before the end of 2012.