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France Launches Pine Nematode Eradication in Landes as Infected Trees Are Destroyed

State funding will support mandatory felling to contain the first outbreak confirmed in Seignosse.

Overview

  • The Landes prefecture confirmed that contaminated pines at the Seignosse site were felled and shredded under state supervision.
  • A 15 November prefectural order mandates cutting all trees within 500 meters of the outbreak, with operations scheduled through 15 February 2026.
  • Authorities established a roughly 20‑kilometer buffer zone, freezing forestry exploitation for four years and restricting wood movements to limit spread.
  • The agriculture ministry announced a financial envelope for eradication costs including destruction, safe felling, transport to designated facilities, and grinding, without disclosing the amount, while replanting aid was raised to cover up to 90% of costs.
  • Prospections continue across about 36,000 hectares as INRAE prepares genetic analyses to determine the nematode’s origin.