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Save the Date: Full listing of SBM’s The Sea is Green programme

by: Elsa Carpenter
23/02/2023
the sea is green

Société des Bains de Mer is showcasing its green credentials and flair for art de vivre with a new cultural programme this spring. Here’s the full list of events, from music recitals and gourmet dinners to underwater tours of the coast.  

11th March 

The Sea of Green begins on 11th March with a prestigious dinner recital, Musique de l’Eau, at the Hotel Hermitage. The Winter Garden will host this exceptional night of culture – one that combines music with haute cuisine and an art exhibition – described by Société des Bains de Mer (SBM) as a “tribute to a more gentle way of life”.  Monegasque pianist Stella Almondo is to perform while Michelin-starred chef Yannick Alléno will provide the gourmet accoutrements in the form of a four-course meal alongside a display of sea-themed creations by ceramist Jean Boghossian. Tickets to the event cost €410. 

13th to 17th March 

Chefs from SBM’s glowing portfolio of restaurants will spend four days preparing food for and assisting at the Fourneau Economique in Nice, a space for vulnerable people to get a welcome meal free-of-charge, in association with Solidarpole. 

22nd March 

A round-table event entitled ‘Sustainable Hospitality and the Protection of the Oceans’ and hosted by journalist Leila Ghandi will take place at the Hotel Hermitage as part of Monaco Ocean Week. Free diver Pierre Frolla will form part of the panel.  

10th May 

In a departure from the hotels of the SBM resorts, this event takes guests underwater and is a discovery tour of the underwater reef off the coast of the Monte-Carlo Beach Hotel, which is home to endemic species of flora and fauna. Places are limited to 15 people maximum and it’s on a first come first served basis.  

12th May 

Although not officially a part of The Sea is Green, the inauguration of the Green Hub at Monte-Carlo Beach, a new watersports facility that offers non-motorised activities, is inextricably linked to the mission behind the overall programme. Not much has been announced about the Green Hub yet so stay tuned! 

Ongoing exhibitions 

Ceramicist Jean Boghossian is offering two exhibitions during The Sea is Green: one in the gardens and urban spaces of Monaco, and another in the lobby and Winter Garden of the Hotel Hermitage. Both run from 10th March to 10th May.  

A series of marine-inspired sculptures by Ti’Ou will be on show at the Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort from 10th March to 10th May. 

For something truly special, an installation by Céline Pagès and Madame Ernest that uses recycled materials to create an immersive experience of swimming with giant jellyfish will be housed in the Atrium of the Monte-Carlo Casino from 10th March to 10th May.  

Photographer Olivier Jude is due to display a collection of rare underwater shots of the Larvotto nature reserve between 7th April and 10th May as part of the cultural season, but the location is yet to be revealed. 

For further details, please click here.  

 

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Pelagos Sanctuary for local marine mammal protection now accepting public donations

by: Stephanie Horsman
23/02/2023
pelagos sanctuary

The Pelagos Sanctuary, created by a treaty between Monaco, France and Italy for the protection of local species of marine mammals, has created a voluntary fund that is now also welcoming support from individuals interested in the cause.  

The Pelagos Agreement, signed in 1999 by Monaco, France and Italy, started the ball rolling for the creation of a 87,500km2 marine protected area that was and is unique in that it is managed by three different nations’ authorities, and includes coastal areas that form a large bionetwork of scientific, socio-economic, cultural and educational interests. 

The area encompasses over 8,500 macroscopic animal species that contain somewhere between 4% and 18% of all marine species, including endangered monk seals, dolphins and whales. This is a remarkable figure considering the small size of the Mediterranean.  

Now, the three countries adhering to the treaty have created a voluntary fund to help support the work they are doing to preserve and protect the sea creatures living in the sanctuary.  

The endowment is already gaining traction and has been given €500,000 in contributions from France’s Ministry of Ecological Transition, the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security in Italy and Monaco’s Department of External Relations and Cooperation for the Government as well as the association Nage Libre France. 

Soon, it will also be set up to accept donations from private individuals on the new dedicated website of www.pelagos-sanctuary.org, but for now, people who would like to help can email the association directly on secretariat@pelagossanctuary.org.  

“This fund will make it possible to finance priority initiatives included in the new Management Plan through funding from member states of the Agreement and through donations from individuals and citizens,” said Monaco’s government in a statement.  

These first contributions will go toward developing a cohesive communication and fundraising strategy, strengthening the governance of the agreement and expanding on cooperative activities. Additionally, the Nage Libre France funds will assist in co-financing a submarine noise risk map for cetaceans.   

 

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Photo credit: Catherine Drouard / Parc National de Port-Cros

Charity Fight Aids Cup raises €180,000

by: Luke Entwistle
23/02/2023

€180,000 has been raised thanks to the Fight Aids Cup, which pitted the Barbagiuans against the Cirque FC in a football match of legends at the Stade Louis II. 

The match on 23rd January, which included legends of the game such as Didier Deschamps, Claude Puel and Clarence Seedorf, as well as stars from outside of the game, like Charles Leclerc and Louis Ducruet, was won by the Barbaguians this year. The victory followed two consecutive victories by Princess Stéphanie’s Cirque FC.

Whilst the game puts on a spectacle for fans in attendance, the larger goal is to raise funds for Fight Aids Monaco, chaired by Princess Stéphanie. It has now been revealed that the event, organised by her son Louis Ducruet, has raised €180,000 for the charity,

Fight Aids Monaco is an association that, since the early 2000s, has helped people living with Aids, whilst also working towards increased screening and prevention. The money raised from the Fight Aids Cup will allow the organisation, coordinated by Hervé Aeschbach, to fund its activities throughout the year, both in Monaco, as well as in France.

