Guaranteeing the port's operating conditions while combating the deterioration of the natural environment
In order to guarantee minimum operating conditions and ensure the development of the port economy, the Port of Bayonne has to carry out regular maintenance dredging. However, the associated dredging and dumping operations are not without environmental consequences.
These operations cause a local and temporary change in the topography of the seabed and the granulometry of the sediments in the area affected by the turbidity plumes, and may also be a vector for chemical, organic and bacteriological contamination.
Within the receiving environment, these repeated variations in the physicochemical and granulometric characteristics of the sediments are likely to cause significant structural and functional changes within living communities by creating ecological instability.
In view of the lack of knowledge, a research contract was drawn up between Casagec/Egis and the CCI Bayonne/Société portuaire, followed by two contracts for environmental monitoring of the operations.
