A successful eco initiative
Published on 15/09/2023
Over the past year, an innovative initiative aimed at mitigating the environmental impacts of port developments has achieved great success at Marina Fort Louis. This project, launched by the Saint-Martin National Nature Reserve, received financial support from the France Relance plan of the European Union, with the goal of revitalizing marine biodiversity.
Link to Réserve Naturelle Nationale de Saint-Martin which initiated this project.
The concept was simple yet effective: install ecological habitats called Biohuts© under the marina pontoons and port docks to provide new shelters for fish and other marine organisms.
Once funding was secured, the Nature Reserve collaborated with local port facilities to implement the project. They successfully installed a total of 40 Biohuts© in different locations in July 2022, including 16 at Marina Fort-Louis and 8 at the Galisbay Port.
The results were incredible : the number of species in the marina tripled, and the fish population increased twelvefold in just 1 year.
To learn more about this exceptional initiative and how you can contribute to the preservation of marine biodiversity, we invite you to carefully read the information panel we have installed on-site at the entrance of the marina. You will discover how Marina Fort Louis is committed to environmental preservation.
This remarkable initiative at Marina Fort Louis represents a significant step forward in achieving our goals for 2023, aiming to make our marina more efficient, attractive, smarter, and sustainable. Marina Fort Louis has applied for a grant to extend the project for an additional two years. The next phase will include on-site activities to learn more about the local biodiversity and how to contribute to its preservation. These activities will allow you to explore the wonders of our marine ecosystem and play an active role in its conservation.
To find out more about this exciting initiative, visit :
- Article "Relancer la biodiversité marine dans les ports",
e-mag "Outre-Mer Grandeur Nature" n°18, septembre-octobre 2023.
Photo credits: Association de Gestion de la Réserve Naturelle de Saint-Martin (AGRNSM)