Pollution in the Sète canal: a slick with the smell of hydrocarbons seeps towards the Thau lagoon

Depuis le pont Virla, la nappe d'hydrocarbure était nettement visible à la mi-journée. H.A.

Une matière irisée et à forte odeur d'hydrocarbure s'infiltre depuis ce dimanche 14 janvier 2024 dans le canal de Sète. 

At midday this Sunday, January 14, the pollution was still clearly visible from the Virla bridge on the Sète canal. An iridescent sheet with the smell of hydrocarbons infiltrated unhindered into the canal from the sea towards the Thau pond.

We do not yet know the origin of this spill but its impact is clearly not trivial. A Sétois who raised the alert had noticed the pollution in question since at least the beginning of the morning and was able to document the presence of a dead fish on the edge of the Quai du Bosc.

A Sétois saw a dead fish on the edge of the Quai du Bosc while he was capturing the pollution patch in images. DR

What to worry about for all the aquatic fauna present in its path, from the source of pollution to its obvious destination, the Thau basin.