- Significant strandings of green algae were observed in the Morbihan this spring. The heat would have contributed to the proliferation of ulvae.
- On Saturday, a man was rescued at Larmor Plage, near Lorient, while he was entangled in green algae.
- The control plan supposed to stop in 2021 has been extended from two to three years to allow communities to fight against the phenomenon attributed to agricultural waste.
"The green hell of the Bretons" resurfaces. While the authorities had announced strandings falling sharply on the north coast of Brittany, the green algae apparently decided to attack from the south. In recent weeks, the ulvae have gradually colonized several sites in Morbihan. The harbor of Lorient, the estuary of Etel or the Gulf of Morbihan have seen algae settle on their shore.
On Saturday, a man even had to be rescued by firefighters when he fell from his tender at Larmor Plage, opposite Lorient. Entangled in the algae, the man spent thirty minutes fighting in a thick greenish layer, before being fished out by the firefighters, safe and sound.
"It is all of Brittany that must be treated"
When I saw the images, I was afraid that the man would die. I was sick of it, concedes Thierry Burlot, vice-president of the area in charge of the file. “He was lucky that the algae did not release hydrogen sulfide. Otherwise, he would probably no longer be there. ” Jean-Yves Piriou knows what he is talking about. Vice-president of the Brittany Water and Rivers Association, he has been following the thorny environmental issue that pollutes his native region for years. Man has seen wild boars perish, a horse die and men lose their lives in contact with algae, whose decay generates hydrogen. For the past ten years, however, two control plans have been signed by the State and local authorities to stem the scourge. “The problem with this plan is that it only affects eight bays. It is largely insufficient. It is all of Brittany that must be treated, ”says the environmental activist.
The example of 2020 seems to prove him right since all the monitored sites are located in Finistère and Côtes d'Armor. But at the end of spring, it is Morbihan that is dying. The winter rains and the spring heat, associated with an always too high dose of nitrates, contributed to the arrival of the too famous algae. Nestled on mud flats, they are impossible to collect, the machines can only intervene on the sand. "It smells like rotten eggs, it's a foul smell", describes Nadège (the first name has been changed) who lives not far from the cove of Zanflamme where the man was rescued. "This year, it's everywhere," she continues. Everyone is fed up, people often stop to take a picture of the bay. It's sad ".
Two years for the control plan
To fight against the phenomenon, a government plan called Plav2 (plan to fight against green algae number 2) had been signed in 2017 and should come to an end in 2021. In a letter, the regional prefect announced to the steering committee that the famous plan would be extended by "two to three years". At the start of the year, the regional prefect Michèle Kirry had justified this new delay. “We must allow time for changes in practices. You cannot act brutally. This model of intensive agriculture, it has brought Brittany out of poverty, it remains one of the jewels of the region. I don't believe in revolutions that leave a lot of people on the carpet. I believe in an evolution. Yes, the model must evolve, ”said the representative of the State.
"I think green algae is a chance for Brittany"
The pilot of the plan had even used a strange phrase to clarify her point of view. "I think that green algae is an opportunity for Brittany". Before explaining. “It is the visible marker of the use of phytosanitary products. This puts before our eyes the need to change our practices. Elsewhere, there are bodies of water affected but where it is not visible ”. A "chance" you say? The turn makes the representative of Water and Rivers jump. "I especially think that it is a calamity for Brittany. It is very visible and very harmful, ”says Jean-Yves Piriou.
Mobilized on this file for years, Thierry Burlot recalls the efforts made. “In the bay of Saint-Brieuc or in Saint-Michel-en-Grève, we were over 40 mg of nitrates per liter. We are below 20 today but the last ones are not the easiest to go for. ” Scientists believe that it will take below 10 mg to stem the phenomenon.
To try to put an end to strandings, his association wishes to encourage "new agricultural and breeding practices" oriented towards agroecology and organic farming which limit the spreading and use of phytosanitary products. "Natural" solutions would also reduce nitrates in waterways. Restore wetlands, real nitrate "traps" and the maintenance of grassed land, more conducive to retaining water than land left bare. “We don't want a plan number 3. If in 2024, the problem is not resolved, we will have to move to a regulatory system like for water abstraction. The agricultural profession doesn't like it, but it works, ”says Jean-Yves Piriou.
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Lorient: Firefighters rescue a man trapped in green algae
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