Following the action taken by the Port Autonome Police to evict sailboats anchored in front of the Intercontinental in Faa'a, and the publication of articles (Radio1 & la1ère, among others), the AVP took the initiative of going to the site to take a census of the sailboats present and to gauge the feelings of local yachtsmen.

The AVP met resident owners of sailboats of all sizes, tourists passing through with sailboats, wrecks, and people who can't or don't want to go anywhere else. There are around 60 boats involved, and this first approach enabled us to try and define each person's situation: tourists passing through (for what reason: medical, provisioning, repairs, no space elsewhere), resident-owners (for what reason, asked for a place?, not able to leave), inhabitants on a wreck, uninhabited wrecks, ...
(See the article and the report on anchoring on Radio 1).

As for the wrecks, Radio1 (https://www.radio1.pf/le-pays-engage-lenlevement-des-epaves/) and other media have reported on them, and we can only welcome this initiative to remove wrecks, which could surely have been carried out much earlier. Better late than never, let's rejoice in this action.

As for the rest of the inhabited boats (residents or tourists passing through), most of which are on waiting lists for marina and other moorings, they simply can't find a place. Nowhere. Often also because the smallest boats (around 30 feet) are not very profitable for the company that has delegated the public service: the waiting list is arbitrated according to size, since larger boats bring in more money.

This anchorage has been banned for years, but for a long time it was tolerated, even by the admission of the director of the Autonomous Port. It is now strictly forbidden because of the embankment project for the "Tahitian Village", the first shovelful of which has yet to be seen. So there's no absolute urgency.

• Could it be that the government has chosen the wrong date? The pleasure boats will be gone before the hurricane season.
• Didn't the government choose the wrong way? Favoring wealthy yachtsmen at the expense of smaller ones.
• Is the government on the wrong track? Boats, supposedly responsible for all the pollution, will be replaced by tons of fill, to the detriment of the lagoon's living environment, for the eventual construction of the famous "Tahitian Village".

There is a need for a buffer zone, tolerated by the Port Autonome for supplies and repairs. Tahiti is the transpacific hub for all tour-de-mondistes, whether it's for purchases of all kinds, formalities, access to aircraft, repairs and maintenance of yachts, day-to-day consumption, etc. This represents a significant financial niche. The study on the impact of yachting on the economy of French Polynesia showed that this niche was estimated at 4.77 billion XPF in 2020.

Sending this type of message at the height of the tourist season is clearly a bad signal for the yachting industry.

The Communauté des plaisanciers en Polynésie française (French Polynesian yachting community) is calling us to account for the "chaotic turn" (cf. the words of one yachtsman) that decision-makers are taking with regard to yachting in Tahiti and its islands. There are clearly major problems, especially concerning the number and location of moorings available. The "36 months" policy and the very low level of papeetization, for example, could have been very good things if the political will had continued in the same direction by developing the yachting sector (marina extension, moorings, introduction of a "cruisin permit", etc.). Instead, the stigmatization of the yachting community in French Polynesia has been growing for several years now.

We would therefore like to request an audience with the government to try to clarify the situation and discuss the future of yachting in French Polynesia. For your information, here are some initial thoughts on the letter we would send to the government:

"Sailboats in Polynesia have been grouped together in a users' association since 1981. We respectfully ask the government, and in particular its president, to receive a delegation from our association in order to participate in resolving the many problems encountered by this category of users, both locals and tourists.

This is particularly evident in the recent application of the mooring ban in the Punaauia area. We applaud the work of the Port Autonome in removing wrecks from the area, but its strict enforcement :

- leaves tourists who need to make a technical stopover in Tahiti helpless;

- leaves small pleasure boats without a solution, as they can't find space in marinas due to their low financial interest in them;

- forces local residents to find corpses far from their place of work.

We had to challenge the collective work of the Moorea PGEM before the administrative court, which partially ruled in our favor, leading to its suspension. But here, too, we have constructive proposals.

We'd be happy to put forward solutions to improve the organization of yachting and reduce the sources of conflicts of use. We are in favor of defending public maritime space and sharing it among all users, and we are working to ensure that fair laws recognized by all are known and applied. It is in this spirit that we would like to meet you.

