"One day, tourists will no longer come"... In Cagnes-sur-Mer, the three beaches closed due to suspected pollution have reopened, but concern remains.

"I'm sorry, but we have to get out..." Standing on the pebbles at the water's edge opposite the Church of Cros-de-Cagnes, a young, slightly embarrassed lifeguard brings Michel and Yveline, who are still crawling, back onto the shore.

This Saturday, it's 11:35 a.m. on this beach in Cagnes-sur-Mer, and the flag hoisted further away indicates that swimming is prohibited. The cause: suspected pollution, ongoing since Friday 3:05 p.m., in an area including the beaches of the Church, the port, and the port entrance. " We didn't know. Usually, they put up barriers..." , comments Michel, grabbing his towel. But there's a dramatic turn of events: during the discussion, the green flag is hoisted behind the young lifeguard's back. "Ah, that's good! The ban has just been lifted," he learns live.

In the process, the mayor, Louis Nègre, informed on the city's social networks: "The results of the analyses carried out [...] are green. The beaches closed as a precautionary measure therefore reopened a few minutes ago."

Yveline, from Cagno, notes, before returning to swim: "In recent years, this has happened often. 50 years ago, we didn't have this..." . A few meters further on, Myriam, 67, crossword in hand, shares the same opinion, sharing the mat with her husband, Olivier. They are tourists, but the wife grew up here. "When I was little, I used to swim here. The shallows were full of seaweed, we called it salad, the sea was beautiful. Today, there's foam on the surface from 11 a.m...." , she laments. Not enough to reassure these grandparents, soon to be joined by their 6-year-old grandson. " Pollution in the sea, plastic... Man's impact on ecosystems is everywhere. We're leaving them a disgusting world!" , Olivier chimes in.

And Myriam asks: "What do the MP and the mayor who want to get re-elected intend to do about the state of the sea? Think of the tourists, who pay high rents and restaurant bills... without being able to swim. One day, they won't come anymore..." , she predicts.

“Behind the sea, there are people who live!”

Affected by the swimming ban on Friday, the private establishment Le Carré bleu had to explain to customers who had rented a deckchair that they could no longer swim. "Obviously, they weren't very happy because they had paid until 7 p.m. So, we made small gestures: a coffee, a free drink..." , says Christophe, the owner, who has counted numerous cancellations. Pragmatic, the restaurateur, who has been at the head of this concession for 9 years, qualifies: "It happened a few times last year. Working by the sea means accepting the hazards, the weather, the storms, that's how it is..." .

Close to the sailing club, Jean-Christophe, from the small restaurant Le Poisson Bulle, which he and his partner Estelle took over a year ago, is also keeping a cool head. "It can happen, we deal with it... It's especially worrying for biodiversity. Because before being traders, we're citizens. Closing beaches in the event of suspected pollution seems normal to me, in terms of public health and respect for the sea," says the man who works with fresh fish caught in Cros and bans soda cans and plastic bottles from his shop. This Saturday, pink sea bream and swordfish are on the menu.

At the nearby port, Corinne and her fisherman husband, Jean-Louis, are lamenting a moribund day at their stand selling delicious fried seafood. "There's a good 70% fewer people... For months, with the discharge from the Saint-Laurent sewage treatment plant, it's been bad publicity. Catastrophic!" the fisherman fumes. "It's a shame," adds Corinne. " Because in Cagnes, the beaches are beautiful, the seaside is beautiful, there are toilets... We have to realize that, behind the sea, there are people who live, who pay utilities... and to whom we don't give discounts!"