End-of-year advisory committee meeting

The Réserve Naturelle’s advisory committee met on December 17, 2014 at the prefecture in order to, as its name indicates, offer advice on the proper governance and projects of the Réserve. Matthieu Doligez, secretary general of the prefecture, commended the work accomplished and underlined the financial support of the French government, reaffirming that the Réserve can count of their assistance for creation of the Biodiversity Institute. This project benefits from a financial agreement as part of the development contract between the Collectivity and the French government, and is the subject of an ongoing feasibility study led by Polyprogramme. Doligez stated that the government has also expressed interest in supporting other projects envisioned by the Réserve, such as the development of aquiculture. The Reserve’s 2014 year-end report was presented to those at the meeting, who were invited to make comments. In response to Patricia Chance- Duzant, representative of «quartier n°2», who lamented the fact that the areas around the edges of the salt ponts were often polluted, Nicolas Maslach pointed out that the mission of the Réserve covered only those areas officially protected and that the shores of ponds were under the jurisdiction of the Collectivity. This point opened a discussion on the possibility of extending the missions of the Réserve beyond just those specific sites, with the support and in coordination with the services of the Collectivity. Assistant prosecutor Flavien Noailles approved of this idea, and noted that he is pleased that the rangers of the Réserve use education first and foremost, and fine people only when absolutely necessary.