marine erosion threatens the French coast

At the edge of his land, in Montmartin-sur-Mer (Manche), David Lecordier can only observe the inevitable advance of water. This sheep farmer has already lost three hectares of land. However, when he took over the family farm in 1993, a dune 500 meters long protected his farm. A vast meadow covered part of this dune.

But the storm of 1999 shattered that protection, and the water advanced, inexorably. David Lecordier imagined making his life here, but he is forced to leave. “I was born in the town next door (…), we still have a remarkable site, so it’s true that we don’t necessarily want to leave, but hey, we don’t want to lose everything either “, he resigns himself. For the first time in Normandy, a professional activity is forced to move. The breeder is now awaiting the takeover offer from the Conservatoire du littoral. The rising waters also have an impact on our heritage, as in Graye-sur-Mer (Calvados), where a WWII blockhouse is now located at the water’s edge. In France, 22% of the coastline is receding due to marine erosion.