Long Bay: Protection Decree Not Respected

Action SP2

• Pursue and Strengthen Environmental

In early June, an eco-volunteer for sea turtles reported repeated traffic of heavy construction machinery on the beach in Long Bay, the most important site on the French side where the sea turtles lay eggs; a site that has been protected since 2019 by a biotope protection decree.

On the beach, Julien Chalifour and Clément Bonnardel observed this ongoing use of machinery between the public parking lot and a building site to reinforce the cliffs by La Samanna hotel. After verification, it turns out that the project had administrative authorization, but did not have an exemption in terms of protected species that would have permitted the use of such machinery at an egg-laying site, especially at the high-point of the season. Julien Chalifour and Clément Bonnardel also noted that the vehicles were not driving on the wet part of the beach, where nests are never found, nor did they use the same tracks each time. Instead, they were driving on the dry part of the sand, which is better for the nests, and even on one of the rare zones which still has vegetation, an important element for the egg-laying of the hawkbill turtles. Started in June, the work was completed in the month of August, but was subject to a written report, co-edited with the support of the staff at the OFB before being sent to the prosecutor. This case recalls that of Karacoli, on the Grande-Anse egg-laying site in Deshaies in Guadeloupe, which resulted in a conviction in April 2023. Long Bay: Protection Decree Not Respected