In Brittany, gannets are on the decline

September 2021: There are plans for a marine extension to the natural reserve of the Sept-Iles archipelago in Brittany. This marine extension may include a quiet zone, closed to marine traffic between April and August each year. The quiet zone will be essential for rafts of northern gannets and other seabirds, the Sept-Iles being the most important seabird breeding area in metropolitan France. Unfortunately, this plan for a quiet zone is meeting the fierce opposition of local recreational sailors, who see the plan for a marine extension to the Sept-Iles terrestrial reserve as an attempt to their “freedom”. I wrote a tribune in Libération, explaining why this marine extension and the quiet zone are essential for seabird conservation: En Bretagne, les fous de Bassan battent de l’aile.