France's Caribbean archipelago of Guadeloupe, famed for its tropical beaches, plans to remove some of its exotic coconut palms to stem coastal erosion and eradicate a tree disease.
Issued on: 04/01/2025 -
Coconut trees on Sainte-Anne beach in Guadeloupe. © Wikimedia/CC
By: Isabelle Martinetti with RFI
At the picture-perfect beach of La Perle, in the north of the French overseas region of Guadeloupe, authorities have a two-year plan to remove some of the palm trees that fringe its turquoise waters – and replace them with native species with roots that will better stem coastal erosion.
"The coconut palm is an exotic species," explained Julien Lorthios, from the French Office of Biodiversity (OFB).
It does not have the same capacity as some endemic species to put down deep roots, as even tall palms have a tiny root system, spreading less than one square metre from the base of the trunk. This means they cannot fix sand in place to stop it being washing away by powerful waves, according to Guadeloupe's department of the environment.
Lorthios recommends, along with other experts, replanting more endemic species in order to slow down coastal erosion – a natural phenomenon which is accelerating with climate change.
Palm disease
Native species may also be more resilient to a disease called lethal yellowing, which is ravaging the exotic coconut palm.
"The disease is spread by a tiny insect that looks like a cicada," explains Fabian Pilet of the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD).
Lethal yellowing is highly contagious and requires the immediate removal of the palm tree to prevent contamination. "It's curtains for the palm the minute the first symptoms appear," added Pilet.
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Coconut palms in other countries have also been decimated by the disease, including in the Caribbean island of Jamaica in the 1980s.
So far, nine cases have been identified in Guadeloupe, in various parts of the archipelago and on several types of palm trees.
At the picture-perfect beach of La Perle, in the north of the French overseas region of Guadeloupe, authorities have a two-year plan to remove some of the palm trees that fringe its turquoise waters – and replace them with native species with roots that will better stem coastal erosion.
"The coconut palm is an exotic species," explained Julien Lorthios, from the French Office of Biodiversity (OFB).
It does not have the same capacity as some endemic species to put down deep roots, as even tall palms have a tiny root system, spreading less than one square metre from the base of the trunk. This means they cannot fix sand in place to stop it being washing away by powerful waves, according to Guadeloupe's department of the environment.
Lorthios recommends, along with other experts, replanting more endemic species in order to slow down coastal erosion – a natural phenomenon which is accelerating with climate change.
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Palm disease
Native species may also be more resilient to a disease called lethal yellowing, which is ravaging the exotic coconut palm.
"The disease is spread by a tiny insect that looks like a cicada," explains Fabian Pilet of the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD).
Lethal yellowing is highly contagious and requires the immediate removal of the palm tree to prevent contamination. "It's curtains for the palm the minute the first symptoms appear," added Pilet.
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Coconut palms in other countries have also been decimated by the disease, including in the Caribbean island of Jamaica in the 1980s.
So far, nine cases have been identified in Guadeloupe, in various parts of the archipelago and on several types of palm trees.
A tree infected with lethal yellowing, a phytoplasma disease affecting palms. © Wikimedia/CC
Role in tourism
"We don't know how to cure or control the disease, but we can mitigate its effects by replanting, for every tree that is cut down," said Pilet.
The effects of the disease on Guadeloupe's coconut palms has not yet raised major concerns among French authorities. The coconut industry in the region remains entirely informal, although it plays a role in attracting tourism, with vendors selling fresh coconut water by the roadside.
Role in tourism
"We don't know how to cure or control the disease, but we can mitigate its effects by replanting, for every tree that is cut down," said Pilet.
The effects of the disease on Guadeloupe's coconut palms has not yet raised major concerns among French authorities. The coconut industry in the region remains entirely informal, although it plays a role in attracting tourism, with vendors selling fresh coconut water by the roadside.
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