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More than 7,000 people have already signed the petition opposing the replacement of the lens of the Créac’h lighthouse with an industrial fire. Much more than the year-round population of the island and its 800 inhabitants! “Whether it’s year-round residents, second-time residents, people who come regularly and even some who came only once, a long time ago, no one understands that we’re touching this lighthouse and this lantern. We are not touching an emblem of the island,” assures Françoise Péron, signatory of the petition. Opposite, the prefect of Finistère, Alain Espinasse, reminds us that “the use of mercury must be banned in this type of lighthouse”.
“In the mental map”
In Ushant, attachment to the Créac’h lighthouse, which has long held the rank of the most powerful in the world, is anchored in a strong emotional dimension: “When I ask children to draw a mental map of their island, systematically, they include Créac’h. It is part of the constructive imagination of the population,” notes the former associate professor and emeritus of geography at the University of Western Brittany. She encourages us to “do everything so that this lighthouse continues to shine far and regularly, with its two beams of light”. “It also enlightens the people of Ouessant who go out in the evening,” she adds, thinking of “all those fishermen who died around the tip of Pern.”
“It’s better to have a lit site.” Véronique Bourbigot, vice-president of the departmental council, a community which operates (and has been renovating for six months) the museum of lighthouses and beacons adjoining Créac’h, also pleads for the maintenance of a lighting system ensuring safety of the hundred ships that pass through these areas every day.
Structures to be decontaminated
Between maritime safety, ecology and the health of its staff, the mega Ministry of Ecological Transition, Biodiversity, Forests, Sea and Fisheries is walking on eggshells. The presence of mercury in headlights is not the only argument. The Interregional Directorate of the North Atlantic Sea, West Channel confirms “an evolution in practices at sea”. “Even if, thanks to electronic navigation techniques, the landing function of maritime signaling is no longer as fundamental as it was in the 20th century, the role of conventional navigation aids remains essential for coastal navigation and port entrances”.
“The structures are gradually being decontaminated (asbestos, mercury, lead) and the work safety of agents can be constantly improved, as can the protection of the environment,” she argues.
“Requiring fewer interventions, less costly to operate and less polluting, certain maritime safety establishments, such as large lighthouses, increasingly allow shared uses, thus responding to a growing societal demand for reappropriation of the flagship object but also (and above all?) sites welcoming them.
Today, more than thirty lighthouses can be visited in France, representing around 700,000 visitors per year. »
For what use at sea?
The interest of the earthlings is proven. But who still uses the shine of headlights to navigate? Electronic cartography has become essential. All over the world, headlights are losing range. On the bridge of commercial ships, priority is given to GPS navigation. The same goes for boaters, who increasingly have their noses on their screens. From the Cross Corsen, we recognize that the shine of the headlights allows us to validate a position or progress on the road. “It is no longer a major element of navigation for the largest commercial ships which operate on the most distant routes and never see the shine of the Créac’h lighthouse which extends 30 nautical miles. But for smaller ships, it is still a visual support a priori used. »
In foggy and drizzling weather
If the trawlers or the few trollers all have electronic positioning, the flashes and sectors of the lighthouse remain a physical and visual indication which contributes to their safety. The authorities point out that even if a lighthouse is decommissioned, its brightness remains visible as it approaches the coast. Users respond that a less powerful glow is less distinguishable under the drizzle and mist… And that the power of other neighboring lighthouses such as La Jument has also been limited. “Why invest in new systems that degrade the quality of service? » assert the diehard Ouessant residents invited to a consultation on the subject, in addition to the meeting of the local nautical commission at the end of January. Next storm scheduled on an island where the wind turbine and energy mix project called “Lighthouses” has been cleared.
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