TESTIMONIALS
At Frégate Est 2 in Le François, anger is mounting
The Frégate Est 2 neighborhood in Le François, located directly across from the islets, is one of the areas most severely affected by the problem, as it lies at the back of the bay, where the algae accumulate. Residents there, organized into a collective, have been fighting for several years to alert the authorities to the extent of the problem along their shores. Through petitions, letters, press releases, and impact studies, they have been drawing attention to the short- and long-term health consequences of H₂S gas emissions. Several people living amid the nearly constant foul odor of H2S have experienced asthma attacks, COPD, conjunctivitis, headaches, nausea, dizziness, and depression…Several small pets, such as cats and small dogs, have died under unexplained circumstances in recent months… Everyone has had to replace their household appliances and computer equipment, and everyone has had to constantly repaint and clean their homes and belongings… This is the area where Madinin’Air recorded the highest levels of gas emissions. This neighborhood is home to a very diverse population—retirees, families, fishermen—on the verge of a nervous breakdown—felt abandoned by the authorities until Thursday, May 24, when excavators and trucks were finally able to begin clearing away the piles of accumulated seaweed. In fact, following the prefect’s announcement of the emergency plan in early May, it was decided—with the residents’ consent—to clear a path along the seashore so that the heavy equipment could access the shoreline.
Thomas Gérard is a resident of this neighborhood who has been leading the fight against Sargassum from the very beginning:
«Since December, we’ve been dealing with a massive stranding of Sargassum seaweed in our seaside neighborhood. So we requested a meeting with the mayor, which we were granted after a month and a half. We asked him to do something about it. He replied that it was difficult… But we made some suggestions: Why not install drift nets to prevent the seaweed from washing ashore? Why not organize cleanup efforts…? We pointed out that for our neighborhood, the first step was to clean out the outlet of the backwater that flows into the bay, because when it rains, the water flowing down from it could dislodge the seaweed at the mouth, destabilize the entire large mass there, and wash it away. The mayor said okay, but everything was done against all common sense! They brought in an excavator with a closed bucket that scooped up more water than algae, instead of using a pitchfork. They worked for four days for nothing, whereas if they’d had the right equipment, the job could have been done in two days. It’s ridiculous, and it’s a waste of money. The mayor and his team came by, and I made suggestions for effectively clearing the backwater, but the mayor rejected them. Clearly, the health of the residents of Frégate Est 2 and all the equipment we’re losing are of no concern to the town hall of Le François. We’re spending thousands of euros to replace our equipment, and we’re all in the same boat, while the authorities remain completely indifferent. What shocks us is that there’s a political and media spin surrounding this issue, with lofty rhetoric that isn’t followed by action or yields no results! The resources deployed so far are either completely inadequate for the scale of the problem or are being misused. For example, when they decided to install sensors to measure H₂S levels, they placed one of them high up in the air, behind a wall—even though H₂S is heavier than air! So the readings were fine, but when we asked for that sensor to be placed in the correct location near the corner of the backwater, the level jumped to over 3 ppm! What’s also baffling is that we’ve invested huge sums in studies that have been useless to this day, even though we now know exactly what needs to be done. It’s so obvious that it’s making everyone angry, and people are signing our petition. We’ve had this algae problem for seven years now, so if after all this time we’re not even capable of installing the proper equipment, it’s a disaster. We’re told there’s no money, but money is being wasted. Since 2011, an article has stated that the local government spent €160,000 on Frégate Est 2… We’ve written to the mayor asking for an explanation: where did that money go, since we haven’t seen any construction work here? There are about a hundred of us who’ve signed the petition. Our petition will be sent to the mayor and the sub-prefect, and we are not alone—many petitions are circulating in the affected neighborhoods, reflecting widespread frustration. We are also sending a letter to the Minister of the Environment. There is a kind of denial of the public health problem and a denial of the scale of the issue. Decisions are being made against common sense, even though we know full well that we need to stop the algae before it reaches us—which means we need to purchase equipment to stop it at sea. Since 2011, public funds have been allocated, but no equipment has been purchased. There is widespread incompetence. If this continues, we will be forced to file a complaint. We will find ourselves facing a horrific situation similar to the contaminated blood or chlordecone scandals. There are funds that are not being used to implement the necessary measures. We all know that if we installed barrier nets after an initial cleanup of the shoreline, and if we used equipment such as TRUXOR to collect the algae offshore, that would be a start toward a solution. Some private individuals have even tried to set up their own devices to stop the algae—they were called to order because they hadn’t requested permits; it’s ridiculous… And I can feel the anger rising. When you’re faced with inaction on the part of public authorities even though there’s money available and the situation is urgent, it’s disheartening. Also, we’d like to know the consequences of long-term exposure. My wife and I have been feeling very tired, which we didn’t experience before the algae arrived.»
