A large South American rodent that has colonised European wetlands
Native to Argentina, Uruguay, Chile and Brazil, the coypu (Myocastor coypus) — also known as nutria — is a large semi-aquatic rodent that can weigh up to 9 kg and reach 80 cm in length including its cylindrical tail. Introduced into France in the 19th century for its fur, it escaped from fur farms and has since colonised almost the entire country, with the exception of high-altitude areas.
In 2026, several regional FREDON pest-control federations and departmental hunting federations are coordinating collective trapping campaigns in the wetlands of Charente-Maritime, Gironde, the Camargue, Loire-Atlantique, Vendée, Bouches-du-Rhône and Morbihan, with numerical targets exceeding 200 coypus removed per zone over the summer season.
Why the coypu is classified as an invasive alien species
The coypu is listed as an invasive alien species (IAS) by the French Biodiversity Office (OFB) and the National Museum of Natural History (MNHN). It is also classified as a "species likely to cause damage" (ESOD) by three-year prefectural orders in more than 70 French departments, including the entire Atlantic coast, the Camargue and Brittany.
The regulatory framework combines:
- European Regulation 1143/2014 on the prevention and management of invasive alien species;
- The ministerial order of 14 February 2018, which prohibits the introduction, sale, breeding and transport of live coypus;
- The order of 29 January 2007 governing trapping conditions;
- The 2024-2027 or 2025-2028 ESOD prefectural orders that authorise destruction by shooting, cage trapping or bow-hunting depending on the department.
Massive damage to banks, crops and biodiversity
The coypu is a strict herbivore that consumes the equivalent of 25 % of its body weight in plants every day. Its damage falls into three categories:
- Bank and levee collapse: it digs 6 to 8-metre burrows with submerged entrances, weakening hydraulic structures, towpaths, fish ponds and irrigation canals. In the Camargue and the Marais poitevin, several dykes have had to be rebuilt urgently after collapses attributed to coypu activity;
- Agricultural losses: maize, cereals, rapeseed, alfalfa, sunflower, market-garden crops — losses exceed €500 per hectare locally according to the chambers of agriculture of Charente-Maritime and Vendée;
- Impact on biodiversity: consumption of reed beds, destruction of waterfowl nests (ducks, coots, rails), competition with the water vole and the muskrat, and the spread of liver fluke (Fasciola hepatica), a parasite of livestock.
The total cost to local authorities and farmers is estimated by the OFB at several tens of millions of euros per year nationally.
The 2026 control campaign: collective trapping and prefectural coordination
In 2026, the national scheme is built around several complementary approaches:
- Cage trapping (single-entrance "coypu cage", bait-free) carried out by local hunting associations (ACCAs), regional FREDONs and departmental hunting federations;
- Shooting operations led by official wolf-and-wildlife officers (lieutenants de louveterie), particularly in summer when coypus are active along canals;
- Departmental "Invasive Alien Species" coordinator appointed by the prefectures in most of the departments concerned, in line with the National IAS Strategy 2022-2030;
- Training of staff from coastal municipalities and ASA associations of fish-pond owners in setting compliant traps;
- Centralised data collection via the SINP platform (Information System on Nature and Landscapes) and the OFB's "Acting for biodiversity" app, which lets members of the public report their sightings.
The special case of dykes and hydraulic structures
The law of 16 September 2019 on modernising fire safety was extended in 2022 to flood protection dykes, placing their maintenance under the responsibility of the EPTBs (territorial basin public bodies) or dyke managers. The presence of coypus is now among the priority monitoring criteria, alongside badger setts and woody vegetation.
Several departments — Charente-Maritime, Gironde, Vendée — have therefore launched in 2026 public control contracts covering several thousand hectares of marshland, co-funded by FEADER European funds, the water agencies and the departments.
Which solutions for individuals and farmers?
For pond owners, farmers or residents next to watercourses, several solutions exist:
- Coypu cage trap: a passive, bait-free device that captures the animal alive. Approved by the order of 29 January 2007, it is checked every morning;
- Body-grip trap: authorised only in some ESOD departments, with prior declaration at the town hall;
- Shooting: subject to individual prefectural authorisation and the agreement of the hunting-rights holder;
- Passive bank protection: installation of fine-mesh fencing (19 mm) buried 50 cm deep on sensitive sections (fish farms, structures);
- Hiring a professional: Antinuisible Pro assesses the colony, identifies burrow zones and implements a multi-year control plan combining trapping, protection and monitoring.
As with any rodent infestation, speed is essential: a pair of coypus can establish a colony of 200 to 300 individuals within three years if nothing is done.
What the French regulations say exactly
The regulations are complex, but boil down to a few key principles:
- Every owner, tenant or operator is required to take part in destroying coypus within the limits of the land they use (Article L. 1337-3 of the French Public Health Code, applied to ESOD species);
- ACCAs, AICAs, FDCs and FREDONs are the main operators authorised to organise administrative beat-hunts or concerted trapping campaigns;
- The use of poison is strictly prohibited — only mechanical trapping and shooting are allowed;
- Relocating a live coypu is prohibited outside direct transport to an approved carcass-disposal centre;
- Releasing any specimen into the wild (purchase, gift, deliberate release) is an offence punishable by a fine of up to €9,000 per animal.
Why call a professional?
Calling a specialist company such as Antinuisible Pro guarantees you:
- A colony assessment (burrow mapping, presence indicators, estimated number of individuals);
- A choice of a control method compliant with the regulations in force in your department;
- Appropriate trap placement and regular monitoring (checking, dispatch, catch records);
- Durable bank protection through fencing or rock armour;
- A written report useful in the event of a prefectural inspection or compensation claim.
See our deratisation and pest control services, our transparent pricing or request a free assessment via our contact form. For a critical situation (collapsing bank, mass infestation by a pond), our Emergency page connects you with a technician in under 2 hours across most French wetlands.
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