SHARK HUNT AT REUNION… VICTORY… THE MUNICIPAL DECREE OF THE MAYOR OF ST LEU WAS INVALID

Press release, June 7, 2013

Shark hunting:
The Administrative Court of La Réunion agrees

to Sea Shepherd, ASPAS and longitude 181 associations *

Following the last accident in Reunion - which cost the life of a 36-year-old tourist - Thierry Robert, mayor of Saint-Leu had issued a municipal decree calling for shark fishing in the waters of his commune, yet classified as Marine Reserve national. The decree in question also offered to buy voluntary fishermen, the first 40 sharks, at a price of 7 euros per kilo - or nearly 2000 euros for a shark of 300 kilos, at the taxpayer's expense.
Unsurprisingly, the Tribunal today overturned this decree highlighting on the one hand the incompetence of the deputy mayor of Saint-Leu to derogate from the reserve protection regime, and on the other hand the inappropriate and disproportionate nature of the measured. It has not in fact been established that a sedentary population of bulldog sharks is present in the territory of St-Leu or that samples would reduce the risk of aggression. Mr. T. Robert was perfectly aware of the illegality of this decision since it was not his first attempt. In doing so, he therefore did not hesitate to encourage fishermen to break the laws of the Republic and expose themselves to prosecution.
The deputy mayor of Saint-Leu, if he has become accustomed to initiating municipal decrees which he knows to be perfectly illegal, does not however seem to take into consideration the measures which fall fully within his competence. Namely, improve the treatment of wastewater in his town which is one of the known stimuli to attract bulldog sharks near surf spots. Mr. T. Robert thus makes himself largely responsible for the situation around his commune and at the same time, dishonestly attempts to recover on his own account the fallout from this crisis which is likely to make more victims, shark side and side surfers.
To conditioning by the irrational, there is a need to respond by implementing everyone's responsibility, starting with that of all those who, under the guise of democratic representation,
abuse their powers and divert them.

Our associations will continue to call on reason, to demonstrate that there is room for all users of the sea alongside sharks and to assert the right to protect the Reserve
French Navy but also to relay in national and international opinion, the way in which France manages this “shark crisis”.

This is the preservation of the most fundamental values ​​of biodiversity and therefore humanity.

* In partnership with the Brigitte Bardot Foundation

Press contacts :
- Anne Fourier, Oceanographer, ASPAS project manager: tel. 06 74 99 40 87

actions@aspas-nature.org
- Lamya Essemlali, President Sea Shepherd France: tel. 07 60 26 22 77
contact@seashepherd.fr
- François Sarano, Longitude 181: 06 15 98 56 49 and Patrice Bureau: 06 12 39 68 36
saranofrancois@gmail.fr and patrice.bureau@longitude181.org