Yours sincerely".

In conclusion, once again as the title of the La 1ère article quoted above points out, "Sailboats still in the firing line".

"Unfortunately, it's much easier to create mistrust than to find intelligent solutions. The Polynesian dream includes its maritime dimension and the tourism that goes with it, sailboats included." (A yachtsman reacting to recent events).

Far from feeling sorry for ourselves, we're going to have to get the authorities to understand how yachting in general works, because by combining "common sense", "cooperation" and "judicious decisions", there's a way of satisfying everyone.
Yachting has the potential to become an important economic niche in French Polynesia, but it needs to be understood, desired and properly developed.

It's official, since it's been published in the newspapers and on the Radio1 website ("Escales", the teleservice for ships in Polynesia). The Direction Polynésienne des Affaires Maritimes is starting to implement its "single, compulsory reservation portal" for all boats entering Polynesian waters.
Basically, a sailboat in Panama will have to register on the site and reserve the moorings it wishes to make in French Polynesia! This means reserving dates: on the 4th of such and such a month I'll be in Nuku Hiva, on the 18th I'll be in Ua Pou, on the 14th of the following month I'll be in Makemo, on the 31st I'll be in Rangiroa, on ... etc etc ....
All this will have to be planned, bearing in mind that the yacht is still 8,177 km away ... as the crow flies! and that there's still a huge part of the Pacific to cross, with not inconsiderable meteorological and technical hazards!
When this remark was made to the Maritime Cluster during the presentation of the pre-project, we were told: "When a tourist leaves Europe to come to Polynesia, he first makes sure he has a hotel room! It's the same for sailboats!

Setting up such a system for yachtsmen is therefore absurd.

The DPAM's idea is to be able to know, at any time, where each sailboat is, by regulating all anchorages? It's true that at present, not a single administrative or other entity is able to say how many yachts are in Polynesian waters.
But it seems to go even further: the DPAM wants to control everything by privatizing a public space!

Of course, the AVP has no problem with this being regulated - quite the contrary, in fact... BUT it has to be done in consultation with all stakeholders, first and foremost the yachtsmen who will be the first to be affected by these measures. Particularly as they are the most likely to be able to present the particularities of their way of life ... in order to avoid decisions that cannot be applied. *

The examples are obvious. The DPAM has started to regulate anchorages on Raiatea, and the AVP asks for information: "OK, it's ready, we'll keep you informed! Same thing on Fakarava for the declaration of the anchorage management project: "The bylaws are ready. We'll consult you.
The illustration of "being presented with a fait accompli" couldn't be better!

In the light of a few echoes and rumours, it doesn't seem too far-fetched to raise the question of how all these "corps-morts" are to be installed, managed and maintained. Indeed, to do this, we're going to need to find some ... serious managers, we'd be tempted to say. The example of Bora Bora doesn't seem to point in that direction. American insurance companies won't let sailboats insured with them sit on moorings with no certainty of maintenance.

The project has the merit of clearly setting out a necessary reflection on the "increase in maritime traffic". That's true. But let's be careful not to set up a one-sided, or almost one-sided, debate and then impose it, as the project will not be able to adapt to yachting as it stands. Or it could, but that would mean the disappearance of yachting in Polynesia. Is it reasonable to deprive ourselves of a financial windfall in these difficult times?

Common sense is disconcerting. Those who are allergic to it always have a bit of "I do what I want" about them. The ambition of consultation must be aimed at. Only then will common sense prevail.

* It's worth noting that the Commune de Moorea has finally opened its doors to possible consultation with boaters for the next PGEM. We would like to thank them for this step forward, and look forward to hearing from them soon.

On July 15, the U16 mooring body on the "Motu artificiel" area, managed and rented by the Autonomous Port, broke.
The owner was contacted and taken to the area by the Port Captain of Uturoa. At first sight, there was no major damage, an expertise will certainly be carried out, the sailboat is safe.

This incident raises several questions.

As stated in the owner's sea report, "The mooring line, the float, and the U16 buoy are solidly fixed to the bow of the sailboat, as can be seen in the photos taken by the Port Captain". It does not seem then that the incident comes from a bad manipulation of the owner. This deadweight being one of those recently installed in the "Motu Artificiel" area of the Raiatea lagoon by the Port Autonome de Tahiti, it is therefore on the same model as all the others.
What about all the other moorings? The users of these vessels have the right to ask themselves this question.

