HAROPA PORT has created a 10.8-hectare wetland near Port 2000 in Le Havre, with early surveys already recording several bird species settling in the area.
The wetland forms part of the Avoid, Reduce, Offset (ARO) approach guiding the chatière project, which aims to improve direct river access to Port 2000.
The framework has translated into a series of measures implemented on land and at sea, delivered in collaboration with specialist environmental consultants.
The site was previously used as a sediment disposal cell during Port 2000’s construction. Materials temporarily deposited there were later reused, including in the construction of the chatière dyke itself.
Once cleared, HAROPA PORT launched a renaturation programme covering the site, which now includes a pond of approximately 2 hectares.
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Ecological monitoring has been entrusted to a specialised environmental consultancy. The first surveys, conducted in 2026, recorded the presence of common shelducks, described as the largest species observed on the site, along with pied avocets and common gulls, considered relatively rare breeding birds in France. The natterjack toad has also colonised the site’s newly created aquatic habitats.
The wetland forms part of a broader package of environmental measures implemented across the project. During the preparatory phase, HAROPA PORT installed buoys equipped with hydrophones to monitor underwater noise levels and support the protection of marine mammals.
The port also carried out preservation work on sea kale (Crambe maritima), including seed collection and the relocation of plants found within the construction footprint.
For more information:
HAROPA PORT – https://www.haropaport.com/en
