Stéphane Burgatt, edited by Yanis Darras 11:45 am, June 01, 2023
It is a controversy that is growing on the Côte d'Azur. The floating beach project known as Canua Island, divides the area. Considered ecological by its designers who highlight their desire to minimize their carbon impact, their opponents speak mainly of "greenwashing".Two words and a swelling polemic. Canua Island, this floating beach that is to settle off the Gulf of Mandelieu-la-Napoule, provokes the anger of environmental defenders. Because the project is one of a kind. 600 meters from the coast, this floating beach will host palm trees, deckchairs and a restaurant where nearly 300 people can have lunch.
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This motor trimaran "is 41 meters long, which is not very large since some reach 100 or 150 meters. On the other hand, it is very wide, "explains to the microphone of Europe 1, the navigator Marc Audineau, also designer of this island. "There are hundreds and thousands of ships on the Mediterranean and we are just one more ship, with probably the lowest carbon footprint, with zero CO2 emissions," he said.
A "Dubaiization of our coasts"
Faced with accusations of pollution and nuisance, the president of Canua Island, Jean-Bernard Falco, defends a responsible project. "It's not a nightclub. We will be very careful about that. How is it not ecological?" he wonders before adding: "It is ultra-efficient in terms of energy. For example, there are only five boats on the Côte d'Azur that use fuel made of 90% biofuels. And we are one of those five boats," he said.
"It's greenwashing," said Eric Lanzarone, a lawyer for the environmental association Syllau. In reality, it is an incongruity and a wart on the sea. It's clear that we are witnessing a kind of Dubaiization of our coasts," he regrets. And if Canua Island were to be allowed, the lawyer will not hesitate to threaten legal action.