A neighbor speaks up and says that several animals have died in the neighborhood; she’s afraid she’ll die at night because she feels like she’s suffocating. «I can’t sleep there anymore,» she says.
Mrs. Gérard talks about terrible itching on her skin. Mr. Gérard says that one of his neighbors has to rent an apartment elsewhere because his wife has serious lung problems. Another neighbor who invested in bungalows for short-term rentals can’t work… Neither can the kayak rental operator. « That means it’s a disaster when it comes to tourism, work, and daily life! It’s not just an inconvenience! The authorities are in complete denial.»
In addition, Ms. Gérard made an observation that is very interesting for the future:
«I’ve noticed that the seaweed that accumulates on the shore—after several years, once it’s been washed away by the rain—makes for a very dark, very rich compost. I used it on my lemon trees, and it produced big, beautiful lemons.»
Ms. Planque lives in the upper part of the neighborhood and is a member of the collective:
«I’ve been fighting for a long time to get the government to take action… it seems like things are finally moving forward, so let’s stay positive. It’s nature, and we can’t go against it, but there are steps we can take because this is a public health issue. We’re retired, and my husband has severe COPD; breathing is very difficult for him. The insides of our homes are completely black from the gas fumes, and we have to replace all our belongings…»
Mr. Demazi lives along the edge of the backwater that flows into the bay; he can't stay at home because the smell of gas is unbearable.
Marie-Henri has lived there since 1963
«We are concerned about our health, and that is why we are pressing the government to take action.". Living in this toxic air all the time, I feel like a guinea pig… No one knows what the real consequences will be a few years from now. Health is the top priority, and there’s also the financial loss, since we have to constantly replace equipment. But as long as this isn’t declared a natural disaster, we can’t get reimbursed for all that equipment….And how are they going to ensure the cleanup efforts continue long-term? We hear there are solutions, so what are we waiting for? Let’s use what already exists instead of looking for something else, and let’s take effective action—that’s all we’re asking for, and we’ve been asking for years now! In 2011, it was awful, and so far nothing has been done; we can only watch as our neighborhood—which used to be so pleasant—deteriorates. We can no longer live with these foul odors.»
Was the evacuation of Frégate Est 2 considered after the Regional Health Agency visited the site and in light of the distress experienced by local residents? Here is what one of the residents wrote to her neighbors.
Minutes of the meeting with the ARS (Regional Health Agency) at Fregate Est 2:
«The ARS doctor and his team listened to us.".
They took our various grievances into account and said that our complaints are legitimate.
ENT symptoms, pulmonary symptoms (asthma), and neurological symptoms (depression).
However, the doctor says we're far from any known dangerous levels, but they don't have any experience with long-term exposure!
They will continue their medical evaluation to see if there are any changes.
Other affected individuals should contact the island’s sentinel physicians (listed on the ARS website).
»They assured us that they would report the serious concerns regarding us to the Prefect. But their role ends there. They can’t guarantee us ANYTHING regarding the concrete actions that need to be taken."
To be continued…
Blue tourism and fishing affected by the phenomenon
The François lagoon, with its beautiful white seabed, crystal-clear waters, and islets, is left completely disfigured after every stranding…The same problem affects Le Robert and its islets, with a bay completely overrun by algae, as well as Vauclin, the main water sports center on the Atlantic coast.
On social media, tourism providers—most of whom make their living from the sea in this area—are forced to constantly remind people that their businesses are still operating, because tourists are panicking at the sight of images of decomposing seaweed. Fortunately, so far, the islets have remained largely unaffected, but this year, for the first time, we’ve seen patches of Sargassum floating in the Baignoire de Joséphine! Beachfront hotels and restaurants are finding their own solutions, such as Cap Est Lagoon Resort in Le François, which rakes its beach every day.
From time to time, recreational and fishing boats are unable to leave bays that are completely filled with algae—sometimes in very thick layers—which prevents the boats from moving forward. Vacation rentals located too close to the sea can no longer operate due to the constant foul odors emitted by H₂S.
At Pointe Faula in Le Vauclin, a major water sports destination on the Atlantic coast, shop owners and restaurant owners are seeing a noticeable drop in foot traffic.
