Prefecture Authorizes Contested Mega Salmon Farm in Gironde

Overview

• The préfète of Gironde signed the environmental authorization on August 3, allowing Pure Salmon to begin technical work subject to detailed prescriptions and reinforced monitoring.
• Pure Salmon plans a 14-hectare recirculating‑aquaculture (RAS) facility designed to produce 10,000 tonnes of salmon a year and to create roughly 250–400 local jobs.
• Scientific bodies including Ifremer and the BRGM warned that projects of this scale have few operational precedents and flagged gaps in data on water use, waste management and estuary impacts.
• Local residents, fisheries and shellfish groups and a coalition of NGOs announced immediate legal appeals to the administrative courts, making a protracted judicial fight the next likely development.
• Authorities and the company say preparatory works could start in 2027 with commissioning targeted for 2029 and first sales around 2031, a schedule that could be delayed by technical reviews or court rulings.