I wouldn’t tell you anything if I told you that the situation of the rivers is not looking good. It hasn’t rained for several weeks, the winds from the East and North East dominate and continue to blow violently, even at night. The combination of all this inevitably leads us to very, very low levels and inevitably to fish in difficulty.
We have read in the various press in recent days all the restrictions put in place by the prefectural authority to try to slow down this worrying phenomenon.
For several weeks now, given this alarming situation, prefectural decrees have restricted the use of water. These decrees have already arrived much too late, our rivers were already threatened and to make matters worse, some agricultural unions have called for disobedience and have continued to irrigate at the rate of thousands of m3 despite the bans. I remind you that by far the agricultural profession is the largest consumer of water in Charente-Maritime. When you combine these levies with the over-frequentation of tourists in the department this season, this worrying situation is not a surprise. This alarming context should have lifted the crowds for decades but unfortunately from the first rains everyone will have forgotten.
Can we speak of a catastrophic situation?
No more than in previous years, it is only earlier, it arrives a month and a half in advance. These inconsistencies have been denounced for more than 30 years!
Not great for anglers? Is it even downright discouraging?
That’s mostly what I don’t want to hear! As I told you a long time ago, approximately since 1990, we have been suffering from these excesses and the world of fishing has organized itself to continue to satisfy its members as much as possible. Investments have been made on water bodies, these water bodies are in water all year round and allow fishing without interruption. All the major axes, the Charente river, the Sèvre Niortaise, the downstream part of the Mignon canal, the Dronne, the downstream Boutonne but also most of the canals are in water 12 months out of 12 and fishing is always possible there in good conditions. terms. The rivers are the most affected.
We can’t hide all the fish mortalities? Consequences of these drying up!
This is the first thing to denounce. Species are disappearing forever. Trout, for example, which in view of this drying out no longer reaches sexual maturity, pike which no longer has spawning grounds submerged long enough to ensure its sustainability. These two fish are, however, protected reference species.
You imply that these fish deserve a little more attention?
I do not imply it, I say it clearly! The Environment code is not respected. If we refer to the article which provides for the management of water and in particular the availability of water, priority must be given to drinking water, in the background the aquatic environments and lastly the uses. Today and for a long time priority number 3 has come to take the place of the second.
I take it you’re struggling to regain that common sense?
For a long time and today we understand better why the Ministers of the Environment are those who break resignation records. Difficult to bear when you have a slightly green fibre. I didn’t say green, I said green!