The town of Nieuwpoort has high hopes for a solution to an ongoing dispute over a sea farm that retailer Colruyt is building off the coast of the West Flanders town, according to its mayor, Geert Vanden Broucke.
Speaking after the Council of State rejected appeals by the town and some associations against the sea farm, Vanden Broucke said a solution should be in the works, with the farm being moved up a bit. The sea farm case is not yet lost, he said.
Colruyt aims to have the sea farm produce the first Belgian mussels in 2023. However, the city has been opposing the project for some time, saying its location would be a disaster for fishing and tourism.
“The talks with the various partners continue," Mayor Vanden Broucke said. "We are looking for possible solutions together."
He said one such solution, for example, could be to move the farm up slightly, "to a less inconvenient location."
"The talks are continuing, and we hope to reach a solution soon,” he said.
