Philatelic document - Nature reserves - Mediterranean resources

On the shores of the Mediterranean, the meeting of fresh and salt water creates a natural environment rich in biodiversity. However, this ecosystem, covering almost 1,000 km of coastline, is threatened by human intervention. To meet these challenges, areas have been defined for their fragility or remarkable character. Reserves, national parks, regional nature parks and conservatories provide a legal arsenal to protect Mediterranean coasts and raise awareness of the need to preserve flora and fauna. The most emblematic of these are the Scandola nature reserve in Corsica, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the Calanques national park, which combines tourism development and nature conservation. The Camargue nature reserve is famous for its eight species of heron and its famous pink flamingos. Underwater, flatfish such as sole and turbot rub shoulders with blue-skinned sharks, emissoles, starry rays and torpedoes. In Provence, the Port-Cros National Marine Park was one of the first created in Europe in 1963. It features species typical of the western Mediterranean, as well as rarities such as the Yellow-legged Gull, Booted Eagle, Peregrine Falcon and Yelkouan Shearwater. Among the marine protected areas, Cerbère-Banyuls, in the Pyrénées-Orientales region, is the only fully marine nature reserve in France. It is home to a precious underwater meadow, a veritable nursery for various species of fish, octopus and sponges. The grouper, symbol of the Mediterranean, decimated by fishing in the 1970s, has even made a comeback here thanks to strong protection measures. In the face of today's climate disruption, these reserves now offer refuge for vulnerable species while preserving essential habitats. Hélène Molinari

Timbre (Héliogravure), document philatélique et cachet d’oblitération : création Clara Debray, mise en page Studio Pekelo. Texte : Hélène Molinari.