06:00, 18 May 2022
It is an exceptional site located on the edge of one of the largest cities in France which in fact generates significant pollution. The Calanques National Park, the first and only peri-urban protected natural area in Europe, occupies the maritime coast from Marseille to La Ciotat. Twenty kilometers of spectacular cliffs shaped by the wind and coves that look like paradise. Despite protective measures, the creeks are still under pressure from urbanization, climate change, invasive alien species and above all the trampling of tourists. Also, the associations are mobilizing tirelessly.
This is the case of Clean my calanques which organizes festive actions in the context of which participants are invited to pick up waste. The association organizes a music festival on Sunday to reach new audiences (more details online
). President and founder of the association, Éric Akopian gives the JDD his advice for surveying this natural gem without degrading it.
Why does an association for the defense of the environment like yours organize a music festival?
We organize waste collections in the natural park of the creeks in which 150 to 200 volunteers participate on average. But picking up the waste will not make it possible to preserve the creeks in a sustainable way. The key is awareness. You have to reach new audiences, people who are uninterested or unfamiliar with ecology. And especially the younger ones. To approach them, we therefore imagined a music festival. We found this way to show them that it is possible to have fun while respecting the environment. Our festival will be zero waste, the dishes will be washable – they are not even made of cardboard but washable with a sponge and solid soap -, etc. We already have a high level of attendance expected and we have just decided to renew the experience every year.
Read also – In the creeks of Marseille, the influx of visitors turns into a natural disaster
What advice would you give to someone who doesn’t know the creeks?
Those of Sugiton, Morgiou and En-Vau remain the most famous and, by their beauty, logically attract many tourists. The problem is that between June and September, it is impracticable. I can therefore only invite you to walk the secondary paths. There are plenty of small havens of peace easily accessible and much quieter.
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Boats so close to the coast, it’s nonsense! It’s the worst in the tourist industry.
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How to visit the creeks while limiting its impact on this natural heritage?
The natural park limits access to certain spaces to restore the flora. This is currently the case with Cap Croisette, also called “Baie des singes”. The best thing to do is stay on the trails. As soon as you leave the marked paths, you run the risk of entering an area undergoing reforestation.
Should we stop diving or participating in boat tour operators?
Boats so close to the coast, it’s nonsense! They degas haphazardly, they destroy the Posidonia by casting their anchors on the seabed, they scare away the fish… It’s the worst part of the tourist industry. On diving, it’s not the same thing. I don’t like the principle of diving to hunt because the fauna is already very fragile. But many divers also fight for the preservation of this environment. In our team, for example, we have some who collect garbage from the sea.
Read also – Thirty years after its discovery, the second life of the Cosquer cave
Despite protective measures, the creeks continue to deteriorate due to tourism, urban planning, pollution generated by the proximity of Marseille. Should the site be banned in the name of its safeguard?
Why should access to the creeks be prohibited because of the madness of some? We must not cut off people’s access to nature because it is by browsing this magnificent site that they will become aware of the need to preserve it. Our association multiplies awareness-raising actions, especially among young people in Marseille districts, to encourage them to go to the creeks, so that they can admire what pollution, urban planning and heavy traffic are destroying. Furthermore, banning tourism industries would have limited, if not counter-productive, effects. Firstly because there are jobs and therefore lives behind this sector. Then, because the boats will just go further, ravage another place.
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