Petition calls for removal of tourist cave at Rhône Glacier

The petition “Free and Protect the Rhône Glacier” was symbolically handed in on Saturday morning in the Conches Valley, close to the Swiss glacier itself. Addressed to the Valais government, it has attracted more than 8,000 signatures.

The petition calls for the removal of a cave carved into the glacier to attract tourists. This cave, due to global warming, has required parts of the glacier to be covered with tarpaulins.

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The petition calls for the “urgent clean-up of this severely degraded site”, including the removal of tarpaulins scattered across the area – particularly those that have sunk into the glacial lake – as well as construction materials left strewn across the site.

The text also calls for the entrance fee to the glacier to be scrapped, urging “free access to the site”. More broadly, it calls for “a responsible, science-based policy” to tackle glacial retreat.

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The petition was launched by Pro Natura Valais, WWF Valais, the Swiss Foundation for Landscape Protection, the Mountain Wilderness association, and the Upper Valais group “Environment and Transport”.

‘A tragedy’

Around 15 people symbolically handed in the petition at midday on Saturday. “We are calling on the Valais cantonal government to put an end to this tragedy,” the groups behind the initiative said in a joint statement.

+ Why melting glaciers affect us allExternal link

The petition will soon be presented to Franz Ruppen, head of the Department of Mobility, Spatial Planning and the Environment.

Translated from French, sub-edited by sp