While an order from the Mediterranean maritime prefecture aims to create exclusion zones, a perimeter of 250 meters around osprey nests, from July 1 to August 31, the environmental defense association u Levante denounces a late order. According to her, the osprey’s breeding period begins in March. “We already have 27 active nests in April, explains Michelle Salotti from Levante, so the decree had to be ready long before for the nests to be protected”.
– PIERRE-ANTOINE FOURNIL
The osprey is a pretext to prevent us from passing near the coast
Opposite, the boatmen already subject to a charter of good practices since 2019, denounce on the contrary a decree of too long duration. They highlight their knowledge of the environment. “The osprey is a pretext to prevent us from passing near the coast, assures François-René Castellani, member of the association of boatmen, because at the beginning, even in mid-July, we hardly see any more. Only a one-year-old chick stayed until the first week of August, and it fell into the water, we saved it.”
Arbiter in spite of itself of this conflict, the Office of the environment of Corsica defends the principle of precaution while being based on the results of a follow-up carried out by its scientific pole and supplied to the services of the State. “As of June 17, specifies Guy Armanet, its president, of the 27 nests studied since April, 8 still contained chicks, these are the ones that the prefectural decree will protect”.