Moreover, the Port Authority forbids any anchoring in this zone (on the large sandy area between the channel and the barrier) and forces sailboats to take one of their moorings. However, in this zone, there are no residents nearby, there is only sand, so in principle it would not disturb and would not cause any damage. The question is simple: what are the objective reasons for this ban?

It is possible to dock in Uturoa harbor with a dinghy, but this does not depend on the Autonomous Port! Therefore, how can we consider renting out moorings without a pontoon and without garbage dumps?
The recurring question then arises: why is this area under the control of the Autonomous Port and not the municipality of Uturoa, as the latter has been asking for months?

In conclusion, the majority of boaters are quite willing to pay for moorings in suitable areas, but is it utopian to demand secure, insured moorings that offer docking facilities for dinghies with waste disposal?
When you pay, you get service.
None of this sounds like special requirements, it is what is practiced all over the world ...

A matter to be followed very closely.

The so-called pollution of the boaters
with their famous "pipi-caca in the lagoon"
and the map of bathing water quality in French Polynesia

Boating in French Polynesia is no exception to the rule: when it comes to stigmatization, it takes 10 seconds to come up with a nonsense, and more than 20 minutes to explain why it is a nonsense.

How can we not look at this map of the quality of bathing water in French Polynesia (islands of Tahiti, Moorea, Bora-Bora, Raiatea and Tubuai) without making a parallel with the yachting activity?
The number 1 reproach made to the yachting in Polynesia is the famous "pipi-caca" which pollutes the lagoons! And this pseudo argument comes up in every debate on yachting, even in the highest decision making spheres. However, it is largely, if not almost, unfounded. Here is why.

Let's avoid immediately the question of "peeing" in the lagoon ... as if only sailboat inhabitants relieved themselves in the lagoons. What about swimmers? And surfers? And the walkers? And the divers ? And the fishermen?
Human urine is said to contain more than 95% water and its sodium and chloride content does not threaten the sea or the plants and animals that live there.
Urea, a component of urine, is not found in the ocean. It is a carbon-based compound that helps the body get rid of nitrogen. The nitrogen in urea, combined with the water in the oceans and seas, allows for the development of ammonium, a compound that serves as food for plants. In fact, one can almost say that peeing in water is good for marine flora and animals.
Moreover, all marine animals also urinate in the ocean. For example, the fin whale produces about 945 liters every day!

About the "poop". Here is its composition in simple terms:

- 75 to 85% water
- 18-22% dehydrated (dry) matter, undigested such as cellulose
- saprophytic germs (which derive useful substances from the decomposition of the material)
- pathogenic bacteria and viruses (which can cause disease)
- dead constituents (cells) of the digestive tract.

So yes, there is that famous "pathogenic bacteria and viruses" part. But again, in chemistry, there is an essential rule that says "What makes the poison is the dose". And this is true for any pollutant. It's all a question of concentration, dilution and dosage. Ciguatera is a very good example.
But in this case, the dilution is enormous.
Moreover, there is a risk from the moment that the supposedly contaminated water is ingested. The probability for an inhabitant to take a good glass of water from the lagoon to drink it remains extremely low! On the contrary, the boater drinks this "contaminated" water, thanks to his watermaker. If it were really polluted by us, would we drink it?

Obviously, the ancestral image of "poop" is prevalent. But we must go beyond it and try to see it from a purely chemical point of view, otherwise the arguments put forward do not go very far, except to stigmatize, but there we come close to stupidity, not to the truth.
Per square kilometer of ocean, fish poop must be counted in tons per day. But of course, as it seems not to be allowed to be clear-sighted and to use common sense, it is the 150 gr of daily poop of the yachtsman that becomes the cause of all the ecological woes of French Polynesia.

