NEWS TROTTER

N°11, November 2020

Here is your monthly newsletter on the environmental news of November 2020.

On the program, you will find regional, national (French) and international news, in English please! Have a good reading!

In Brittany, France

In the bay of Saint-Brieuc, you can find seals, if you look carefully...

It is while observing birds on Wednesday 4th November at around 2pm, at Grandville beach, at high tide, at Hillion, that Cedric Gamet, technician guard of the Nature Reserve of the bay of Saint-Brieuc, and his trainee, found themselves face to face in front of a seal : " while looking more closely at a group of birds, we saw a small ball appearing in the water at the beginning of the Gouessant channel... it was the head of a seal ! "This common seal is also called a sea calf [1]. A small note of lightness which is pleasing to see now ...

Seals are present in the bay? Well yes, in summer and autumn, young seals leave their colonies to go to new territories, including the bay. They can be seen most often at high tide, which is an ideal place to taste their favourite food, fish. To have even more chance to observe them, "you have to look very carefully, because they go unnoticed" admits Cédric Gamet. "If you see them on a sandbank, the best thing is to keep a space of 200 to 300 metres, so as not to make them run away. This mammal is very sensitive to disturbance. It is very sensitive to disturbance," he adds [1].

Ouest France Picture

A regional plan 2020-2032 to reduce waste quantity in Brittany

The waste prevention and management plan in Brittany traces the path that the region will follow until 2032 to reduce its waste production. François-Xavier de Blignères, head of the « resource economy » service for the Brittany region, describes the challenges of the Breton plan and its progress [2]

This Breton plan will be based on two strong trajectories: reducing the landfill to zero by 2030 on the one hand, and recovering all Breton waste by 2040 on the other hand. In fact, around 700,00 tones of waste go to landfill each year, 50% of them must be sent to neighboring regions, in Pays de la Loire and Normandy. In 2030, there will be virtually no landfill capacity available in Brittany [2].

Sales of phytosanitary substances have remained stable since 2015 in Brittany

France is, after Spain, the second European consumer of plant protection products, 80% of which are used in agriculture. The number and quantities of products or substances sold in Brittany have not significantly decreased sin 2015 [3].

To reduce pesticide consumption, it would not be enough to target a particular product, but a multitude of products, which makes the task particularly difficult. Even if they can be used in urban areas or for more specific uses, a large part of the quantities of phytosanitary products sold in Brittany is intended for agricultural use. Indeed, Brittany is a region with strong agricultural activity [3].

In France

Temporary reintroduction of neonicotinoids

On November 4, parliament authorized the temporary reintroduction of neonicotinoids for beet crops. The Senate voted for this bill with 180 votes for, and 130 votes against. Parliament reconsiders its vote in 2016 which had banned the “bee killer” insecticide [4].

This reintroduction aims, according to project supporters, to save the beet industry in France following an epidemic au jaundice (a disease that affects crops) because this disease can lead to enormous yield losses. Thus, exemptions may be issued until July 1, 2023, only for sugar beet crops and after asking the opinion of a supervisory board [5] [6].

The Agricultural Minister, Julien Denormandie, has said on several occasions that this is a “difficult” text, but he wishes to defend French “food sovereignty” in the face of this neonicotinoid crisis [5].

But according to a report from ANSES (National Agency of Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety) published on May 30, 2018, 130 authorized uses of neonicotinoids were studied and according to this agency, 78% of analyzed cases have at least one efficient and operational non-chemical alternative solution [7].

Creation of an « offense of ecocide » to punish environmental damage

The Ecological Transition and Justice Ministers announced on November 22, the impending creation of an “ecocide offense” by the government with the aim of sanctioning serious damage to the environment. The guilty parties could be fined 375,000 to 4.5 million euros [8].

The 150 citizens of the climate convention voted for the creation of a crime of ecocide. And environmentalist MEP Marie Toussaint, co-founder of the Our Everyone Affair movement, declared that “the description of measures to come, although welcome, does not correspond to the condemnation of this serious crime against nature!”. A crime for “endangering the environment” should also be created in the future with maximum penalties of up to one year in prison and 100,000 euros in fines [9].

Mink farming contaminated with Covid-19 in France

A first French mink farm was contaminated with Covid-19 in Eure-et-Loir after many farms were contaminated in Denmark and Netherlands. Four such farms exist in France and the other 3 are not contaminated for now. The slaughter of the 1,000 infected animals and the disposal of the resulting products were ordered by decree, the Agricultural, Health and Ecological Transition Ministries said. In Denmark, the world’s leading exporter in this field, millions of minks have been slaughtered. Animal protection association have long denounced theses farms, with unworthy living conditions for mink which promote the spread of diseases such as Covid-19 [10] [11].

France Info picture

Worldwide

Burma: Discovery of a new specie

This 11 November, teams of researchers announced the discovery of a new primate species in Burma, called Popa langur. Individuals of this species measure between 50 and 60 cm [12].

As soon as discovered, this species may well be considered threatened. According to the individuals identified, it has between 200 and 250 specimens, divided into 4 groups, the most important of which has about a hundred members [12].

Le Monde picture

A coal mine recoil in Zimbabwe

In Zimbabwe, Hwange Park was threatened by a coal mining project. This reserve would notably shelter 45,000 elephants and would constitute a sanctuary for the black rhino. This project is controversial, and the Association of Environmental Lawyers in Zimbabwe had filed a petition against this risky project for this site [13].