READ MORE:

Louis Ducruet captains Barbagiuans to Fight AIDS Cup victory

 

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Photo by Monaco Life

Monaco, France and Italy discuss the future of marine protection cooperation at 55th RAMOGE meet

by: Stephanie Horsman
22/02/2023
ramoge

Delegates from the tri-country RAMOGE organisation met with new director Laurent Stefanini to discuss the achievements of the past two years and future projects. 

RAMOGE, the intergovernmental cooperation agreement between France, Italy and Monaco for the preservation of the marine environment that has its headquarters in the Principality, met for its 55th meeting on 2nd February.  

The meeting, chaired by Isabelle Rosabrunetto, took stock of the progress made in the 2021 and 2022 years after being able to fully relaunch their programmes following the Covid pandemic.  

These included: a research exploratory mission of deep coastal zones using a boat offered by the Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale (ISPRA), which collected environmental data to help improve conservation efforts in the area; the organisation of a RAMOGEPOL anti-pollution operation in Italy’s Imperia region that also saw the inaugural voyage of the Princess Gabriella, a craft belonging to the Monegasque Maritime and Airport Police Division; and a meeting of prosecutors from the three countries to discuss judicial cooperation in terms of clamping down on major polluters.   

Another high-profile highlight was the roaring success of the RAMOGE Man and the Sea photo competition. Participation was high, with more than 3,300 snaps received from almost 600 photographers of 65 nationalities. The winning photographs are currently on display, until 28th February, on the gates of the Jardin Saint Martin in Monaco. 

The meeting also set the agenda for 2023 and 2024, which will see a working committee dedicated to limiting impact by cruise ships and superyachts created, a report and video awareness campaigns for students and the public launched, and the organisation of a special conference on the protection of local flora and fauna, which will be held on 24th March during Monaco Ocean Week at the Oceanographic Museum.  

Finally, Isabelle Rosabrunetto handed over the reigns of Director General to Laurent Stefanini, who is also the French ambassador to Monaco. Pierre Bouchet from the Monegasque delegation took over the Presidency of the Technical Committee role, succeeding Tiziana Chieruzzi from the Italian representatives.  

READ MORE:

Monaco Ocean Week 2023: A focus on action plans and research findings

   

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Photo credit: M. Dagnino

Obesity: Nearly half of France is overweight, says new study

by: Stephanie Horsman
22/02/2023
obesity in france

Obesity in France is on the rise, and the PACA region is not excluded. Here’s the skinny on what the experts say.  

Obesity is a public health problem that’s all too common in today’s western society. In France, the problem appears to be getting worse, according to a new study put out on 20th February by the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM). 

The report says that obesity is on the rise in all age groups, and that in total, 47.3% of French adults are overweight. Of those, 17% are obese. The lines between genders are quite clear, with 36.9% of men and 24% of women falling into the overweight categories. Obesity, however, affects both fairly equally: 17.4% of French women are classed as obese versus 16.7% for men. 

The real concern is that young people are getting consistently fatter, with scientists revealing: “Since 1997, obesity among 18 to 24-year-olds has increased more than four-fold, and by almost three among 25 to 34-year-olds.”  

All of the country is affected, but the prevalence of obesity is highest in Hauts-de-France (22.1%), in Normandy (19.8%) and in Grand-Est (20.2%). The PACA region, with 15.9%, ranks amongst the three lowest in France.  

The link between obesity and socioeconomic situations is evident. The poorer the region, the higher the obesity rates. 

“People are not ‘addicted’ to bad food, but they are encouraged to buy it because it is cheaper,” says INSERM’s Annick Fontbonne. “Good quality food, food that is said to be healthy, is generally more expensive.”  

INSERM notes that the prevalence of excess weight is 51.1% among labourers, 45.3% among salaried employees, 43% among those in intermediate professions and 35% among managers. 

To understand better, obesity is defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health. A body mass index (BMI) over 25 is considered overweight, and over 30 is obese. The causes are complex, but several factors stand out, such as poor diet, lack of exercise, certain health conditions, and behavioural and environmental genetics. 

  

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Photo source: I. Yunmai for Unsplash

Allergies: French Riviera on red alert for high pollen count

by: Stephanie Horsman
22/02/2023
pollen french riviera

Late winter blooms and the pollen from the thousands of cypress trees on the French Riviera are causing havoc for allergy suffers, with the region moving to a red alert.  

The mild winters of the region make it a wonderful place to live, but they also mean that pollens start to spread earlier than in northern climes. In Monaco and the south of France, the biggest culprits at the moment are the plentiful cypress trees, according to France’s National Aerobiological Surveillance Network (RNSA). As of the agency’s last report, Monaco, the Alpes-Maritimes and the Var are on red alert. 

Cypress pollen is particularly known to cause respiratory and eye discomfort, especially on windy, mild and sunny days, which are almost every day in the Mediterranean at this time of year. They remain problematic for several weeks, with the peak period being the end of February in normal years.  

But cypress isn’t the only culprit. Mimosa, alder, hazel, and ash pollens are on the rise, with medium to locally high concentrations, and soon, willows, hornbeams, lichwort and poplars will also begin flowering, carrying a low-level risk to all but people sensitive to these individual plants.  

To keep up to date on allergy risks and pollen data, the RNSA offers a free email alert system that can be signed up for here.

The agency also can be found on social media and via their website: www.pollens.fr.  

Nothing but the return of rain will lessen the pollen count, so for those with allergies, it may be time to speak to a doctor or pharmacist about the best treatment options.  

  

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Photo source: Alex Jones for Unsplash