The human excrements of one person in one year would contain about 548g of nitrates, 183g of phosphorus and 460g of potassium per person. Most sailboats move throughout the year, so there is no concentration of these elements in one place. And even if the sailboats stay at anchor in the same place, the quality map of the bathing water along the anchorages of Taina marina (Tahiti) and Mareto beach (Moorea) proves that the presence of these sailboats does not bring the expected pollution that some people want to put on the backs of the boaters!
Moreover, "In the case of Tahiti, the EGS concludes that 57% of the water points analyzed are clean for bathing. This means that 43% of the places studied are contaminated by fecal bacteria. Bathing there is therefore a health risk." According to the map, all of the zones incriminated, therefore unfit for bathing, do not have any sailboats in their vicinity. Where does this fecal pollution come from, sufficiently consequent to exceed the authorized doses? From the mouths for the majority, therefore from the interior of the lands and the valleys. Wouldn't it be a mistake to target them?
These are facts. Let our detractors bring proof of the contrary.

The discourse of the Polynesian authorities is oriented towards a so-called "luxury" yachting because sailboats, boats and other liners will be able to pay all the environmental taxes that will be put in place by Polynesia to give themselves a clear conscience: the rich have the money to pay and grant themselves the right to pollute! The environment remains a business.
These types of maritime transport use the worst fuels available. They release sulfur oxide into the air and water. Not to mention that the motorized maritime sector uses a fuel that is much higher in sulfur than those allowed for the automotive sector.
A study published in February 2018 assessed the health consequences of marine pollution. Indeed, large port cities (take Papeete for example) do not only amass tourists, but also fine particles. Maritime transport contributes to 5 to 10% of the air pollution measured in the downtown area of port cities (cruise ships, container ships, ...). Marine fuels will be responsible for more and more premature deaths each year in these cities (250,000 premature deaths on average worldwide while 60,000 were announced a few years ago).

French Polynesia wants to be avant-garde in terms of environment with reflections to try to find solutions for a "green tourism". Obviously, it wishes to privilege luxury tourism (hotels, cruises and yachts) whose carbon footprint is deplorable: about 4 T of CO2 estimated for a normal tourist travelling by plane in Europe, let's imagine the quantity for a tourist coming to French Polynesia considering the means of transport used and the distance, the environmental cost for the construction of the infrastructures welcoming him, ...
And as a result, this same Polynesia is really doing a campaign of slow destruction of the only tourists with almost neutral carbon footprint who pass by (the yachting would bring in 4,77 billion Fxpf per year). All this is done with ecological arguments which are far from the real environmental priorities of French Polynesia at the moment.
Wouldn't it be again a mistake to target?

Let's stop this masquerade with this pseudo "super-ecological" argument of the pee-poo of the boaters in the lagoons. Of course it is a pollution but on the scale of the quantities generated, the dissolution and the concentrations, it represents nothing, or ridiculously little, in the Polynesian lagoons.
But this is not a reason. Certainly.
Let's remember that more than half of the sailboats present in Polynesian waters have black and/or grey water tanks (plus all sailboats built after 2008). For years, the A.V.P. has been asking for the installation of infrastructures in ports and marinas to empty these tanks. Obviously, the competent authorities here in Polynesia are willing to copy the tariffs for anchorages in the Mediterranean but do not seem ready to copy the implementation of a recovery service for black water tanks. There are projects, but no acts on the horizon.
In the meantime, yachting is stigmatized. It is always easier to criticize and destroy than to try to propose, create and act.

A boater who is fiu with it

BONUS :

- A single cigarette butt can indeed contaminate up to 500 liters of water due to the thousands of harmful substances (nicotine, phenols, heavy metals, ...), and sometimes carcinogenic, that cigarettes contain. A cigarette butt can take up to 15 years to completely degrade.

- One liter of gasoline can contaminate a million liters of water

Recommendations of the Port Authority for runway crossings at Faaa airport in the PAPEETE Autonomous Port district (applicable to all vessels with an air draught greater than 6 meters)

The rules listed below must be scrupulously respected in order to allow maritime traffic to be in line with air traffic.
The Port Watch will be the link with the Faaa airport control tower for runway crossings ("22" for the EAST side, and "04" for the WEST side)

The Port Autonome de Papeete's watchtower can be reached 24 hours a day by :
- VHF 12 or on SSB 2638 KHz
- By telephone (+689) 40.47.48.50 - Emergency line (+689) 40.42.12.12.

