An agreement signed in 2002 between the city of Saint-Malo and the Ministry of Culture and Communication put an end to doubts about the future of the Natière archaeological collection. It would remain in Saint-Malo!
More than 2,300 objects were deposited with the Musée de Saint-Malo by the DRASSM. Of these, 1,500 had undergone extensive conservation and restoration treatment before being presented to the public. The costs of this treatment were paid by the Saint-Malo town hall.
In 2007, the Direction des Musées de France approved plans for the creation of a large maritime historical museum in Saint-Malo, to be built at the edge of the commercial port on the docks of the Duguay-Trouin pier. The centrepiece of this international-scale museum will be the Natière collection, providing visitors with an unparalleled glimpse of sailing, trade and life aboard the great privateering frigates of the late 17th and early 18th centuries.