1. You lead Jurion Protection and are also deeply involved with AOA. How do you balance this dual commitment between private security and environmental protection in French Polynesia?
It is quite a story. My background is actually in agricultural engineering, and my first profession in Polynesia was landscape development. My first company here worked in environmental and land management.
Over the course of my professional life, I diversified into several businesses, including STTT and Jurion Protection, which I took over about 13 or 14 years ago.
Then, around two to three years ago, I was approached to work on a forest regeneration project that initially focused more on forestry operations. While reflecting on that project, I realized that French Polynesia faces a major biodiversity crisis.
At that moment, I felt we had to do something meaningful, and that is how AOA was created.
Jurion, Space Paysage, and my other companies are traditional businesses with clear commercial objectives. AOA is different. It is almost an “unidentified object”, part company, part NGO, part association, and part public service initiative.
In simple terms, my revenues come from my traditional companies, while much of my spending goes into AOA.
2. So AOA is more of a passion project?
More than a passion, it has become a mission.
The project has grown enormously. It now connects environmental protection with social inclusion, education, and scientific research.
We have created new professional pathways for forest protection agents, and we are currently working toward official certification through SEFI. It is one of the first 100% Polynesian training programs of its kind to be officially recognized by the territory.
We also work closely with local families living near the protected areas.
On the scientific side, we now have doctoral research integrated into the project and partnerships with universities, the Muséum d’Histoire Naturelle, the Bishop Museum, and universities in Hawaii.
From the beginning, credibility through science was essential.
At the same time, we have developed a major educational dimension. At the entrance of the valley we are trying to preserve, we created what we call a pedagogical forest, open to the public.
It serves both as a source of funding through guided tours and as an educational tool for schools, tourists, and residents to understand biodiversity and why it must be preserved.
3. Could you describe Jurion Protection’s main activities?
Our core business is security guarding.
Today we employ nearly 400 agents operating both in Tahiti and across the islands, including Moorea, Raiatea, and Bora Bora.
We provide security for campsites, supermarkets, hotels, public spaces, small stores, and maritime stations.
We are also active in event security.
In addition, we operate a 24-hour tele-alarm and telesurveillance center from our headquarters. This service is widely used by individuals for home alarm systems, but also by businesses such as supermarkets and cold-storage facilities.
We also provide video surveillance services.
4. What are the specific security challenges in an island environment such as Tahiti and the surrounding islands?
We are fortunate to live in a relatively safe country.
There is no major organized crime here. Our work is more focused on incivility issues, minor theft, aggressive behavior, and helping maintain public order in daily life.
Our agents are not armed.
Compared to the United States or mainland Europe, security work here is much less about confrontation and more about human relations, prevention, and presence.
French Polynesia remains an exceptionally peaceful place to live and visit.
5. How is demand for private security evolving with the growth of tourism and investment?
Over the past ten years, demand has gradually increased.
This is less about rising insecurity and more about increased incivility and the need for visible reassurance.
Stores, hotels, and supermarkets are asking for stronger security presence.
For example, a supermarket that previously employed four guards may now request five.
The market is growing steadily, though not explosively.
Our main challenge today is recruitment.
Being a security agent requires human qualities, training, and official authorization from the High Commission, which conducts background checks.
At Jurion, I could hire 25 to 30 additional agents tomorrow if I could find the right people.
6. Through AOA, what are your main missions in preserving biodiversity?
Our work is mainly terrestrial rather than marine.
We have been entrusted with the management of the Moaroa Valley, a 1,000-hectare protected area located behind the Gulf.
The valley is unique because it contains several ecosystems, ranging up to 1,000 meters in altitude.
The first step was to assess the environmental crisis.
Today, roughly 90% of natural space is occupied by invasive species, leaving only 10% for endemic plants.
That is close to ecological collapse.
We created a nursery and the first in-vitro multiplication laboratory in the South Pacific dedicated to preserving endangered plant species.
Some species no longer reproduce naturally, so in-vitro preservation is now essential.
This is a long-term project, 30 to 50 years.
Our objective is to reverse the balance so that endemic species once again dominate the ecosystem.
7. Can you give concrete examples of actions being taken?
We have two field teams.
One works in the nursery and laboratory, reproducing and preserving native species.
The other works permanently in the forest, removing invasive species, restoring vegetation, and replanting endemic flora.
One of the most significant early successes has been the return of bird populations after we cleared invasive lianas from the tree canopy.
By reopening the canopy, birds have returned in measurable numbers.
We also developed a 30-hectare educational forest with walking trails, thematic gardens, multilingual signage in French, English, and Tahitian, and guided educational programs for schools and tourists.
We even created biodiversity treasure hunts and educational games for children.
8. What role should local businesses play in preserving the natural heritage of French Polynesia?
Businesses must understand that their future depends on the survival of biodiversity.
If biodiversity collapses, life collapses.
And without life, there is no economy.
Companies that still believe the environment is not their concern have not understood the future.
We are now working with property developers and financial institutions on biodiversity compensation programs, where ecological impact from construction is offset by funding forest preservation.
Our ambition is to make this model replicable throughout Polynesia and beyond.
9. Do you see opportunities for international partnerships, particularly with American organizations?
For Jurion, international partnerships can support tourism, events, and investment-related security needs.
For AOA, however, what we truly need are philanthropic investors, foundations, and partners who understand that this is not a profit-driven venture.
The return is ecological and social impact.
We create local employment, provide certified training, and preserve biodiversity for future generations.
That is where American partnerships, especially those with a sustainability vision, could be transformative.
10. What is your long-term vision, and what message would you like to send to readers of the Los Angeles Times?
My vision is always centered on people.
Whether in security or environmental preservation, human dignity and well-being must remain at the center.
As for your readers: come to Polynesia.
It is a beautiful country with extraordinary people, kindness, and a remarkable culture.
I have lived here for 35 years, and I feel deeply connected to this land.
Come and discover it.
And if during your visit you wish to support AOA and our work in protecting Polynesia’s natural heritage, we would welcome you with great pleasure.
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