LETTERS

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Do the right thing Angela, withdraw the application!

Dear Angela,

As the public consultation period closes, we are appealing to you to do what is right – it’s time for you to withdraw the application.

It is now four weeks since we learnt of your proposal to build a 100.8ha seaweed farm in Port Quin Bay, a full seven months after you submitted the application.

There is overwhelming opposition to your proposal. You must be in touch with the MMO and know that they have received an unprecedented number of objections from the public, conservation groups and statutory consultees. Your chances of securing a licence are, to put it mildly, remote.

Port Quin Bay is just too sensitive a site. The marine and coastal biodiversity, the proximity to protected onshore and marine areas, and the multitude of users who would be impacted simply make it unsuitable for such a large, untested aquaculture project.

You would have known this if you had consulted openly and widely before you submitted your application. You would have known this if you had conducted site-specific surveys on the location. We hope you learn some lessons from your experiences here and in Gerrans Bay so that other communities can avoid the unnecessary stress you have put us through.

So go on, put us out of our misery, don’t let this drag on unnecessarily, accept the inevitable and… WITHDRAW NOW!

Sincerely,

The community and stakeholders of Port Quin Bay

We have been reaching out to Biome Algae’s investors to ask them to intervene and get this reckless licence application withdrawn. While the application remains live, their funding is directly supporting a project that carries unacceptable risk to Port Quin Bay’s marine and coastal habitats and species. 

Here’s an update:

Malcolm Preston – No response. Malcolm is a Board Level Sustainability Adviser, Business School lecturer and conference moderator. He lent BA £100k in May 2023. 

Gabriella Reis – No response. Gabriella is an Environmental Impact Project Manager (freelance) based in Dubai. She lent BA £100k in May 2023. 

Devon Environmental Foundation – We have received one email from Director Amanda Keetley acknowledging our complaints. DEF is backed by Ben Goldsmith and his Conservation Collective. They are assessing our emails and will get in touch ‘if required’. We do not know if they are in discussions with Biome Algae but we are pressing them for a more transparent response.

Earthly – These guys responded quickly and have removed Biome Algae from their website while they conduct their own investigations. They no longer sell carbon credits associated with BA’s seaweed farm. We don’t know the nature of any discussions between Earthly and BA, however we respect Earthly’s swift and responsive action and hope they have made clear to BA that corporate responsibility and business ethics are a basic requirement for their support. We note that BA has not yet removed Earthly’s logo from its own website!

What can you do? 

Please email the following people to share your concerns about the licence application. Investors have enabled Biome Algae to pursue their Port Quin Bay project. It’s appropriate to raise concerns with them and ask them to intervene. Write to:

• Malcolm Preston (£100k loan) at malcolm.preston@kellogg.northwestern.edu
• Amanda Keetley of the Devon Environmental Fund (£42k and £25k loans) at amanda@devonenvironment.org
• Reach out to Gabriella Reis (£100k loan) on LinkedIn