100 signatures reached
To: CEO of the Marine Management Organisation (MMO)
Stop the destructive dredging of Falmouth Harbour!
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No toxic dredge in Falmouth Bay without proof that it is safe.
Why is this important?
We call on the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) to remember its statutory duty to protect the marine environment and not to grant a licence for any proposed dredging plan unless:
- Much more robust and independently verified safeguards are in place to protect fisheries and marine ecosystems;
- Less harmful approaches for the development of the docks, that avoid or reduce harm and prioritise long-term community benefits, have been fully explored;
- Local people get a proper say. The public consultation is reopened to allow input from local fishers, scientists, residents and other affected groups in the decision-making process.
A plan to dredge 650,000m3 (over 250 Olympic swimming pools) of sediment in Falmouth Harbour threatens irreversible harm to our environment, community and the local economy.
Dredging risks unearthing toxic pollutants left by years of industrial pollution that have been safely trapped in the seafloor for decades. Testing shows TBT, a banned and highly destructive chemical, is 17.6 times over the safe and legal limit for disposal at sea. If this dredging goes ahead, it will release a cocktail of TBT, PCBs, PAHs and heavy metals into the marine ecosystem, bringing severe human health risks (these toxic contaminants have been linked to cancer and fertility issues) and the destruction of marine life.
If the dredge goes ahead, it could permanently damage protected, globally rare habitats, including mearl beds and seagrass meadows, and wipe out Britain's last wild oyster fishery that is central to the coastal town's heritage.
The public consultation ran from 24 July to 4 September 2025. Many fishers, residents and businesses didn't know it was happening, unaware of the scale and potential implications. Since it closed, the MMO has received further environmental evidence that the public has had no chance to respond to. Cornwall Wildlife Trust and local fishers have also raised serious concerns about the sediment testing and the modelling of where pollution would spread.
The plan also gambles Cornwall’s £2bn tourism and £174m seafood sectors to cater to low-spending mega-cruise liners that offer questionable financial benefits to local residents and will increase air pollution in the town.
Dredging risks unearthing toxic pollutants left by years of industrial pollution that have been safely trapped in the seafloor for decades. Testing shows TBT, a banned and highly destructive chemical, is 17.6 times over the safe and legal limit for disposal at sea. If this dredging goes ahead, it will release a cocktail of TBT, PCBs, PAHs and heavy metals into the marine ecosystem, bringing severe human health risks (these toxic contaminants have been linked to cancer and fertility issues) and the destruction of marine life.
If the dredge goes ahead, it could permanently damage protected, globally rare habitats, including mearl beds and seagrass meadows, and wipe out Britain's last wild oyster fishery that is central to the coastal town's heritage.
The public consultation ran from 24 July to 4 September 2025. Many fishers, residents and businesses didn't know it was happening, unaware of the scale and potential implications. Since it closed, the MMO has received further environmental evidence that the public has had no chance to respond to. Cornwall Wildlife Trust and local fishers have also raised serious concerns about the sediment testing and the modelling of where pollution would spread.
The plan also gambles Cornwall’s £2bn tourism and £174m seafood sectors to cater to low-spending mega-cruise liners that offer questionable financial benefits to local residents and will increase air pollution in the town.
We cannot allow our local environment and community health to be sacrificed.
Sign this petition to call for the MMO to stop the toxic dredge and redevelop the docks responsibly!
