🚀 go-pugleaf

I would like the readers comments on the account given below. In
particular, would like to  know if others have had a similar experience
and if so where in Europe. I have been advised  that whilst a number of
countries have experienced the same problem it would appear to be 
confined to Celtic areas, Ireland, Scotland, Provonce, Brittany,
Cornwall, Wales and areas  straddling the Pyrenees. Comments would be
welcome. 

On a campsite in Northern Finistere, Brittany, we experienced what can
only be described as an unprecedented invasion of brown rats. The
numbers were considerable. Young and old they were  into the tents,
around the washing and toilet areas leaving their droppings like calling
 cards, eating our food and 8 joined us one evening for dinner. Our
Bretton friend was  horrified. She tried to get the local press
interested, to no avail.We took a number of photos of our unwelcome
guests. The camp site is situated on the sea not in a built up area.  A 
fuller account is given below in the hope that someone may be able to
offer an explanation. I  have included the locations so that those
conservationists, naturalists and ecologists who are interested can find
the sites on a map.

We usually spend about 4 to 5 weeks at a municipal camp site in Northern
Finister, Brittany  either in July or August. We have camped here on and
off for about the last 20 years. The site in question, at
Primel-Tregastel is not far from the town of Morlaix about 15-20kms.
However,  nearer Primel, is a small hamlet Plougasnou. On the one side
there is Diben which has a large  wholesale fish  and shell fish
collection and distribution outlet and on the other and a  little
farther in land is the small hamlet of St.Jean de Doigt. Primel itself
is a moderately  sized residential area and like the camp site sits
right on the beach. The camp site is  surrounded on three sides by the
sea. All of the above are situated in an area full of sites  of
historical archaeological and scientific interest. It is also an area of
outstanding  natural beauty. It would appear that an attempt has been
made to protect the literal by  designating the area around the camp
site an area requiring special protection.    

The site has recently been renamed, made smaller and upgraded from a 2
star to 3 star site.  The  lavatory, toilet, utensil washing, and
laundering facilities have also been improved. A  fair bit of
landscaping has also been carried out but not very successfully. The top
soil was  removed exposing clay which was then given a thin layer of
fine sharp dusty chips, but only in places. One serious consequence of
this landscaping is that the site now floods quite badly  the natural
drainage having been seriously disturbed. There are also now large areas
of tarmac and concrete where before there had been vegetation including
small shrubs. Like a large  number of other campers we spent
considerable time trenching around the tent, for the first  time in
around 20 years. The conservation area also had new paths cut through it
and old paths widened.

The first indication, noticed by my wife who is the naturalist in the
family, of anything out  of the ordinary was the silence in the camp:
very few song birds could be heard. In fact we  saw very few birds and
of some species no young birds at all. Of the snakes we saw all were 
pretty thin,not young ones but mature under nourished specimens.
Normally we would have  expected healthy, sturdy fellows with a good
girth. They were also inside the camp in fact in  at least two tents
that we know of. Unfortunately they paid the ultimate price. There was 
certainly a fair increase in the number of bats and flying insects, the
anti-midge coil was  going from late afternoon, beetles however were not
so numerous. This had at least one  benefit, whilst queing for the
toilets and showers I could marvel at the numbers and also how  low bats
could fly to feed. At first we could not work it out, well until we
spotted the rats  that is. I would welcome comments on rats as a
possible reason. Other sites locally were much  the same as in previous
years. 

My major concern is that unless controlled the rats will do considerable
damage to the wild  life the new changes have been designed to help. In
the spring when the camp and surrounding  feeding areas are closed the
rats will feed on the eggs and young of the bird population, as  well as
the young of other ground dwelling animals. During our search for
information we were  told that there was now only one rat catcher for
the whole of North Finistere and that this  was part of a reduction in
public spending. 

We were informed that the changes made to the site were the result of
two quite separate  events,

1) the adjoining area is now designated an area requiring special
protection. 

This I always felt was long overdue. My major interest is pre-history
and I found the French  approach, until recently, very depressing. What
they have done and failed to do at Primel does not give me grounds for
anything other than depression. In the past, as far as the residents  of
the camp site were concerned, the men and older boys went fishing in
boats and along the  beach, whilst the women went shopping, cooked,
baked did the laundry. The younger children  played on the beach and in
the camp. All from time to time would visit friends and relatives 
living in the area. Very few went up the hill or into the area now
designated for protection.  There was a genuine desire to protect the
environment and not just out of self-interest. We  certainly sat of an
evening admiring the sunset. Now however, with the wide publicity and 
encouragement to visit the area the number of visitors has multiplied
considerably, eroding  what field evidence there is for very early
occupation. Not to mention the destruction of the  plant and animal life
alleged to be protected. A great deal of damage has already been done. 
The old campsite was rich in wild flowers, in both numbers and variety,
mosses, butterflies,  all now gone. Even the abandoned areas are bereft
of the rich variety of wildlife previously  observed. The thriving
colonies of a wide variety of snails have all but disappeared.

2) a petition by the new residents of Primel to have the camp site
closed. 

All I have to say on 2 is that I suppose that the novae riche must find
it galling to have to  share an extraordinary, beautiful, but for them,
extremely expensive series of astounding  views with the riff-raff and
hoy-poloi as well as the few remaining members of the  working-classes
of Europe, all of whom only have to pay moderate camp site fees. My
informant  tells me that most have two houses one where they work and a
weekend house at Primel. Most  will also have to sell one or other
because of the state of the economy, therefore, to keep  the value of
there house the environment has to suffer. It is also, I suspect, a
matter of  protecting votes, Bretton �migr�s living in Paris do not vote
in Brittany, neither does the  wild life!

I would like to know if similar situations have really occurred in other
European countries  and where. I would also like to know who to contact
with the power to do something about the  situation?
!N3

--
Regards,
D.Graham 

e-mail  <dgraham@clara.net>
Posted on 04/13/97 at 15:11 BST
From Strathclyde in Scotland.
Using OUI PRO 1.5.0.2  <The Really Usefull Offline Editor.>

TODAYS MESSAGE: 
Avoid being poisoned by Crypto Sporidium; drink only undiluted Scotch Whiskey.