In Ostend animal and environmental activists staged a protest against the arrival of a salmon farm yesterday. The farm is destined to become the biggest salmon farm in Europe. Opponents claim the farm is bad news for the environment and animals won’t be treated properly.
It’s Norway’s Columbi Salmon that has plans to build a salmon farm in the port city. The aim is to produce 12,000 tons of salmon a year making the farm the biggest in Europe.
Animal rights activists say the company puts fish in cages that are far too small: “The animals can’t move and are at great risk of falling ill” says Els Van Campenhout of Animal Rights. ”Imagine having to spend your entire life locked up with others in a toilet”.
Van Campenhout also says the farm’s impact on the environment is unclear: “We asked the CEO what will happen with the millions of litres of water that will be used and they couldn’t provide a proper answer”.
West Flanders provincial authorities earlier green lighted the farm’s environment licence, but the Flanderswide authorities have the final say.
“We all want the same thing: for environment minister Demir (Flemish nationalist) to reverse the decision to grant an environment licence”.