976 ZNIEFF type 2

The Natural Areas of Ecological, Wildlife and Floristic Interest (ZNIEFF) constitute a national inventory of natural heritage. Launched in 1982, the aim of the ZNIEFF inventory is to identify and describe sectors with high capacity. biologicals and a good state of conservation. There are two types of ZNIEFF: — type I ZNIEFF: areas of high biological or ecological interest; — type II ZNIEFF: large rich and unmodified natural ensembles, offering important biological potentialities. This inventory has now become one of the major elements of nature protection policy. It must be consulted in the context of spatial planning projects (planning document, creation of protected areas, elaboration of departmental career plans, etc.). In Mayotte, for both natures of ZNIEFF (continental and marine), DEAL de Mayotte is responsible for the project management of the ZNIEFF inventory and for its technical, administrative and financial coordination. DEAL coordinates and supervises the processing of collected data and the application of the national inventory method in order to lead to ZNIEFF proposals to be validated by the Mayotte Natural Heritage Scientific Council. DEAL is the preferred user of ZNIEFF data through the “knowledge” and dissemination at national and regional level. She added a Scientific Secretariat for each inventory (continental and marine) to ensure its practical realisation in Mayotte and it calls upon service providers (studies offices, scholarly societies, regional associations...) for the collection, synthesis and capture of information.