The consequences of the closure of Nausicaa due to Covid-19 will be lasting.

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Nicolas Montard

  • Opened thirty years ago, on May 18, 1991, the sea center, Nausicaá, in Boulogne-sur-Mer, is still closed because of the health crisis linked to Covid-19.

  • Asked by

    20 Minutes

    , the new director, Christophe Sirugue, hopes to reopen for the Easter holidays.

  • The financial losses are very heavy for this establishment, of which 97% of the resources come from visitors.

Funny birthday!

Opened thirty years ago, on May 18, 1991, the sea center, Nausicaá, in Boulogne-sur-Mer, in Pas-de-Calais, remains closed due to the health crisis linked to Covid-19.

20 Minutes

discusses the finances and prospects of this emblematic place with the new CEO, who arrived on January 1, and former Secretary of State for Industry, Digital and Innovation in 2016 and 2017, Christophe Sirugue.

How do you cope with this closure?

There is obviously the negative side with the uncertainty about the reopening date and the financial consequences that this generates: 97% of our resources come from visitors.

We have already finished the 2020 financial year with a deficit of 5 million euros.

We can also see a little positive.

We took the opportunity to do more substantial work, such as redesigning films or spaces.

We have also speeded up staff training plans.

When do you expect to welcome visitors again?

I have fixed the Easter holidays as my horizon.

It is important for a team, on short-time working, to have prospects, even if we are not decision-makers.

Five million deficit will inevitably have an impact.

We talk a lot about recapitalization ...

A recapitalization was already initiated before the Covid-19 period because Nausicaá had increased from 10 to 22 million in turnover with the 2018 extension. In my opinion, it must be higher than expected.

We are going to try to turn government guaranteed loans into longer term loans.

We will be able to talk better with the banks if our share capital is stronger.

Should we expect a decline in ambition from Nausicaá in the coming years in this context?

What about the possible new extension dedicated to the polar universe?

Yes, we can expect to suffer the consequences of 2020-2021 over the next five to seven years.

Even if we reopen in April, we will not have schools this spring.

The impact on the future extension is a file carried by the Boulonnais agglomeration community.

I cannot speak for them.

My goal is to preserve jobs.

We are 215 employees against around 270 in high season with temporary workers and fixed-term contracts.

We will have to limit costs, control certain investments, without cutting corners on our quality and experience, because Nausicaá must always attract audiences.

This cost reduction can be achieved by delaying the acquisition of certain animals, even if nothing is being called into question for the moment.

You have already decided to increase the prices to 30 euros against 28.50 in high season, that is to say in July-August, isn't that too expensive?

If we compare with zoos or aquariums of our level, no.

And I don't think the 30 euros instead of the 28.50 changes anything for visitors who come in the summer.

On the other hand, we maintain more attractive prices for Boulonnais, as well as for families.

You succeed Philippe Vallette, who carried Nausicaá for 30 years.

What will be the “Sirugue leg”?

I inherited a very beautiful establishment which, outside of the Covid period, met the ambitions of its extension with 850,000 visitors in one year.

Nausicaá is not just an aquarium, it has a role vis-à-vis schools, the economic world, it is a sustainable and tourist tool for the territory.

It is also an establishment which cannot ignore the arrests on the question of the captivity of animals.

My role is to take this into account to better explain what we are doing.

Does this mean that the hammerhead shark crisis has been mismanaged?

As a reminder, thirty hammerhead sharks died, when they were to be the main attraction of the Grand Nausicaá.

We cannot ignore social debates, and I am open to all discussions.

We are passionate about preserving the environment, we participate fully as with the corals of the Maldives.

But yes, I think we will deal at length with this question on hammerhead sharks.

It's up to us to make sure that doesn't happen again.

You also mention tourism… Should Nausicaá be more in tune with the Boulonnais?

I still have a meeting with the tourist office on the subject these days.

Obviously, our attendance of 850,000 people must reflect more on other places of visit.

But the number of visitors who come to hike on the Opal Coast is also more and more numerous without necessarily coming to Nausicaá.

It is up to our establishment to attract them.

On May 18, Nausicaá will be thirty years old.

We imagine that the initial program envisaged will be upset ...

The exhibitions and themes are not called into question, but the festive side of the anniversary will be concentrated around May 18.

By respecting all the necessary gauges.

Speaking of gauge, are you one of those who think that there is less danger in going to a cultural place than a supermarket?

Objectively, we are no less capable of enforcing barrier gestures than a supermarket.

Planet

Birth of four baby zebra sharks at the Nausicaá aquarium

Lille

The Nausicaá center reopens its aquarium in a difficult context

  • Society

  • Aquarium

  • Boulogne-sur-mer

  • Fish

  • Coronavirus

  • Covid 19

  • Wed

  • Museum

  • Lille