GAIA wins major victory: Council of State buries plans for Europe’s largest salmon farm

Brussels, 9 April 2026 – On 2 April 2026, the Council of State dismissed the appeal on points of law lodged by Columbi Salmon, a company backed by international capital. The ruling brings the proceedings to a definitive close and confirms the annulment of the permit for the construction of a mega salmon farm in Ostend, where nearly three million salmon would have been raised each year in unacceptable conditions.

After six years of campaigning by GAIA, the project has now been definitively abandoned. The permit has been irrevocably annulled and can no longer be granted in this form.

Three million salmon spared every year

The project envisaged the farming of nearly three million Atlantic salmon per year, which would have made it the largest salmon farm of its kind in Europe. These fish would have been confined in overcrowded tanks at extremely high stocking densities — up to 36 salmon per cubic metre — in conditions incompatible with their most basic needs.

“This is a major victory, both for animals and for the rule of law. This grossly oversized industrial project has now been definitively buried.” ​ — Michel Vandenbosch, President of GAIA

A precedent-setting ruling

In its ruling, the Council of State confirms a number of key principles. It explicitly recognises GAIA’s standing to bring legal proceedings in cases affecting animal welfare. It also confirms that considerations relating to animals, including fish, may be taken into account in environmental procedures.

The ruling further recalls that a land-based industrial fish farm cannot be regarded as a maritime port activity and is therefore incompatible with the designated use of the port of Ostend — an argument already upheld by the lower courts.

One reality: the mass suffering of fish

Behind this project lies a reality that is too often overlooked. In industrial fish farms, fish are kept at extreme densities that can reach several dozen individuals per cubic metre. Salmon, migratory animals capable of travelling thousands of kilometres in the wild, are deprived of all natural behaviour.

These conditions lead to chronic stress, disease, parasites and injuries. Scientific knowledge is now clear: fish are sentient beings capable of feeling pain.

A long-fought battle

This victory is the culmination of a campaign launched by the organisation in 2020, as soon as the project was announced. When Flemish Environment Minister Zuhal Demir (N-VA) granted the permit for this controversial project in 2023, GAIA immediately challenged it in court, denouncing both its incompatibility with planning rules and its serious consequences for animal welfare.

This decision forms part of a broader trend. That same year, a similar salmon-farming project in Baelen, Wallonia, was already refused by the then Walloon Minister for Animal Welfare, Céline Tellier (Ecolo), following campaigning by GAIA.

“This Council of State ruling marks an important milestone for animal welfare. It confirms the essential role of organisations like GAIA in defending animals. It sends an unambiguous message: industrial projects that trample on ethical standards and animal welfare will face firm, determined and effective opposition.” — Michel Vandenbosch, President of GAIA