The Minister of Ecological and Solidarity Transition and the Minister for Overseas Territories spent 24 hours in Martinique, following a visit to Guadeloupe, to assess the extent of the damage caused by the Sargassum bloom and announce the government’s measures to combat this scourge. More than 10 million euros will be allocated initially to stem the spread of the brown algae, and France is already engaging in international cooperation with countries in the wider region to determine the causes of this algal bloom. We met with Nicolas Hulot during his visit to Holdex Environnement, a Martinique-based composting company that has developed a patented process for recycling sargassum. (see our article). 
Mike Bernus, the organization’s director, in his speech to ministers, government agencies, and Martinique’s political leaders, emphasized «the value of such a system—the only one of its kind in the Caribbean—which can address a major public health issue facing Martinique.»
Nicolas Hulot: «We’re here in the spirit of solidarity, so we won’t leave anyone behind.»
Martinique 2030: Mr. Minister, the public is having a hard time understanding why the government’s actions aren’t more effective on the ground, even though we now have some perspective on the phenomenon that began in 2011. There have been studies, reports, and pilot programs. How can this lack of foresight be explained? Is this an admission of powerlessness? And if so, why wasn’t coordinated action anticipated with all the countries in the wider region that are also affected?
Nicolas Hulot: Everyone can understand that the scale of this phenomenon has taken everyone by surprise. Human intelligence is great, but there are some things that leave us a little overwhelmed. We don’t really understand the origin of the phenomenon. Will understanding it lead us to solve the problem? I doubt it. I fear we’ll have to endure this phenomenon for a long time. In 2015, we had begun to organize. Apparently, since the strandings did not recur in 2016 and 2017, the resolve and mobilization waned, and everyone hoped that would be the end of it. When I say “everyone,” I mean at all levels of responsibility. I’m not here to pass judgment on what wasn’t done. The phenomenon occurring this year—given its scale and unpredictability—shows us that we must now prepare to address it as if it were going to happen again, while hoping we’re wrong. So, we’re going to shift to a completely different scale; we’re going to organize ourselves with an operational plan, just as there are plans to prevent pollution or climate and weather-related disasters. The government will assume its share of responsibility, but not at the expense of local authorities, some of which have already stepped up. The government, however, has not stood idly by, as we immediately put a number of resources in place; the requisitions that were made were made possible by the funding the government allocated. However, these were all emergency measures that were not sufficient for those who suffer the consequences of this phenomenon on a daily basis. Our current goal is to complete waste collection within 48 hours.
M2030: A pickup at sea?
NH: We’re not going to tackle the masses of Sargassum arriving at sea, but we can treat it near the coast using appropriate equipment. We can set up deflecting nets rather than trapping nets. There are proven systems that we’re going to rely on. That’s why we’re presenting an investment plan that will allow local governments to invest in equipment that has been evaluated.
M2030: Is it clearly established that we must absolutely prevent them from reaching the coast?
NH: We can’t prevent the Sargassum from arriving, but what we can do is divert it either out to sea or to areas where we can collect the seaweed within 48 hours. That is the action plan we are going to implement. We will also work on forecasting so that we can deploy operational resources as soon as possible. And we will try to understand the phenomenon in its entirety by bringing together all the affected Caribbean countries. We will send a senator on a mission, and all our embassies have already been alerted to prepare for this. We are managing both the short term and the long term.
M2030: Will Brazil be invited, as a major producer of intensive agriculture and livestock farming and a major source of water pollution? Since one of the theories about the causes is that fertilizers, pesticides, and nitrogen from Brazil are being discharged into its rivers, which flow into the sea, thereby feeding the sargassum.
NH: First, let’s try to understand this phenomenon. We’re told that several factors are at play: climate change, sediment runoff from the equatorial forests of Africa and the Amazon… Let’s try to understand it, and to do so, we need to bring together all the countries involved.
M2030: Here in Le François, we’re really feeling the impact. Try opening your window the next time you pass through Dostaly to get a sense of what people are going through all the time. Many people who make their living from the sea are suffering from this problem, especially fishermen, who have had to switch to transporting tourists to the islets because they can no longer fish in this area, which has been restricted due to chlordecone. Are there any plans to help them?
I understand… Plans are in place to contain the situation, and for those who have suffered losses, a number of measures are being explored in collaboration with the prefecture. We will adapt our systems and measures to address a situation that doesn’t fit into any existing category because it’s unprecedented. We’re here in a spirit of solidarity, so we won’t leave anyone behind.
Interview by Nathalie Laulé
