Two New Islands for a Decade ...

"I fished since I was a kid here. When I was a kid, there were not these sandbanks. It was only in the 2000s that I noticed that could stand up to over fishing " , says Johnny Jasmine, a fisherman thirty years.

You can actually see a sandbar a few dozen meters from the beach of Baie du Tombeau. A resident confirmed that the sand was not always visible. "We started to appear a white line in the water and then slowly, the line has grown until a sandbank emerges . But to call it an island. This is an exaggeration, " he says.

Dredging in the port area

Of the authorities, it was announced that these sandbanks are indeed islands become. Moreover, according to an official source at the Ministry of Lands, vegetation had begun to grow there. "A study was initiated on these two sandbars. They are there for a few years but they are enlarged. They are islands that were formed naturally. This study is needed to determine whether or not we can officially recognize them as such, " says our source at the Ministry.

Fishermen of the locality, they have another explanation. They think it is the dredging of the port area which is at the origin of the appearance of sandbanks. Judex Ramphul, President of Union of fishermen, said he alerted the authorities on the formation of these banks as a result of dredging.

Observations are supported by fishermen oceanographer Vassen Kauppaymuthoo. He says that "these islands are witnesses of sediment dynamics present in the port area as well as the mouth of ruisseau Terre-Rouge, the balance was upset following the various dredging and filling and the installation of pipes discharging sewage systems in the area of Roche-Bois. "

Continuing his explanation, he pointed out that "sand deposits are generally in areas where strong currents, usually caused by tides, carry this sand on the seabed around before cancel, allowing this sand to settle. The sand that form these islands probably comes from various dredging and filling that were made in the port area that have changed the shape of the bottom, causing a change in the dynamics and currents in the region. "

An area to preserve

The oceanographer says that this process may continue for several years, but it should not be that gives authorities an excuse to make an enlargement of the port area by filling lagoons. He cites the example of the region Bain des Dames. "A dive under the commission Forget on marine pollution in the port area revealed that some places in the harbour should be protected because of the their rich marine biodiversity, " is it out.

At the Beach Authority, which deals with everything related to beaches, Director, Subash Seeruttun, said he was not aware of what is happening in Baie du Tombeau. "I know nothing about it. I do not mind it " , he says.