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-====== Judicial Review of the Marine Management Organisation’s Granting of Tees Dredging Licence (2026-2035) ======+===== Update 1st September 2026 ====
  
-9th January 2026+[[260705 EIR Request to MMO About Progress on Licence Redetermination]]
  
-====== 1. Executive Landscape and Strategic Imperative ======+===== Update 20th March 2026 =====
  
-The imminent filing of a request for Judicial Review (JR) regarding the Marine Management Organisation's (MMO) decision to grant a ten-year marine license for the disposal of dredged material from the River Tees represents a seminal moment in United Kingdom environmental law and marine governance. The license, which permits the annual disposal of over 2.4 million cubic metres of sediment into the Tees Bay — a volume totaling 24 million cubic metres over the license duration — raises profound questions regarding regulatory compliance, international treaty obligations under the OSPAR Convention, and the protection of biodiversity in the face of industrial development.+{{youtube>VOJLl-UfTSY}}
  
-The current media landscape surrounding the River Tees has been dominated by a protracted and often acrimonious dispute concerning the mass mortality of crustaceans that began in October 2021This narrative has historically been characterised by a stalemate between government agencies (Defra, MMO) attributing the die-offs to natural causes such as algal blooms or novel pathogens, and independent scientists and fishing communities pointing to anthropogenic chemical contamination, specifically pyridine and historic industrial toxins mobilised by dredging.+Great coverage on BBC on Thursday 19th March, on Look North, BBC Radio Tees and [[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn5g56yke7yo|BBC News Article]].
  
-However, the strategic context for the 2025/2026 period has shifted dramatically due to the emergence of a new, highly visible, and emotive ecological crisis: the catastrophic mortality of harbour seal pups in the Tees Estuary. This development provides potent "news peg" that transcends the technical complexities of sediment chemistryoffering a visceral entry point for national and international media.+While this legal action has been wonwe are now working to make sure that the next licence has better environmental protection.  If we don't achieve this in a year's time I may have to mount another judicial reviewso watch this space.
  
-To ensure this Judicial Review attracts the necessary media attention to effect changethe narrative must be rigorously reframed. It can no longer be presented solely as a local planning dispute or a technical argument about sampling methodologies. Instead, it must be positioned as a test case for the integrity of the UK’s post-Brexit environmental governance, a potential breach of international law affecting the shared North Sea ecosystem, and a public health crisis driven by the systemic failure of regulators to enforce safety standards against powerful economic interests.+In the meantimeplease think about supporting:
  
-This document uses an exhaustive analysis of the narrative architecture, legal levers, and targeted media outreach strategies required to elevate this Judicial Review from regional issue to a matter of national scandal and international concern.+The North East Fishing Collective who raised money to support my legal action and need to keep reserve of money to be able to react quickly if further die-off incidents occur: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/nefc2025
  
-===== 1.1 The "News Value" of the Judicial Review =====+The Tees Estuary Seal Survey are raising money to pay for the analysis of the samples taken from some of the Tees harbour seal pups who die (https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/tees-seal-pups) while samples from 2025 have now been analysed, sadly there will more seal mortality in 2026 and so will need further funds to cover analysis.
  
-Journalistic gatekeepers assess stories based on specific criteria: conflict, impact, timeliness, proximity, and human interest. The challenge regarding the Tees dredging license satisfies all these criteria, provided the "dry" legal details are translated into their real-world consequences.+===== Update 3rd March 2026 =====
  
-|**News Value Component**|**Application to Tees Dredging Judicial Review**                                                                                                                                                                      | +**To Protect the Tees – We Challenged the Licence We Won**
-|**Conflict**            |Citizen vs. State; Nature vs. Industry. The narrative pits a lone campaigner and local communities against a powerful government regulator (MMO) and the flagship Teesworks economic project.<sup>1</sup>             | +
-|**Impact**              |The license covers 10 years and 24 million cubic metres of material. The alleged consequence is the potential extinction of the Tees harbour seal colony and the collapse of the inshore fishing industry.<sup>2</sup>+
-|**Timeliness**          |The JR is being filed immediately; the seal die-off is currently ongoing (2024/2025 season), creating an urgent "now or never" dynamic.<sup>4</sup>                                                                   | +
-|**Novelty/Shock**       |The revelation of "100% seal pup mortality" and "mouth rot" provides a shocking new development that breaks the fatigue of the previous "crabs vs. algae" debate.<sup>3</sup>                                         | +
-|**prominence**          |The involvement of high-profile figures like Ben Houchen (Teesworks) and the potential engagement of national campaigners like Feargal Sharkey creates political weight.<sup>5</sup>                                  |+
  
-The strategic imperative is to move the story from the "Environment" pages (often niche) to the "News" and "Politics" pages by emphasising the //governance failure//. The story is not just that seals are dying; it is that the government is //allowing// them to die by ignoring its own safety rules to facilitate industrial expediency.+Thank you to everyone who has supported this legal action.
  
