The genepi, an emblematic plant of the summit of the Alps, is threatened because too many hikers come to pick it in the Vanoise National Park. A prefectural decree therefore limits its picking. The JT followed the work of the agents who are keeping an eye on things.
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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 a certain type of delinquent: abusive génépi pickers. “There is a man with a red bag, with his dog, who we have already spotted”shows us Thierry Arsac, deputy head of the Haute-Tarentaise sector in the Vanoise National Park (Savoie).
In Savoie, the collection of this plant is limited to 120 sprigs per person per day, but this regulation is not always respected and some people pick “up to several thousand strands”explains a police officer. So, since the beginning of the summer, the French Biodiversity Office has been carrying out daily checks.
Law enforcement is also monitoring the production of illicit alcohol
In Savoie, the authorities have already seized 16,000 illegally picked sprigs. An excessive collection that puts the genepi plant in danger. “If everyone pulls it out and cuts it, in the end it will disappear.”continues Thierry Arsac.
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Another problem highlighted by the police: the production of illicit alcohol. A phenomenon well known to the inhabitants. Some collect up to 2000 sprigs of génépi per day, far from the 40 sprigs needed to make a bottle. “From time to time, we come across large seizures which result in legal proceedings”underlines Corentin Hassmann, commander of the high mountain gendarmerie platoon of Savoie.
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.
The TF1info editorial team | TF1 report: M. Falaizeau, C. Dubray
