French fishing ban unites fishermen, biodiversity activists

More than 80 species of marine life thrive off Cap Roux. Photos: Clement Mahoudeau/AFP

A local fishing ban off the southern French coast has won praise from environmentalists and fishermen alike, a rare example of biodiversity protection dovetailing with business interests.

Almost two decades after the ban, Cap Roux, a coastal tip of the Esterel mountain range near the resort of Saint-Raphael on the Mediterranean coast, is a biodiversity haven.