> By VHF or SSB, it must be contacted in this form: "VIGIE VIGIE of " Name of your Vessel" (3 times).
Or for English speakers: "PAPEETE PORT CONTROL" (3 times) from "Name of your vessel" (3 times)".

IMPORTANT: All boaters must make sure before any movement in the lagoon of Papeete to have a working VHF on board, or a GSM phone to be able to contact the Port Control.
The Port Authority is the only one authorized to give you the authorization to enter the harbor, as well as the authorization to cross the PAPEETE airport runway.
The VHF 12 watch is mandatory during the whole period of its movement in the Port district.

Procedure for entering/leaving the port of PAPEETE :

The Vigil must be called at least 10 minutes BEFORE entering PAPEETE harbor (Papeete channel is open 24 hours a day)
- You must identify yourself and announce your intentions of movement in the port (your final destination).
- It is necessary to inform the Port Watch before any departure from the marina of Papeete on its intentions of movements.

Procedure for crossing the 2 runway axes:

There are 2 restricted areas on each side of the runway axis at Faaa International Airport. These zones are marked on most marine charts: NAVIONICS, SHOM, CM93,..., which allows you to visualize your position in relation to the entrance of these zones.

The crossing of the runway axes is only authorized during the day (from sunrise to sunset).
The authorization can be refused even if the light seems sufficient for the crossing of your first runway axis, because the lookout can estimate that the light will not be sufficient for the crossing of the second runway axis.

Also be careful to respect the delimitation of these 2 passage areas by positioning yourself on the waiting areas for contact with the harbour watch (marked in yellow on the maps below), and never cross the areas marked in red without express authorization from the watchtower.)

1 - Position yourself and identify yourself on channel 12 with the harbour watch.
2 - Ask for authorization to pass through the zone, specifying your destination (direction of navigation),
3 - The harbour watch then contacts the control tower to obtain authorization to cross the runway axis
4 - Once the authorization is given by the watchtower, you have 5 minutes to cross the runway.
5 - Stay on watch on VHF 12 until the end of the procedure.

WEST ZONE CROSSING - 04 - (Taina marina side)

EAST ZONE CRASHING - 22 - (Papeete side)

Following the publication of a post on a social network page (in fr) and its resumption in an article of radio1.pf (in fr) concerning the passage of sailboats in the axis of the airport runway without authorization.

Just in the title of the article, we already feel the stigma. "These sailboats which cut the axis of the airport without authorization" ... WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION.

Yes, there are surely sailboats that do it without authorization. It is a fact. But from there to make a generalization, there is only one step ... once again quickly crossed. The title leaves little doubt: ALL sailboats would do it without asking anyone.

And what about common sense?
Obviously still a long way from the necessary reflection.

Precisely, the A.V.P. was about to publish a reflection on the stigmatization of a community. The opportunity making the thief, the article was put on line of the blow (in eng). This example of the article of Radio1.pf and especially of the page of a social network from which it comes for a great majority illustrates wonderfully the reflection that we propose around the stigmatization of a community, in the broad sense.

Indeed, in no case the A.V.P. seeks to endorse or excuse this kind of behavior: passing the airport axis without having asked for permission. Obviously, there are some who do it ... but there again, is it necessary to generalize? Unless you want to discredit a community.

Moreover, in the comments following the post, someone rightly remarks that the picture was taken from a drone or helicopter ... right in the axis of the runway! Answer: Oh yes, but he has an authorization of course !
If we do not border on bad faith then it must be.

Doesn't anyone do certain rides on trail track without the authorizations?
Everybody is allowed to drive more than 90km/h on the RDO?
Nobody fishes at night in the PGEM areas of Moorea?

Yes, some citizens do not respect the rules. Should we stigmatize the whole community they come from?
Please make a distinction.
It's easy to always talk about planes, trains or buses arriving late... for how many arrive on time?

In this specific example of the crossing of the airport axis, the A.V.P. had set up a procedure (September 2019) (in eng), which would be the only one proposed at the moment. It would have been validated by the Port's watchtower ... orally.
The A.V.P. puts things in place and spreads them. Like everyone else, the A.V.P. does not stand behind each sailboat to verify the proper implementation of the established rules. It's up to everyone to respect the rules ... and to use common sense.

