The establishment of a salmon factory in the north of Médoc divides

The mayor defends the project, environmental associations oppose it.

To meet a growing demand for salmon in France, Pure Salmon is seeking to establish the country’s very first salmon factory in Gironde. The site chosen by the company is located in Verdon-sur-Mer. But the project is not unanimous. If the mayor defends it, environmental associations oppose it, France Inter reported Wednesday, December 24 from consistent sources.

The factory aims to produce 10,000 tonnes of salmon each year, in onshore ponds at the end of the Gironde estuary. But for three years, several environmental associations have opposed it. “This project poses a problem”deplores Wednesday December 24 on France Inter Esther Dufaure, director of Seastemik. This environmental association denounces with the collective “salmon factories NON MERCI” the capture of water from an aquifer and polluted discharges in the Gironde estuary classified Natura 2000. “We have a project that consumes a lot of water and electricity, which poses pollution risks for fishing, shellfish farming and tourism. As long as there is a source of water, this type of land-based salmon factory can develop anywhere,” she castigates.

A public inquiry is taking place both in the town hall of Verdon-sur-Mer before two investigating commissioners and online from December 15 until January 19. “We encourage everyone to participate in this public inquiry because it poses a problem for the whole of France”points out Esther Dufaure.

“In a small village which is gradually losing its activities, we have no right to let an opportunity like that pass by”defends for his part the mayor Jacques Bidalun, favorable to the project. Pure Salmon in fact promises the creation of 250 jobs for 40 tonnes of production per day.

The public inquiry has already collected nearly 4,000 contributions online, often negative. “These are people who post opinions without having read the different subjects”castigates the project director Frédéric Carlier, contacted by France Inter. It highlights two years of work by the design offices. “On the water withdrawal and discharge part, we did all the modeling to be able to confirm compliance with all environmental standards”he says. Environmental associations promise to take legal action against the environmental authorization if the prefect validates it at the end of the public inquiry.

Salmon is the most consumed fish in France by the French, now the leading European consumers. It is a fish that comes more than 90% from farming, wild salmon has been largely decimated. Deputies from several political groups, ranging from LFI to the Republicans, including Ensemble pour la République, tabled a bill, mid-March on the Assembly website, for a 10-year moratorium on the establishment in France of “factory farms” for rearing salmon in ponds.