Le Figaro Nice
After a month-long public inquiry, which ended on February 22, the investigating commissioner issued an unfavorable opinion on the project to expand a fish farm in the bay of Golfe-Juan (Alpes-Maritimes), according to a 27-page report quoted Friday by the daily
Nice-Matin
and consulted by AFP.
The company Aquafrais Cannes, which has operated a farm at sea for 35 years and produces 570 tonnes of fish per year, plans to increase its production to 1,200 tonnes by 2026. To achieve this, it wants to bring together three scattered concessions that already exist to acquire a unique structure of 24,000 m2 off Vallauris.
This had sparked protests, in particular from the mayor Les Républicains, Kévin Luciano.
If Aquafrais
"tries to reduce the impact"
of the planned installation,
"answers to questions about pollution, the effects of climate change, the pressure of the human environment on the gulf, the presence of a fragile environment theoretically protected but already overexposed leave something to be desired”
, judges the investigating commissioner.
Final decision of the prefecture
The report was sent to the prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes, Bernard Gonzalez, who will decide whether or not to accept this project.
"I don't think this project can be part of an ecological transition process
," adds the investigator, who is particularly concerned about the
"potential effects"
of bacterial releases on human health.
While acknowledging the development of aquaculture as
"a necessity"
, its report highlights
"the minimization of the impact of the farm"
on small professional fishermen
"and on tourism"
.
Contacted by AFP, Jérôme Hémar, CEO of Aquafrais, said despite everything “
very optimistic because we know that we have a superb project
”.
He notes
"technical errors"
in the report, is surprised that the document
"does not include the answers that we have provided, in particular on the currents in the bay or on the quality of the water in our farms, which is better than on the beaches of Vallauris»
.
The prefect, adds Jérôme Hémar,
"will take the final decision also taking into account other reports"
, in particular that of the Regional Environmental Authority Mission (MRAE) which, in October, had underlined
"the quality of a project".
offering
"all guarantees for the environment"
.
At the end of February, a hundred boats marched between Golfe-Juan and Cannes to oppose the project, denouncing the impact on the environment and the dangers for navigation.