The situation of the yachting in Polynesia is not necessarily good. Nothing new on that.

Far from focusing on its own navel and whining about its fate, the A.V.P. is reflecting on a subject unfortunately too present in our society. This subject is not specific to yachting, nor specific to French Polynesia; however, the stigmatization of a community seems to be quite prevalent here.

"Stigmatization is a process that, in the long run, marks the individual or group with opprobrium: the stigmatized are those who suffer social reprobation because they would have contravened a law or a social norm; they are seen as deviant." [1]

The words are there ... clear, strong, explicit. The words "suffer", "social reprobation", "contravened a law or a social norm", "deviant".

Stigmatization would be like a negative label that one sticks on a person or a community. It includes discrimination, prejudice, judgment and stereotypes, which allow people to be isolated on the basis of mere presumptions.

The industry in French Polynesia is a blatant example of this. You only have to see what can be said on social networks in particular, but also in a general way in people's comments.

Indeed, even without being especially "anti-sailors" or against boating, many people make generic assumptions about boaters, following what they would have heard or read, peddled by some unscrupulous media and the 15% of the population that are truly anti-boating[2]. They are "polluters", "profiteers", who "don't spend their money", who "illegally occupy the public domain", who "leave their sailboat to rot in the lagoons", ...

In fact, quite simply, people don't know! This way of life is not known, or even recognized as meeting the expectations of a "normally" constituted society. Therefore, boaters can only be "deviant". A similarity with the "Gitans" in metropolitan France is obviously conceivable.

How easy it is to stand behind your vini or computer screen and label people without knowing anything, or little, about their way of life. Hidden behind these screens, it is easy to feel strong and within one's rights to spit on any community. And above all, there is no need to think about why or how; it is enough to follow the hate movement influenced by a few self-proclaimed leaders of the good word and the certified opinion.

This is not unique to yachting. Just look at the flood of filth poured out there too on the adoption of fa'amu children in 2021. Two couples have indeed tried to abuse the situation; they should have been sanctioned and were. Two couples for how many serious, caring, respectful families whose adoptions in the fa'amu concept are going very well ?

Let's stop these sweeping generalizations!

So yes, there are clearly boaters who do not do good publicity for their community, for sailboats in Polynesia in general. Yes, there are "black sheep" in the yachting world. The A.V.P. regrets it and does not support them, of course.

But should we always generalize when a sailboat leaves a marina without paying? Should we still generalize when a yachtsman throws his organic waste overboard? Should we still generalize when a yachtsman disrespects local residents? Still generalize when a sailboat anchors in an unauthorized area ? Still generalizing when we see a sailboat wrecked?

From there to "stigmatize" the whole community of boaters for cases, certainly existing and that must be reprimanded, but isolated? Yes, there are shameful behaviors, but they only concern a minority of boaters.

"There are black sheep in the police, colleagues who must be punished. But we can't lump 150,000 civil servants together" [3].

We are fed up with all these stigmatizations in a hurry, taking only the example of a few black sheep, of a few undesirable people in a group because of their behavior, to describe and label an entire community, an administration, a company, ...

We must stop with the generalization and see further than the end of our nose.

Before throwing out this kind of assertions that are not necessarily verified, we must also take stock of what we think ourselves. Because around us, there are inevitably "black sheep" who harm our profession, our sport activity, our community whatever it is ... Are we going to define a profession, an administration, a community according to the four assholes we have met?

Here is an illustration to show what should happen to those who use and abuse stigmatization.

Following the verdict in the Zemmour case (February 18, 2011), the polemicist at the time was convicted of provocation to racial hatred and found himself paying a fine following eminently offensive remarks about blacks and Arabs. Chems-Eddine Hafiz, a lawyer and vice-president of the French Council of the Muslim Faith at the time, now rector of the Grand Mosque of Paris, reacted :

"The Paris court recalled an essential principle of law : the stigmatization of a community cannot be considered as an opinion, but as a crime and an attack on republican principles." [4]

And therein lies the problem.

