On vacation, beware of activities that seem green but actually disrupt the environment, including wildlife. Example in the reserve of the Gulf of Morbihan, with the explanations of Jerome Cabelguen, its curator.

INTERVIEW

By choosing to kayak or paddle during the holidays rather than taking a motor boat, many tourists think they make a rather green choice. Yet even those activities that do not pollute can disrupt the environment. This is what explains Jérôme Cabelguen, conservator of the Gulf of Morbihan reserve, in the morning of Europe 1 Monday.

"It sends users to preserved areas"

"Activities such as kayaking and paddling allow you to go into areas that are often inaccessible for classic sailing or motorboats, and it sends users to areas that are not well preserved," he explains. In the Gulf of Morbihan, some islets are prohibited to land. However, these activities "really green" allow "to go in places with little water, to land on islands usually quiet, and all this has an impact on the environment, especially biodiversity," warns Jerome Cabelguen.

Kayakers and paddlers may disturb wildlife, "especially birds during their breeding cycle or overwintering". In the Morbihan, the breeding season is spread from May to July and therefore "is superimposed with the peak of attendance of visitors," says the conservative reserve.

Falling bird numbers

The over-frequenting of tourists or the non-respect of certain rules have very concrete consequences. "This can go as far as the failure of reproduction: the [birds] adults will eventually leave breeding sites in the Gulf of Morbihan," said Jerome Cabelguen. An effect is already observed over the winter period. "The numbers of birds wintering on the Gulf of Morbihan are largely declining: we have lost more than half of wintering birds in the Gulf since the 1990s."

To avoid these adverse effects of tourism, the curator advises to learn about the prohibited areas from clubs and local users. But also, of course, to be civic. "We are also dealing with people who, in perfect knowledge of the rules, will want to circumvent them."