2023-07-21 21:23:00
The area of the Sept-Iles national nature reserve, in the Côtes-d’Armor, has been considerably extended by decree of the Prime Minister, from 280 to 19,700 hectares in particular to “protect the natural marine heritage”.
The decree, dated July 19 and published in the Official Journal on Friday, provides for an essentially offshore extension of the reserve, located off Perros-Guirec.
Since 1976, its area has extended to 280 hectares, including all the islands and islets of the Sept-Iles archipelago.
This extension, which brings its total area to approximately 19,700 hectares, “is justified to protect the marine natural heritage, in particular the kelp forests and the gorgonian fields, the rocky highlands and the species that depend on them”.
It also aims to “strengthen the preservation of the particularly rich and diversified nesting marine avifauna in this sector as well as that of the colony of gray seals”, adds the text.
With more than 20,000 pairs of seabirds and 27 nesting species, the Sept-Iles Reserve is “the most important reserve on the French coast”, according to the Natural Reserves of France website.
Rouzic Island is “the only nesting point in France for the gannet (20,000 pairs in 2012) as well as for almost all Atlantic puffins (175 pairs in 2012), English shearwaters and penguins torda”, according to the site of the Natural Reserves of France.
The redefinition of the perimeter of Sept-Iles had been in the works for several years and in October 2018, a consultation body had been set up.
“Everyone is aware of the importance and the richness of the reserve. It’s a good thing”, reacted to AFP the mayor of Perros-Guirec Erven Léon who recalls that “this decree is the result of a long process which aimed at the extension of the reserve”.
“What was important was the maintenance of human activities”, according to the city councilor. “In the quiet zone, this makes it possible to maintain activities, fishing, boating and the associative fabric”, estimates Mr. Léon.
Asked about the bird population of Rouzic Island, hit by avian flu in 2022, the current counts show a lesser impact than expected, according to the mayor without details concerning the figures.
In 1912, the Sept-Iles had become the first French protected area under private law with the status of ornithological reserve, thanks to the League for the Protection of Birds (LPO).
21/07/2023 21:22:11 – Rennes (AFP) – © 2023 AFP
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