On the 30th of April, the Maritime Environmental Control Support Center (CACEM) was inaugurated in Etel, France. This national center, dedicated to supporting public policy for the protection of the marine environment, is tasked with enhancing our marine and coastal environmental protection efforts.
This milestone signifies the culmination of a preparatory phase that commenced in 2017. The center provides vital assistance for missions pertaining to the surveillance and control of the marine environment, particularly aiding control units before, during, and after monitoring or surveillance missions, in coordination with the operational centers of relevant administrations. Additionally, it ensures legal oversight, centralizing, and continuously updating reference documentation on the dedicated LEGICEM website.
Since its establishment, CACEM has continually expanded its activities, emerging as a key player in marine environmental monitoring. In 2023, it received reports of 5,624 missions from control units (5,364 in 2022 and 1,438 in 2018), resulting in 34,811 checks (21,555 related to recreational and professional shore fishing and 13,258 environmental inspections), leading to 8,177 infractions recorded (with 2,322 reports and warnings issued). Moreover, it handled nearly 8,000 calls and provided 155 reinforced supports for control operations benefiting 500 units and 350 partner services.
This support encompasses a broad spectrum of areas: disturbances to protected species, work in marine environments and illegal hull cleanings, mooring policing, compliance with regulations of marine protected areas, illegal discharges, among others. The widespread integration, decided by the CIMER on March 17, 2022, of the semaphore chain into marine environmental protection missions has undoubtedly bolstered surveillance capabilities, with 2,283 reports transmitted by National Navy semaphores in 2023, predominantly along the Mediterranean coast, 126 of which led to inspections.
