Bordeaux Court Declares Sainte-Soline and Three Other Poitou Reservoirs Illegal, Threatening Outarde Canepetière

Dec 18, 2024, 02:56 PM

The Bordeaux Administrative Court of Appeal has ruled that the permits for four irrigation reservoirs in the Poitou region, including the controversial one at Sainte-Soline, are illegal due to their threat to the survival of the protected great bustard bird, known as the outarde canepetière. The court found that the project could destroy part or all of the bird's habitat and has suspended the construction and future water fillings of these reservoirs until a potential derogation for protected species is granted. The water currently stored in the Sainte-Soline reservoir, the only one of the four that is completed, can be used this summer by connected farmers, but no further refilling is allowed. Environmental groups had challenged the state-issued permits for 16 water retention basins in the Marais Poitevin, known as 'bassines' by opponents, with the Sainte-Soline project sparking significant opposition following a violent protest in March 2023.