Lucky bustards: rare birds' habitat saved as French judges block mega-basins
A French court has halted plans to build four large water reservoirs in western France, ruling that they would threaten the survival of the little bustard, an endangered bird species.
The French government gave the green light for the construction of 16 water reserves – known as mega-basins – for agricultural use in the Marais Poitevin, north of La Rochelle.
But 10 environmental campaign groups, including Nature Environnement 17 and the Ligue de protection des oiseaux ("Birds' Protection League", LPO), opposed the decision and took the case to the Bordeaux Administrative Court of Appeal.
On Wednesday, the court ruled that four of the 16 mega-basins are likely to destroy all or part of the habitat of the little bustard.
"The authorisation granted is illegal because it does not provide for a 'protected species' exemption," the judges said.
They ruled that building work on the reservoirs should be halted, and added that the water stored in the Sainte-Soline reservoir – the only one of the four built so far – can be used next summer by nearby farms.
Violent clashes
The mega-basins have divided opinion, with supporters saying they are a way to use water efficiently because it is pumped from the underground water table in the winter and stored for use in the dry summer months.
Tensions between the two sides led to violent clashes around the site of the Sainte-Soline reservoir in March 2023.
The government said it had taken note of the court's decision.
Read more on RFI English
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