Lifestyle
Réserve Naturelle de Saint-Martin: the rules on anchoring, fishing and drones
Fishing is banned and anchoring is limited to sand in the 30 km² Réserve Naturelle, and the Réserve says drones are prohibited. This guide covers the rules and how to apply for permits.
By SXM Daily ·
Fishing and hunting are banned throughout the Réserve Naturelle Nationale de Saint-Martin. Anchoring is only allowed in sand at set spots, and the reserve says flying a drone there is prohibited. The reserve is a 30 km² marine protected area off the north-east of the French side, created by ministerial decree no. 98-802 of 3 September 1998. It covers sites including Îlet Pinel, Tintamarre, Rocher Créole, the Baie de l'Embouchure and Galion area, and the Salines d'Orient.
Photo: AnjaMagdic / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
These rules apply on the French side only. Dutch-side protected areas, such as the Man of War Shoal Marine Park, have their own rules.
Fishing and hunting
The 1998 decree bans hunting across the whole reserve. In the reserve's waters, it also bans line, net and trap fishing, spearfishing, and collecting living or dead animals. Limited bait fishing and seine fishing for small pelagic fish can be authorised by a separate order.
Anchoring and mooring
Prefectural order no. 2020-142, signed on 23 July 2020, sets the visitor rules:
- Don't anchor in areas with reefs or seagrass beds.
- Where moorings are provided, boats under 10 metres may anchor only in the sand. Keep a 20-metre safety zone from the beach.
- Mooring overnight needs express permission. For anchoring at Tintamarre in the evening, the reserve asks boaters to apply at least three days in advance.
Other things that are banned
The 2020 order also bans:
- scuba diving not cleared with the reserve's management
- climbing on Rocher Créole, the Petite Clef, the cliffs of Tintamarre and the islets of the Baie de l'Embouchure
- taking clay or mud baths at Tintamarre
- removing sand, or collecting shells or plants, dead or alive
- driving motor vehicles off the usual roads
- noise or sound pollution
- camping and campfires outside marked zones
- kitesurfing in Galion Bay and at Tintamarre
- towed or motorised water toys
- spotlights or underwater lights at night
Drones
The reserve lists drone use among the activities "prohibés dans cet espace protégé" (prohibited in this protected area). This ban comes from the reserve itself; it isn't in the text of the 2020 order.
Businesses
Tour operators need a named annual authorisation. They pay a fee of €1, €2 or €5 per client per day, depending on the price and the boat's flag. Passenger boats are limited to 28 people.
How to apply
The reserve's website, reservenaturelle-saint-martin.com, has request forms for mooring, camping, events and commercial activities.
Sources
- https://aida.ineris.fr/reglementation/decret-ndeg-98-802-030998-portant-creation-reserve-naturelle-saint-martin-guadeloupe
- https://reservenaturelle-saint-martin.com/sites/default/files/telechargements/arrete_prefectoral_anglais_2020_a_0.pdf
- https://www.reservenaturelle-saint-martin.com/