Greenpeace has been cleared of environmental breaches after dropping boulders on the seabed in a celebrity-backed operation to protect marine life, with a judge saying prosecution was not in the public interest.
The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) started proceedings against the campaign group – and its chief executive, John Sauven – after it put in place anti-trawling measures in the English Channel.
The Offshore Brighton area, 28 miles off the coast, was designated a Marine Conservation Zone, with its coarse sands and gravel hosting a diverse range of species.
Greenpeace dropped 20 granite boulders in the area, despite warnings from the MMO that it was not licensed to do so, in February 2021 because it felt the area needed protecting from trawlers.
Celebrities including Thandie Newton, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Paloma Faith, Bella Ramsey, Mark Rylance, Jarvis Cocker and Ranulph Fiennes backed the campaign and had their names on boulders.
The MMO announced it was bringing a prosecution against Greenpeace and began proceedings at Newcastle Crown Court – close to its headquarters in the city – with a five-day jury trial scheduled for June.
But at a hearing last month, Judge Edward Bindloss invited the MMO to reconsider, saying prosecution was not in the public interest.
He said: “One of the ironies of this litigation is that both the MMO and Greenpeace are committed to improving the marine environment.”
He added: “The parties in this case should be allies, not antagonists. They should be acting in harmony given their stated purpose and objectives are the same.
“Greenpeace should be a supporter of the licensing regime and the MMO should support the prevention of any harmful deep sea fishing methods over important marine seabeds.
