French Agency for Biodiversity
The French Biodiversity Agency (Office français pour la biodiversité, OFB). A new public institution, a new force for biodiversity. The French Biodiversity Agency was created on 1 January 2020 to protect and restore biodiversity in metropolitan France and overseas territories. The public institution is under the tutelage of the French Environment and Agriculture ministers. The Agency has 5 complementary missions:
- making available knowledge of, and research and expertise on species, and their uses
- environmental and wildlife health policing
- support for public policies
- assisting protected area managers
- supporting stakeholders and mobilising civil society
2,800 staff, including 1,900 within territorial entities in both continental France and the overseas teritories (OST), work towards these missions. Furthermore, the French Biodiversity Agency manages 9 marine nature parks (3 of wich are overseas), 1 Agoa sanctuary for marine mammals and 26 reserves with various legal designations (national and local game and wildlife reserve, national nature reserve, etc). For more information, visit the Agency’s website (in French).