This mobilization was not in vain, because although mining licences were granted to mining groups in 2015, the government backed down on this project, thereby banning all mining on reserves, with immediate effect [13].

Java rhino births in Indonesia

The Java rhino is one of the most endangered species in the world. Once present all over South Asia, it has gradually disappeared due to habit loss and poaching. The last representatives of this species remain in the Ujong Kulon National Park in Indonesia, a sanctuary of 5,100 hectares of jungle [14].

But cameras installed in this park allowed the discovery of two recent births. These two baby rhinos, identified as a male and a female, bring this rhino population, which is not found in captivity, to 74 members, and indicates that the species may continue to perpetuate itself [14].

Sources :

1. Article Ouest France, « Dans la baie de Saint-Brieuc, on peut tomber nez à nez avec des phoques... si on observe bien », publié le 9/11/2020, adresse URL : https://www.ouest-france.fr/bretagne/saint-brieuc-22000/dans-la-baie-de-saint-brieuc-on-peut-tomber-nez-a-nez-avec-des-phoques-si-on-observe-bien-7045503 [en ligne]

2. Article Bretagne-Environnement, « Un plan régional 2020-2030 pour réduire les déchets en Bretagne », publié le 24/11/2020, adresse URL : https://bretagne- environnement.fr/plan-regional-prevention-gestion-dechets-bretagne-article [en ligne]

3. Article Bretagne-Environnement « Les ventes de substances phytosanitaires restent stable depuis 2015 en Bretagne », publié le 18/11/2020, adresse URL : https://bretagne-environnement.fr/ventes-phytosanitaires-bretagne-article [en ligne]

4. Article Ouest France « Néonicotinoïdes. Le Parlement autorise leur réintroduction pour la betterave » publié le 4/11/2020 : https://www.ouest- france.fr/environnement/pesticides/neonicotinoides-le-parlement-autorise-leur-reintroduction-pour-la-betterave-7040342

5. Article Le Monde « La réintroduction temporaire des néonicotinoïdes en France définitivement autorisée » publié le 4/11/2020 : https://www.lemonde.fr/politique/article/2020/11/04/la-reintroduction-temporaire-des-neonicotinoides-definitivement-adoptee_6058523_823448.html

6. Article de Terre-net « Recours aux néonicotinoïdes, aides, prévention : les mesures gouvernementales » publié le 6/08/2020 : https://www.terre-net.fr/actualite- agricole/politique-syndicalisme/article/filiere-betterave-recours-aux-neonicotinoides-aides-prevention-les-mesures-gouvernementales-205-171157.html

7. Article Sciences et Avenir « Des alternatives non chimiques possible pour les néonicotinoïdes » publié le 31/05/2018 : https://www.sciencesetavenir.fr/nature- environnement/pollution/des-alternatives-non-chimiques-possible-pour-les-neonicotinoides_124504

8. Article Sortir à Paris «CRÉATION D'UN "DÉLIT D'ÉCOCIDE" EN FRANCE, QUE RISQUENT LES POLLUEURS ? » publié le 23/11/2020 : https://www.sortiraparis.com/actualites/a-paris/articles/236128-environnement-creation-d-un-delit-d-ecocide-en-france-que-risquent-les-pollueurs

9. Article Le Monde « Pas de crime d’écocide, mais un délit pour punir les atteintes à l’environnement » publié le 22/11/2020 : https://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2020/11/22/pas-de-crime-d-ecocide-mais-un-delit-pour-punir-les-atteintes-a-l-environnement_6060716_3244.html

10. Article RTL « Coronavirus : un élevage de visons contaminé en France, annonce le gouvernement » publié le 22/11/2020 : https://www.rtl.fr/actu/debats- societe/coronavirus-un-elevage-de-visons-contamine-en-france-annonce-le-gouvernement-7800927025

11. Article Franceinfo « Des visons d'élevage contaminés par le Covid-19 : pourquoi ces animaux sont-ils plus atteints que d'autres » publié le 23/11/2020 : https://www.francetvinfo.fr/replay-radio/le-billet-vert/des-visons-d-elevage-contamines-par-le-covid-19-pourquoi-ces-animaux-sont-ils-plus-atteints-que-d- autres_4174321.html

12. Article Le Monde « Découverte d’une nouvelle espèce de singe en Birmanie », publié le 11/11/2020 [en ligne], adresse URL :

    https://www.lemonde.fr/sciences/article/2020/11/11/decouverte-d-une-nouvelle-espece-de-singe-en-birmanie_6059318_1650684.html

13. Article France Info « Le Zimbabwe interdit une mine de charbon dans la plus grande réserve naturelle du pays », publié le 10/09/2020, [en ligne], adresse URL : https://www.francetvinfo.fr/monde/afrique/economie-africaine/le-zimbabwe-interdit-une-mine-de-charbon-dans-la-plus-grande-reserve-naturelle-du- pays_4099939.html

14. Article sciences et avenir « Deux bébés rhinocéros de Java, espèce en voie d’extinction, repérés dans un parc indonésien », publié le 21/09/2020 [en ligne], adresse URL : https://www.sciencesetavenir.fr/animaux/grands-mammiferes/deux-bebes-rhinoceros-de-java-espece-en-voie-d- extinction-reperes-dans-un-parc-indonesien_147546

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Written and formatted by GORIUS Noé, HUREL Clarisse, HORBOWA Antoine et LAMOTTE Amélie