A local fishing ban off the southern French coast has won praise from environmentalists and fishers 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 commune of Saint-Raphael on the Mediterranean coast, is a biodiversity haven.

It stands in stark contrast to many other places on the Cote d’Azur where unbridled construction, overfishing and heavy shipping traffic have spoiled the once-pristine natural environment.