On La Perle beach, known for its golden sand and turquoise waves which border the town of Deshaies, in the north of Basse-Terre, the coconut trees will be removed. Part of it at least. “We still have to determine the exact number of trees that we are going to remove,” explains Rona Dacourt, head of a European biodiversity preservation program in Deshaies, which is expected to last two years.
Tropical yellowing
“We realized that north of Pearl Beach, the coastline is receding,” points out Rona Dacourt.
“The coconut palm is an exotic species”, not endemic, recalls Julien Lorthios, of the French Biodiversity Office. He recommends, like other experts, replanting more endemic species to slow the erosion of the coastline, even if it means installing coconut trees behind the beach.
“No longer having a coconut tree, it's a bit of a shame for the imagination we have of the postcard, but there is still sand and hot water,” say Liliane and Gary, a couple of young retirees who came spend the holidays in the West Indian archipelago.
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The beach of their hotel is affected by another scourge which affects the tree emblematic of the tropical atmosphere: fatal yellowing, which has led to the felling of nearly 50 coconut palm trees in the area.
“The disease is carried by a tiny insect, which looks like a small cicada, which contaminates the tree and dooms it when the first symptoms appear,” explains Fabian Pilet, researcher at CIRAD, an agronomy research center, who reports cases of “decimated” palm groves in other countries around the world, including the Caribbean, such as in Jamaica in the 1980s.
“We spot the disease when the young coconuts fall and the palms turn yellow,” explains Aurore Cavalier, plant health officer at Fredon Guadeloupe, the plant expert organization. “However, a sample will be required to confirm the disease before considering slaughter. »
“We do not know how to treat or contain the disease
Very contagious, this disease requires immediate felling of the palmacea to avoid contamination with other species of palm trees. For the moment, nine outbreaks have been identified in Guadeloupe, in various municipalities of the archipelago, in private homes or in the public domain, notably on beaches and on several types of palmaceae.
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“We do not know how to treat or contain the disease, but we can mitigate its effects by replanting” for “each felled tree,” emphasizes Fabian Pilet.
Although under surveillance, the disease has not yet panicked the public authorities. The coconut economy in Guadeloupe is completely informal, centered around roadside coconut water sellers, and ultimately mainly exploited by tourism, which feeds on its image to inspire vacationers.
