Trash bins, chairs, stools, tables, barriers, posts, rental bikes,… An impressive amount of urban furniture resurfaced this Saturday, October 8 on the docks of the Vieux-Port of Marseille. Accompanied by a significant amount of cans and bottles, a few scooters, and the classic harbor bottoms: the tire. All these objects were pulled out of the water thanks to the action of volunteer divers, coordinated by Septentrion Environnement, a scientific and educational marine platform. Simultaneously and on the surface, public awareness initiatives were conducted by several associations.
There is no doubt that the excitement stirred last summer by the well-publicized visit of this same Vieux-Port by Sea Shepherd is not unrelated to this cleaning initiative launched by the Federation of Nautical Societies of Bouches du Rhône, the FSN 13. The operation revealed that the objects found in the port are not the fault of boaters (more than 3,200 boats are moored there). The culprits are rather to be found on the side of incivility, vandalism, heavy drinking parties, and other high-traffic events (Football Euro, various demonstrations, etc.). Or the strong mistral wind that sometimes blows, although it would take a strong gust to tip a scooter into the water… Unfortunately, everything that was retrieved this Saturday represents only a small fraction of the waste present in the Vieux-Port. A large-scale cleanup is needed unless we want to delight future archaeologists with nearly eight meters of sediment to dig through at the foot of the docks!
Good news never comes alone. At the end of September, an immense net about 600 m long, placed in the protected area of Riou, was removed only four days after being reported. This was thanks to the intervention of scientists from theMediterranean Institute of Oceanology, the MIO, assisted by maritime affairs. It should be noted in this regard that a form is online to allow everyone to report an illegal or lost fishing gear in the Mediterranean Sea (which continues to kill fish) for quick removal from the seafloor.
Finally, let us recall that on the same day as the cleaning of the Vieux-Port, the 2nd YCPR Marseille Challenge, a round of the France underwater photo cup, was organized, an event with which Dive in! was associated. Competitors were able to evolve in a privileged environment. Indeed, the report published this Monday, October 10, for the 13th edition of the count » Species that Matter » emphasizes it. The census, which took place on September 23 and 24 in the waters of La Ciotat and Marseille, is on the rise compared to previous editions. Particularly for the grouper (an indicator fish of the marine environment’s health), whose number, for the first time in 13 years, was higher than the number of divers mobilized (300). A point all the more positive as the sizes were uniformly distributed: from 20 cm up to a meter or more for the largest individuals.
The cover image is by Sandrine Ruitton of the MIO.
Olivier Clot-Faybesse