Permit· St Barthelemy· Leeward Islands
Reserve Naturelle de Saint-Barthelemy (ATE Office)
17° 54.1′ N · 62° 51.1′ W
The Agence Territoriale de l'Environnement runs the Nicole Aussedat marine reserve, created 10 October 1996 and covering about 1,200 ha in five sectors: Fourchue, Colombier, Pain de Sucre/Gros Ilets, Fregate/Toc Vers and the Grand Cul-de-Sac lagoon. Every visiting yacht that uses Colombier or Fourchue sails under its rules.
Practical
Office (OpenStreetMap position) above the harbour near Fort Gustave: Monday-Friday 8:00 am-12:00 pm; tel 0590 27 88 18; emergency/turtle line 0690 31 70 73; contact@agencedelenvironnement.fr. About 40 ecological moorings in Colombier and Fourchue bays - one boat per buoy, boats up to 25 m and 20 t, maximum 96 consecutive hours, then you must stay out of the reserve for at least 96 hours. Anchoring is allowed only inside Colombier and Fourchue bays in the marked anchoring zones outside the mooring areas (same 25 m / 96 h limits); anywhere else in the reserve anchoring is forbidden. Vessels over 25 m may not enter those bays; boats anchoring there must carry insurance with a wreck 'removal and destruction' clause. Dive buoys around the islets are for dive boats only (15 m / 10 t, 2.5 h) - sailboats may not moor or anchor on them. The reinforced-protection zones ban fishing, anchoring and scuba. Reserve rules (ATE leaflet and regulatory-zones page): 5-knot limit in the bays and within 100 m of the reserve islets; no jet skis, seabobs, e-foils, towed sports or underwater hull lights; no spearfishing or shellfish collecting; no gloves; no dogs on beaches; do not touch or feed turtles, rays, coral or sharks. Fishing from a boat needs a permit. All commercial activity needs prior authorization. Fees: none are published on the ATE pages; cruiser reviews describe the Colombier buoys as free or covered by port fees - verify at the capitainerie.
Best for
Knowing the mooring, anchoring and conduct rules before you pick up a reserve buoy