Incentives for good governance: getting the balance right for Port-Cros National Park (Mediterranean Sea, France)

This paper provides preliminary findings from an examination of the nature of the management effectivness and governance structure underpinning the Port-Cros National Park (PCNP), created in 1963, then restricted to the Port-Cros Archipelago, and the newly created Port-Cros National Park (N-PCNP), (whose implementation process extended from 2012-2016) the surface area of which will be multiplied 64-fold to 75-fold. The analysis that follows was restricted to the marine parts of PCNP and N-PCNP. The MPAG governance analysis framework was applied through semi-structured interviews with park managers, staff and relevant experts. Through this systematic analysis the role and interaction between incentives are better understood. The PCNP, created primarily from the top-down with elements of a bottom-up approach, resulted, in the course of its more than 50-year history, in a successful positive balance between natural heritage preservation and sustainable development, such as the artisanal fishery. Public acceptance has been addressed through increased use of participative incentives, brought about by a reform of French National Parks in 2006 and the creation of the N-PNPC in 2012-2016. Although the current governance approach and management is effective, and not all cross cutting issues and challenges are sufficiently addressed, the French 2006 approach of national parks and the 2012-2016 bottom-up process of negotiating the N-PCNP charter is unique and is considered by those involved as a model for Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). It is recommended that increased participative and interpretative incentives be utilised to generate greater community stewardship.