Increased port policing activity
Recent years have seen the development of policing activities for marina managers. " Paradoxically, there were fewer people on the port, but we saw an increase from the 1st containment in 2020, which led us to second a half-time person entirely dedicated to this during the day, in addition to the night surveillance teams This is the reason why the port of La Rochelle has been the subject of a number of interventions," explains Patrice Bernier, Senior Harbour Master at La Rochelle. For the 5,000 berths in the La Rochelle marina, the manager records 650 interventions each year, half at the request of boaters and half following observations on the network of 55 cameras. The port's sworn agents draw up about ten official reports each year and issue about fifty warnings. " We generally act jointly with the State services, which draw up the fines themselves. In particular at the beginning of the season we conduct joint campaigns with the nautical brigade of the territorial gendarmerie, the maritime gendarmerie and the Maritime Affairs. Our role is above all in prevention ", reminds the harbour master from La Rochelle.
Neighborhood nuisance on the pontoon, environment, speed of the boats
The challenges of port policing can be broken down into different aspects. One of the first is to ensure the safety of boats and people. Every year, a port like La Rochelle, one of the largest in Europe with 5,000 berths, has 6 sunken boats, 6 boats destroyed by fire and 3 people drowned. Port agents are also in charge of enforcing speed limits for boats on the water, as well as respecting the environment by monitoring any unauthorized dumping of garbage or dirty water in the port.
" One of the growing phenomena is that of calls for neighborhood nuisances, especially noise, with the increase of people living on their boats, sometimes with dogs "reports Patrice Bernier.
The Specific Port Police Regulations, a tool to be adapted to modern yachting
In order to follow the evolution of yachting and the use of port space, the managers have an instrument that is not always well known by yachtsmen and professionals in the sector: the Special Port Police Regulations . This text, which is a legal obligation, sets the rules in the port area. " We are now trying to update it more often, taking notes each year at each intervention. We do this with all the actors and notably the 30 nautical associations of La Rochelle. The main themes of the moment are to take into account the evolution of lifestyles on board, noise pollution by specifying its nature, which is not limited to the night as some people think, and to clarify the boats authorized in the port, the priority between boats. We don't want to be overtaken by the new boats, especially foils "concludes Patrice Bernier.