Rose Bleue has had her food truck set up on Pointe Faula Beach for a long time:
«I don’t know if it’s because of the Sargassum, but there have been far fewer customers since February compared to other years. Normally, foot traffic starts to drop in May. But right now, there’s been almost no one here for quite a while. There’s been a lot of Sargassum this year, and every time the city removes it, just as much comes back. They remove it with their machine that goes into the water and rakes it up, but it doesn’t do any good. This year, the smell was really strong, and it’s the first time it’s lasted this long. If this keeps up, we’ll have to stop it from reaching the ocean before it washes up on the beach.»
For water sports practiced along the coast, this is becoming a real problem, especially for kitesurfing. Cora, a kitesurfing instructor based at Cap Est Lagoon Resort, even mentions a danger to kitesurfers caused by lines getting tangled in seaweed beds.
Further south, the Trace des Caps—a hiking trail very popular with hikers along the wild beaches of the Atlantic coast—has become impassable. From Macabou Beach all the way to the beaches of the South Atlantic, an apocalyptic scene unfolds before our eyes, with coves blackened by decaying Sargassum and terrible fumes.
Marc Marie-Magdelaine is one of the founders of Fleur d’Ô, an eco-friendly and educational tour company that offers trips on transparent canoes; fortunately, its route across the Pointe Chaudière lagoon in Le Vauclin manages to avoid the seaweed. Marc also lives in Pointe Chaudière; he is an environmentalist and shares his insights and perspective with us.
«We’re very fortunate in our line of work compared to other marine professionals in the same area, because our bay (Sans-Souci) is very large. It forms a lagoon enclosed by the coral reef, and we can see the sargassum drifting down to the bottom of the bay.”. They don’t interfere with our business, which takes place outside the bay, but we’re still affected by the drop in visitor numbers. It has such a reputation for being harmful that people are put off—they ask us before booking whether there’s any Sargassum. We try to reassure them, but the sight of the Sargassum is so off-putting to visitors that they are staying away from the Atlantic coast. The most significant impact—as I see it, beyond the well-known disruptions to property and health—is on the environment. Because for us humans, this is simply a case of reaping what we’ve sown, since we are undoubtedly responsible for its development. But it’s disastrous for the ecosystem. Here, we have a bay that has been completely filled with Sargassum, nearly a meter thick. The entire ecosystem beneath this mass is dying; the seagrass beds are dying. As the Sargassum decomposes, it creates a sludge; the decomposition of organic matter generates heat, the pH is completely altered, and the environment becomes oxygen-depleted. The water beneath the layer of Sargassum becomes uninhabitable; not only does the Sargassum die, but all other organisms die as well—sea urchins, fish, juveniles, turtles—we’ve even found the skeleton of a marlin. All animal and plant life is destroyed. And when fish are trapped by the sargassum mat, they cannot find a way out. They rush into the slightest opening to jump and try to escape, but they end up above the mat and die.
We know full well that we won’t be able to avoid further shipwrecks, and we can imagine what that might mean in the long term for the ecosystem, which is currently managing to regenerate itself. This is very concerning for the future.
Another cause for concern is the situation of people living along the coast, who will gradually find themselves unable to live in their homes; in fact, we are already seeing some people speculating to buy these homes at low prices.
We need to try to analyze what our Caribbean neighbors are doing; it seems like they’re making faster progress than we are on this issue. In Martinique, there’s a sense of stagnation.
The origin of Sargassum is one of the topics we cover aboard the Fleur d’Ô (educational tours focused on the natural environment). We strive to stay up to date on the latest information and findings by consulting with specialists who visit us, and we then share this knowledge with the public in an accessible way. »People need to be aware of their natural heritage in order to protect it."
As we can clearly see here, the coastal population in general is greatly affected by this phenomenon, both professionally and personally. But beyond the ecological and humanitarian disaster that this scourge represents, important questions arise. There is the issue of public health: people are wondering what consequences their chronic exposure to the gas will have on their health. And anxiety is setting in. Then there is the issue of crisis management. People do not understand why, since the island has been affected by this phenomenon (since 2011), crisis management has not been more effective, even though they see solutions being implemented in small Caribbean countries that are poorer than Martinique. A resident of Le Vauclin said, «What’s concerning in Martinique isn’t so much the Sargassum itself, but how the authorities are handling and managing the problem. It’s as if the people of Martinique were second-class citizens.».
The Minister of the Environment, who has announced his upcoming visit, will certainly have to address this question: Why did it take this year’s severe crisis to put an anti-Sargassum program in place?
Nathalie Laulé
