REUNION CONTINUES TO IMPROVE BEACH SAFETY AS MORE ANTI SHARK NETS INSTALLED
(Posted 12th December 2015)
With idyllic landscapes facing the sea, the island of Reunion is a destination that naturally invites visitors to relax, enjoy and dream.
Yesterday did the Prefecture lift the no swimming order for the beaches of Boucan Canot after an anti shark safety net was installed and had been monitored and inspected to ensure it was impenetrable. Swimming, surfing, bodyboarding and other water sport activities have subsequently resumed. The green ‘all clear’ flags were raised at this beach officially signalling the end of the banning order. This is a major step for Reunion tourism as visitors can now resume a full range of beach activities on one of the island’s most popular beaches.
With a length of 1.200 metres is the net placed 200 meters from the shore in the open Indian Ocean. It is held by steel cables anchored to the ground at 11 m depth and protects an area of 141,000 m² in total, the equivalent of 67 Olympic swimming pools: enough to fully enjoy the pleasures of the Indian Ocean with confidence!
The protection of the underwater environment in Reunion is of paramount importance, to the local government as well as the island’s tourism industry.
The net is composed of mesh 40 x 40 cm which allow passage of juveniles of marine species.
Diagram of anti-shark net – source City of St. Paul
Other beaches presently still under red flag will soon be outfitted too with such nets, starting with the beach of Roches Noires in Saint-Gilles-les-Bains and then followed by the beaches of Trois-Bassins and Egrets.
For more information about the island’s many tourism attractions click on www.reunion.fr
