Rennes (AFP)

The Rennes administrative court examined Thursday a request for interim relief from fishermen, who in the name of the principle of "environmental urgency" requested the suspension of the decree authorizing work on the Saint-Brieuc wind farm.

As the scallop fishing season began on Monday, fishermen expressed concerns about possible consequences for fishery resources, after two episodes of pollution involving the drilling vessel Aeolus.

In court, through the voice of their lawyer Vincent Brengarth, the fishermen, a delegation of whom attended the proceedings, requested the suspension of the order allowing the drilling vessel to go to the site.

Owned by the Dutch company Van Oord, this vessel was responsible for two hydraulic fluid leaks on June 14 and July 28.

The lawyers of the departmental fisheries committee of Côtes d'Armor had filed on September 24 two appeals against this decree, which regulates in particular the movement of vessels around the site and prohibits fishermen from entering a perimeter of 500 m around the installations, under penalty fine.

Before the summary judge, Me Brengarth argued "the environmental emergency" to suspend this decree.

The lawyer denounced the "rupture of dialogue" which succeeded the "logic of consultation" which prevailed until the beginning of the work between the fishermen and the owner, the company Ailes Marines, subsidiary of Iberdrola.

For the lawyer, "the reality of the spills" showed "an insufficiency to pursue with determination the risks incurred".

The prefecture of the Atlantic, which stressed that "the owner and the owner had taken corrective measures and suspended the work", also recalled that the site would be suspended in November for the winter period because of the weather report.

Regarding pollution, "it is a request which appears disproportionate in relation to the quantity" spilled, estimated the representative of the prefecture, arguing that it was an oil (Panolin) "degradable to 90% ".

The prefecture warned against the consequences of a suspension of the decree on maritime safety, recalling the risks for people on these sites, and requested the rejection of the request.

Yael Cambus, lawyer for Ailes Marines, raised the "extremely important cost" of a suspension, up to 600,000 euros per day.

The decision is expected next week.

© 2021 AFP