Préfet Maritime
Encyclopedia
The Préfet Maritime is a servant of the French State
who exercises authority over the sea in one particular region (a Préfecture maritime). As a civil servant, he reports to the Prime Minister. But the Maritime Prefect is simultaneously charged of military operations, and for this reason also reports to the chief of the general staff (CEMA
, or Chef d'état-major des armées).
The dignity was created in 1800 to unify the command of harbours (civil administrator) and the command of the Navy (Admiral).
The préfet maritime is in charge of the French sovereignty at sea, monitoring operation, safety of the users, police and rescue operations, etc. He also commands all armed vessel linked to his place.
The present Préfectures maritimes are:
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
who exercises authority over the sea in one particular region (a Préfecture maritime). As a civil servant, he reports to the Prime Minister. But the Maritime Prefect is simultaneously charged of military operations, and for this reason also reports to the chief of the general staff (CEMA
Chief of the Defence Staff (France)
The Chief of the Defence Staff is the chief of staff of the Military of France. The position is currently held by Admiral Édouard Guillaud.- Functions :The Chief of the Defence Staff has two roles:...
, or Chef d'état-major des armées).
The dignity was created in 1800 to unify the command of harbours (civil administrator) and the command of the Navy (Admiral).
The préfet maritime is in charge of the French sovereignty at sea, monitoring operation, safety of the users, police and rescue operations, etc. He also commands all armed vessel linked to his place.
The present Préfectures maritimes are:
- Mediterranean Sea (ToulonToulonToulon is a town in southern France and a large military harbor on the Mediterranean coast, with a major French naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region, Toulon is the capital of the Var department in the former province of Provence....
): Admiral Yann TainguyYann TainguyYann Tainguy is a French admiral, currently commanding officer for the Mediterranean maritime defence zone and Maritime Prefect for the Mediterranean.- Sources and references :* , Préfecture maritime de la Méditerranée... - English ChannelEnglish ChannelThe English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
and North SeaNorth SeaIn the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
(Cherbourg) - Atlantic (Château de BrestChâteau de BrestThe Château de Brest is a castle in Brest, Finistère, France. The oldest monument in the town, it is located at the mouth of the river Penfeld at the heart of the roadstead of Brest, one of the largest roadsteads in the world...
, BrestBrest, FranceBrest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
)