A year of discoveries to celebrate 30 years of the Nature Reserve

Thirty years, or almost. On October 10, 2026, the Saint-Barthélemy Nature Reserve – Nicole Aussedat will celebrate three decades of existence. In anticipation of this anniversary, the Territorial Environment Agency, which is responsible for managing the Reserve, plans to organize workshops and activities throughout the year to enable the population to discover (or rediscover) certain sites on the island, as well as the actions and missions carried out by its agents. The anniversary celebrations will begin on Saturday, January 31, with a guided tour of Colombier Beach. The tour will be led by scientist and doctoral student Anaïs Coulon (photo). She invites the residents of Saint Barthélemy to join her at Colombier at 8:30 a.m. (reservations required by emailing contact@agencedelenvironnement.fr) to learn about the "beach system" and the dune restoration project. This is one of the many initiatives the ATE is working on to preserve the island's environment and ecosystem.

Scientific interest
Since joining the Territorial Environment Agency in 2013, Sébastien Gréaux has seen the benefits of the Nature Reserve and its regulations. Now director of the ATE, he notes: "Over such a long period, thirty years, we have been able to scientifically demonstrate its value. Through various monitoring programs, we have seen the return of certain species to our waters. But we also see its limitations, with coral bleaching, for example."
Over the years, Sébastien Gréaux has noted two major developments that have improved the actions taken within the Nature Reserve. First, ATE agents are now sworn in to carry out police duties within the Reserve, which covers 1,200 hectares of marine territory. "In the beginning, when we went to see people who were breaking the law, they laughed in our faces," recalls the ATE director. "Since we have been commissioned (five ATE agents are currently commissioned, with three more to be commissioned shortly), our actions have become more consistent and effective."

The challenge of visitor numbers
Another major change is the ban on vessels over 25 meters from anchoring in the nature reserve. "Since then, it's been like night and day," says the director. During the festive season, we carried out more patrols and recorded half as many violations. " In 2025, the ATE carried out 2,794 inspections within the nature reserve. 178 were found to be non-compliant with regulations. "This represents more than 432 hours of patrols, 70% of which were carried out at weekends," explains Sébastien Gréaux, adding: "Year after year, the number of non-compliance checks is decreasing. This gives us more time to focus on sea fishing." In 2025, out of the 50 checks carried out by sworn officers, 18 violations were recorded.
For the director, the main challenge facing the Reserve in the coming years is visitor management. "The Reserve is a victim of its own success," he says. "This is particularly noticeable in the number of companies applying to work in the Reserve. " Adjustments to the fee, in the form of an annual flat rate, have helped to regulate demand. "35 to 40% of the companies authorized to work in the Reserve are based here, the others come from outside," notes Sébastien Gréaux.
Prevention, communication, and monitoring work: the ATE's missions to continue preserving the island's protected areas and its waters will continue to be crucial in the coming years. "What we are considering for the Reserve is valid for the entire island of Saint Barthélemy," the Agency's director points out.