Today, to form an opinion is to wait for the murmur, the rumor, to see how it evolves and to go in its direction. With social networks, you have to decide in a second what you think about everything ... and especially about nothing. The easiest way is to follow rather than to think. We do not express our preference but the idea we have of the preference of others. The group effect is, once again, rarely of the best brilliance, but so essential to have the impression of having an opinion and to melt into the mass, in two word : to exist.

The yachting in French Polynesia is currently stigmatized, certainly, as others are. It has a duty to set an example, to detach itself from its "black sheep" who do not respect their community and others, to make efforts to show its good faith, to explain itself to those who do not hold it in their hearts... but please, it is also up to each one of us to help it, to try to understand it, to accept that its "black sheep" do not represent the whole community...

By the way, speaking of hearts, some would do well to turn their hatred seven times inside before opening it [5], ... their mouths and/or their hearts.

[1] https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stigmatisation

[2] Study of the awareness of the Polynesian population to boating and boaters (https://voiliers.asso.pf/2021/10/13/plaisanciers-les-mal-aimes-du-tourisme/)

[3] Nicolas Chapuis and Juliette Bénézit, Les policiers " en colère " après que l'exécutif a durci le ton contre le racisme et les violences, Le Monde. Online June 10, 2020 - https://fr.wiktionary.org/wiki/brebis_galeuse

[4] https://www.saphirnews.com/Affaire-Zemmour-La-stigmatisation-d-une-communaute-ne-saurait-etre-une-opinion-c-est-un-delit_a12251.html

[5] Cédric Sapin-Defour

A very unfortunate subject that has been brought to our attention recently.
The A.V.P. would like to get involved with the Support and Prevention Group following sexual assaults by captains on female crewmembers in "boat hops".

Following several assaults, some of which occurred in FP, several girls/women started to talk about this serious problem on the facebook groups/websites where they had been linked to the captains in question, in order to alert other female crew members in search of the existence of the phenomenon.

Due to a very violent reaction on one of the facebook groups in question (the posts in question were vilified, the women virtually lynched and the posts deleted by the moderators), there was no choice but to create a group specifically dedicated to this subject.

Since then, about twenty testimonies of different severity (ranging from sexual assault with threats of murder to daily harassment in the middle of a crossing, including landings on isolated islands for girls who "resisted") have been collected, and increased support is offered to victims.

Some have filed complaints, others are not ready. It is important to know that the shame and trauma are so great that most of the time the victims do not talk about it and wish to forget. Official statistics show that only 10% of victims file a complaint. This gives an idea. Since then, the group is growing, as prevention tools and tips are proposed, so that girls/women are better prepared to face these realities.

This Support Group also wishes to draw our attention to the fact that it has several testimonies of aggression and harassment (in both cases) on two captains based in PF.

For your information, here is an article with testimonies that are clearly chilling :

Bait and Catch: For Dozens of Young Women Recruited Online, Dreams of Sailing Adventures Turned to Nightmares at Sea.

[The end of the year is still like the past one! Another nice Christmas present, in the unfortunate line of the announced PGEM of Moorea]

Article Radio1.pf de Lucie Rabreaud - 22/12/2021

A decree of the Council of Ministers regulates the circulation and anchoring of ships in the Huahine lagoon. This text is based on the same principle as the regulation of Moorea, which is strongly contested.

After Moorea, it's Huahine's turn to restrict anchorages for boats. Anchoring and parking of vessels in the Huahine lagoon, whether they are engaged in recreational activities or tourist transport, will be regulated, the Council of Ministers announced. Medium and large vessels will have to moor in specific areas, which will be equipped with ecological moorings. Large ships (over 90 m) and cruise ships will have dedicated berths, positioned in specific areas, particularly in the Bourayne and Maroe bays, where the quality of the seabed will allow them to anchor in complete safety for the environment. The vessels will not be able to stay more than 72 hours on the same site. The communiqué of the Council of Ministers does not give any indication on the number of vessels that will be allowed to stay, nor on the organization of the occupation of these anchorages. Smaller vessels, less than 6 meters in length, will be able to continue to park in other areas of the lagoon except in the passes and channels. They will be invited to park in suitable places, away from the reefs and coral reefs. The duration of their mooring will be limited to 24 hours.