The European Commission make a two-day visit to Martinique

Following their visit to French Guiana, Angelo Salsi, Head of the Life+ Unit at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for the Environment, Emmanuelle Brunet who oversees monitoring of the project for the Oréade-Brèche consultancy, and Anne-France Touveron, The Life+ Cap DOM National Coordinator for the LPO, visited Martinique on the 6th and 7th of December last.

They were welcomed by representatives of the association AOMA, the regional coordinator for the project, DEAL Martinique, the Conservatoire du Littoral, the Conseil Régional, the Natural Regional Park of Martinique (PNMR), the University of Antilles Guyane (UAG), the Carouge association and Christelle Béranger, the former Project Leader for the Life project on Martinique, currently active as a volunteer.

The members of the mission together with the local partners at the Réserve naturelle de la Caravelle (@ Anne-France Touveron)

The aims of the mission were to meet the partners on the spot, to see in-situ the actions undertaken since the programme was launched in 2010, to better understand the issues and realities on the ground, and to present the new methods incorporated in the Life programmes for 2014-2020.

After a meeting of the Steering Committee with all the various partners at the Trinité sub-prefecture, the team visited the Presqu’île de la Caravelle to try to see the White-breasted Thrasher (classed as «Endangered» on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species). The weather was not very favourable, because of rain, but nevertheless everyone had an opportunity to see the species in its natural habitat.

Steering committee meeting (@ Anne-France Touveron)

Thomas Alexandrine, warden for PNRM, demonstrates his work to Angelo Salsi and Emmanuelle Brunet (@ Anne-France Touveron)

On the following day, the Carouge association and AOMA joined forces to organise an offshore boat trip to give their visitors a different perspective on the island, to see some seabirds and to swim with the marine turtles. An unforgettable experience!

A trip to see seabirds off the Rocher du Diamant, Martinique (@ Anne-France Touveron)