In Talmont-Saint-Hilaire (85), a huge surf park is set to replace the current car park at the Vendée aquarium, just 250m from natural surfing spots and in close proximity to a Natura 2000 area. This absurd project is completely at odds with current ecological priorities for coastal and biodiversity protection.
Our action
- 13 January 2026: surf park project in Talmont-Saint-Hilaire : Projet de surf park à Talmont-Saint-Hilaire : Les associations prêtes pour une action au tribunal administratif
- Petition against the Talmont-Saint-Hilaire surf park
THE CASE
The defenders
Following the announcement of the surf park project, a local opposition group quickly formed, called AC de Vagues à Talmont. AC de Vagues has stepped up its efforts to rally support against the project, launching an online petition in the summer of 2025 (which gathered over 25,000 signatures) and organising a demonstration attended by more than 750 people in November 2025. Supported by numerous other associations, AC de Vagues and Surfrider are now planning to launch an administrative appeal against the project.
State of environment
This project involves perpetuating the artificialisation of the coastline by permanently transforming the Vendée aquarium site, located just 250m from the ocean, into a large-scale recreational complex with an essentially economic purpose. Already partially urbanised, this sector would see new construction spread to undeveloped areas, even though it borders a Natura 2000 site, where a renaturation approach would be more consistent with the Zero Net Artificialisation (ZAN) law and local coastal protection objectives.
This immediate proximity to a protected site raises concerns about direct impacts on species and their habitats: a naturalist inventory conducted in October 2025 revealed the presence of 16 protected bird species and 7 bat species, whose habitats would be fragmented by the removal of 350m of hedges and the felling of 107 trees, as well as by the noise and light pollution generated by an outdoor infrastructure welcoming up to 250,000 visitors per year.
Furthermore, the project is unclear on water-related issues: the volume of seawater to be extracted and its source, the potential use of desalination and the management of brine associated with this process, and the management of waste water. These unclear elements raise concerns among associations about an additional impact on aquatic species.
Our demand
We call for the abandonment of this surf park project in Talmont-Saint-Hilaire.