Pure Salmon has gained key approval from the Department Council for the Environment, Health, and Technological Risks (CODERST) in Gironde, France, for its salmon recirculating aquaculture system (RAS).
Pure Salmon, a subsidiary of 8F Asset Management, has been working to clear regulatory hurdles to build a salmon RAS in Le Verdon-sur-Mer. The company is targeting 10,000 metric tons (MT) of Atlantic salmon production per year, using a fully integrated operation that covers everything from farming to processing and packaging for domestic consumption within France.
CODERST met and gave a favorable opinion of the project, meaning it is one step closer to regulatory approval.
“This advisory opinion precedes the decision of the Prefect of Gironde to issue the environmental authorization by decree in the coming weeks,” CODERST said in a release.
The positive finding came as roughly 200 people gathered outside the council meeting to protest the salmon farm, according to reporting by Rue89Bordeaux. The project has seen steady opposition from both the public and animal welfare and marine conservation groups, including Welfarm – which is seeking a total ban on all RAS farms in France over animal welfare concerns.
The public inquiry of the project also received more than 20,000 submissions, with over 90 percent of them reportedly being unfavorable. Seventeen different surrounding municipalities have also passed motions to reject the project, info.fr reported.
Despite opposition, the project has gained key approvals from multiple government bodies. The company said its RAS will recirculate more than 99 percent of the water it uses, reducing freshwater needs and discharge volumes. The company said its facility has been designed to exceed all regulatory requirements and is projected to cost EUR 275 million (USD 313 million).
“Environmental stewardship and responsible resource use are central to what Pure Salmon and 8F stand for,” Pure Salmon France Chair André Muschallik told SeafoodSource in April. “We design our facilities in full compliance with all applicable regulatory requirements and engage proactively with authorities throughout the permitting and operational process. We have the technical expertise to back this up in practice."
