An environmental disaster in Pas-de-Calais: Local Ocean, the grim project behind a salmon factory farm
Fish farms have become common in Europe and around the world, causing major ecological damage. Today, the company Local Ocean wants to set up in Le Portel in France. Its goal? To produce in large quantities to meet French demand and, even more, to stimulate it. With this race for profit will come devastating pollution, while the welfare of the salmon is annihilated in one fell swoop… One Voice is committed to protecting these animals who are largely forgotten by everyone, and is joining forces with its partner associations to stop this senseless project.
The closed-loop model: the greenwashing of fish farms
Two million salmon per year: when Local Ocean boasts about opening a large-scale fish farm –no less than 12.6 hectares are needed for its construction– based on the model of seawater recycling, it’s close to forgetting about the rest. Closed-loop fish farming, or recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS), is not good for the environment, far from it, and denotes a system that is far from being under control. Pollution of water, soil and air, destruction of habitats and wetlands, disruption of marine parks, disturbance of local birds and seals… The large amounts of animal waste discharged into the sea – an estimated 260 tonnes of nitrogen and 87 tonnes of phosphorus per year – are just the tip of the iceberg.
The Prefect of the Pas-de-Calais region is literally turning a blind eye to the many risks to nature. Whether in Chile or Canada, the problems are well known. In Norway, thousands of aquatic animals recently escaped from their farms, putting wild salmon, whose population is already in decline, at risk of extinction. Between crossbreeding and the spreading of disease, this means disaster for them. Worse still, the food in these factory farms is based on animal meal, requiring increased overfishing. This is how the company “ducks” the question!
Unimaginable suffering for millions of salmon crammed together
Local Ocean is planning additional cruelty, similar to what already exists in extensive farms, such as those intended for hunting, but this time… in the water! According to numerous studies, for instance involving Scottish farms, the salmon are deprived of minimal space, and their living conditions will be deplorable: injuries to their fins or tails, constant artificial light, stress and anxiety… Such overcrowding systematically requires preventive treatment with antibiotics at will, and, of course, a simple failure of the system would lead to mass mortality among these salmon.
To combat this large-scale aquaculture, One Voice is part of the request lodged by France Nature Environnement Hauts-de-France, GDEAM-62, L214 and Nord Nature Environnement before the Administrative Court in Lille.
In the meantime, read our leaflet for more information on the subject and sign the petition against these fish factory farms!