Corsica to tax certain anchorages

Forty_Two

Forty_Two

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French link... (bit slow to load)

http://www.voilesetvoiliers.com/lit...aure-un-peage-autour-des-bouches-de-bonifacio

My software translates it as....

"1st June to September 30, throw the anchor to the South of the Corsican one will be henceforth... paying! Voted by territorial l’Assemblée, this applicable measure to l’immense Reserves natural of the Mouths of Bonifacio is inspired of this that does itself already to the North of the Sardaigne since 2006."


Paul
 
Forty_Two said:
French link... (bit slow to load)

http://www.voilesetvoiliers.com/lit...aure-un-peage-autour-des-bouches-de-bonifacio

My software translates it as....

"1st June to September 30, throw the anchor to the South of the Corsican one will be henceforth... paying! Voted by territorial l’Assemblée, this applicable measure to l’immense Reserves natural of the Mouths of Bonifacio is inspired of this that does itself already to the North of the Sardaigne since 2006."


Paul
Click to expand...

Thnaks for that info. Blimey! It didn't say if the tax is paid once for the whole season, or for a day, or what. Will be interesting to see what happens - when Sardinia did this (they don't any more) no-one went there. I think visitor numbers were 50%. In Corsica, 400euros for a 20m boat (that's MUCH less than Sardinia charged) is actually good vlaue if it means places like Lavezzi are 50% less busy, but that's a kinda selfish view and I'd be concerned this tax will dmage the local economy. Bonifacio relies heavily on summer trade with visiting boats. In contrast, Porto Vecchio, on the E side, isn't included in the taxed zone, so you can imagine there'll be a good argument twixt the two town halls on that one!

Edit, lower down the article it seems to say it will affect the Scandola nature reserve too (Porto, Girolata, and all those fantastic places with the red rocks). And that this is not fully passed into law yet.

A better translation is:

€20 per meter overall length to have the right to drop anchor (no-one has mentioned anchorages organized on buoys). Voted unanimously by the territorial Parliament of Corsica, on November 12, 2009, at the request of the island's Office for the Environment, the introduction of a tax of anchoring for pleasure boats is intends to apply the principle of “polluter pays”. Presented as“experimental”, the decision has heavy consequences. It will apply as of 1 June, and for each year for the period June 1 to September 30, to any yachtsman wanting to anchor in the nature reserve of Bonifacio. However, this zone is much bigger than only the mouth of Bonifacio and the archipelago of Lavezzi; it relates to all the South of Corsica, from the turret of the Monks on the west coast to the Chiappa headland on the east coast! This nature reserve includes the Corsica international marine Park, which also includes, on the Sardinian side, the archipelago of Maddalena.

It was the example of Maddalena (where there is a already a comparable tax, on a different tariff, namely €2 per meter for boats less than 17 meters, but per day, with possibility of subscription per fortnight), that inspired the Corsican elected officials. According to certain officials, the Sardinian tax (in April 2006), on the other side of the Straits of Bonifacio, caused increased visitors to Corsican waters in recent years and hence an increase in pollution problems. The revenue from the Corsica tax - which also relates to the Natural reserve of Scandola on the west coast of Corsica - would be used for the management of the nature reserves, in particular the creation of “blue brigades” (as if there were not already enough different police forces on water) that would control these zones and apply sanctions if necessary.

For several months, the debate has been rather sharp between local associations that are pleased with this environment protection measure, and yachtsmen who regard this as a new restriction on their freedom to sail, and who argue the tax is anyway just a way of a buying a “licence to pollute”. Some see there some hypocrisy, having the feeling that that they're being reproached for the fact that while anchoring by their own means, they do not bring to the local economy the financial benefits that other tourists generate. In the proposed law which remains to be validated by the Council of State, no exemption for boats equipped with a black water tank seems to be envisaged. That's surprising even though many other environmental consequences exist, like the seabed damage from anchors, grey water, and hydrocarbon from exhausts. Anyway, such a black tank exemption would certainly not be without other problems: it would be shocking if a large luxury motor yacht equipped with a black tank could be exempt from tax while a small sailing boat without a similar installation would not be.

...

In addition to it will be necessary from now on to pay on both sides of the Straits of Bonifacio (!), that promises interesting cruisings when it is necessary to receive each day the visit of the French officials (to say nothing of the Italian side), even several times per day if various administrations doing the same work dont coordinate, which often happens on our coasts… Those tempted to avoid this tax should know that a fine is envisaged up to 3x the tax (limited to 50% if one pays immediately). Last but not least, this new taxation is an experiment and might be extended to all the coast controlled from Corsica, then the Mediterranean coastline of the mainland*.

* not sure of translation. The Fr word was "metropolis". I think they mean mainland, but I'm not sure)
 
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