The accused is a repeat offender. He destroyed more than two hectares of mangroves for agricultural purposes and to build homes in the village of Dzoumogné.
The decision fell on November 7. The Mamoudzou Public Prosecutor's Office sentenced an individual to three years in prison and a fine for destruction of natural habitats and protected plant species in the village of Dzoumogné, in the commune of Bandraboua. This decision is “historical” according to the French Biodiversity Office. She “sends a strong message to perpetrators of environmental offenses and reaffirms the determination of state actors to preserve the unique biodiversity of Mayotte.”
A repeat offender
The accused is not at his first attempt. Law enforcement had previously reported similar acts. One person was arrested “following threatening behavior. After a long legal procedure, he was found guilty and sentenced to one year in prison”specifies the French Biodiversity Office. However, this sentence was not a deterrent since upon release, the person “repeated its destruction a few hundred meters from the first site, a cleared plot in the heart of the mangrove”explains the OFB.
Threatened white crab and duck fern
These destructions endangered protected species such as the white crab and the duck fern. The first is “a migratory bird in danger of extinction, and the Duck Fern, a plant with a crucial role in preserving the coastline and preventing coastal erosion”explains the environmental organization. The demolition of the habitats of these species weakens their survival. This has an impact on the environment, but also on “the life of local populations.”
