At an altitude of over 2,700 metres and with the help of their binoculars, Thierry and Frédéric scan the steepest points of the mountain, looking for abusive génépi pickers. In Savoie, the collection of this plant is limited to 120 sprigs per person per day, but this regulation is not always respected. So, since the beginning of summer, the French Office for Biodiversity has been carrying out daily checks. In Savoie, the authorities have already seized 16,000 sprigs picked illegally. An excessive collection that puts the génépi plant in danger. “If everyone pulls it out and cuts it, in the end, we make it disappear”, says one of the park officials in the 1pm report. Another problem highlighted by the police is the production of illicit alcohol. A phenomenon well known to the inhabitants. Some people collect up to 2,000 sprigs of génépi per day, far from the 40 sprigs needed to make a bottle. The resale of this alcohol can bring in several thousand euros per month. For Philippe, who distills génépi in an artisanal way, this is unfair competition.
