Fright on the beach.
Monday, August 9, several popular seaside resorts in summer such as Biarritz and Saint-Jean-de-Luz (Pyrénées-Atlantiques) have
prohibits swimming by the sea. The reason: the appearance of the alga
Ostreopsis Siamensis
, a micro-organism that can have an impact on human health. "This foul-smelling algae can cause skin reactions and a flu-like state," Biarritz town hall warned on Monday on social networks. Cases of burns to the lungs have also been identified. Unpleasant but mild symptoms, which disappear after a few days.
Several people were also reportedly affected ... without even setting foot in the water.
"The toxin from the algae is transported in the form of aerosols," explains Marc Valmassoni, water and health coordinator within the NGO Surfrider, responsible for water protection.
With the spray, someone walking on the beach can become infected.
At present, the regional health agency (ARS) of Nouvelle Aquitaine is not able to quantify the number of people affected.
Read also Green algae still toxic: readings in broad daylight to alert the public
If Monday at the end of the day the municipalities were authorized to let the bathers return, "the waters remain under surveillance", specifies the ARS. Moreover, only Biarritz immediately reopened its beaches. Monday evening, no decision had yet been taken in Guéthary, a town of 1,300 inhabitants where sea bathing was prohibited. “We will decide this Tuesday morning,” explains Marie-Pierre Burre-Cassou, the mayor of this charming Basque village. We are waiting to be completely reassured about the health consequences. We will also take stock of the lifts from the field. A consultation with the neighboring elected officials of Saint-Jean-de-Luz and Bidart is scheduled for Tuesday morning. "The concern is that we are in high season, these are popular beaches, keeping them closed would be a bad blow to the local economy," slips the city councilor.
A phenomenon that will develop
The presence of the microalgae also worries the NGO Surfrider.
“For now, I would not recommend swimming, warns Marc Valmassoni.
We do not yet know everything, we must wait and continue to do prevention.
The specialist cannot understand the presence at these latitudes of the organism which usually develops in warm waters.
“Either it is the effect of climate change, or it comes from boat ballasts
(Editor's note: sea water sometimes taken very far away and used to balance the ships)
.
I see no other explanation… "
Already in September 2020, a similar phenomenon was observed on the neighboring beaches of Hendaye. "But this time, the organizations extend over a very vast sector of several tens of kilometers, it is unprecedented", indicates the expert of Surfrider. The ARS plans to continue its analyzes to learn more about their origin. “It would not be surprising for algae to grow and move up along the Atlantic coast. We could, why not, find some one day as far as Brittany ”, fears Marc Valmassoni.