-===== 2. The Ecological Crisis as EvidenceFrom Crustaceans to Apex Predators =====+{{ :260303win-infographic-web.png?nolink&600 |}}
  
-To compel journalists to cover the legal challenge, one must first establish the gravity of the ecological disaster that the Judicial Review seeks to prevent. The dry legal arguments regarding sampling density are the //mechanism// of the challenge, but the ecological collapse is the //moral justification//.+The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) have agreed to quash the licence for the 10 year maintenance dredging of the Port of Tees and Hartlepool, so we have won the legal case The MMO only accepted that the licence was illegal due to the excluded areas not being properly specified but did not accept the other 6 reasons.  They also require 12 rather than 9 month deferral in order to be able to carry out the legal redetermination of the licence.
  
-===== 2.The 2024/2025 Seal Pup Mortality Event =====+**What does this mean?** 
 +  * The licence remains valid for 12 months so dredging of the navigation channel will continue. 
 +  * During the 12 months the MMO will need to carry out a redetermination of the licence and take account of any evidence which was not considered during the granting of the current licence. 
 +  * The seal evidence is one piece of evidence which the MMO has accepted they did not consider and as such will need to consider this time. 
 +  * The Tees will not be cleaner because of this win, but this is a significant step to getting proper scrutiny of dredging of the Port of Tees and Hartlepool. 
 +  * There is now time to make sure that other parties also submit evidence as part of the representation to the licence. 
 +  * The MMO will pay a fixed £35,000 towards the cost of my legal support, this combined with the donations from NEFC and others will cover the reduced fees that I am being charged.
  
-The most critical new element in the narrative is the devastating data regarding harbour seal pupsWhile the 2021 crustacean die-off is historical context, the seal deaths are a current, unfolding tragedy that provides powerful visual and emotional hooks for broadcast media.+**From my viewpoint there are several areas where the licence was deficient:** 
 +  - Harbour seal pup mortality - MMO have already accepted that this should be considered in the redetermination. 
 +  - Role of resuspended contaminated fine sediment particles - already in discussion with MMO so hopefully a correct assessment will be included as part of the licence redetermination. 
 +  90% of sediment removed from the port exceeds the level of contamination where it is known to be detrimental to the marine environment - UK wide issue due to lack of Action Level 2 (level at disposal at sea is illegal) for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). 
 +  - Lack of sampling - MMO do not accept this. 
 +  - Lack of correct environment assessments -  MMO do not accept this. 
 +What do you think should be considered when the licence is redetermined?
  
-Research conducted by the Tees Estuary Seal Survey (TESS) and Tara Seal Research has documented a catastrophic decline in pup survival rates. In the summer of 2024, approximately 23 pups were born at Seal Sands. By late Augustmonitoring indicated that effectively all of these pups had perished, stranding along the coast from Northumberland to North Yorkshire.<sup>2</sup> This represents a mortality rate approaching 100% for the cohort, a statistic that is statistically impossible to attribute to normal natural fluctuation.+The MMO licence is specifically for the disposal of sediment at seaso I am now going to contact PD Ports to understand how they ensure that the environmental laws are adhered to in the dredging operations themselves.
  
-The pathology of these deaths is distinct and gruesometermed "mouth rot" by researchers. This condition involves the necrosis (rotting) of the soft tissues in the mouth and the hard palate, often exposing the bone.<sup>4</sup> This makes feeding agonisingly painful, leading to starvation. Crucially, the pups are stranding at weights significantly below their birth weight, indicating a fundamental failure to thrive from the moment of birth.<sup>4</sup>+Once again thank you very much for your support for the judicial reviewhopefully the redetermination of the licence will properly protect the sea, and I won't be back in touch next year for your support for another judicial review.
  
-The Toxicological Link:+I will update with further details in the next few days. 
 +===== Update 10th January 2026 =====
  
-The link between the dredging (the subject of the JR) and the seal deaths is established through the presence of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) and other persistent organic pollutantsThe TESS researchers propose a mechanism of toxicity that Dr Simon Gibbon states directly challenges the MMO's assessment of sediment safety:+The MMO responded to our PAP letter on Chritmas Eve, stating that they would defend our legal challenge fully and that our central ground was "unduly legalistic". Since then we have been working to make the grounds of the case as strong as possible and expect to file a request for Judicial Review soon.
  
-  - **Bioaccumulation:** Adult female seals accumulate PCBs from their diet (fish) which inhabit the sediment-rich environment of the Tees. +In the meantime, any donations to help the legal costs (https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/protect-the-tees/or to pay for the analysis of the samples taken from some of the Tees harbour seal pups who died in 2025 (https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/tees-seal-pups) would both be very helpful.
-  **Maternal Transfer:** These lipophilic (fat-lovingtoxins are mobilised from the mother’s blubber during lactation and transferred to the pup via milk.<sup>7</sup> +
-  - **Immuno-suppression:** High levels of PCBs are known to cause severe suppression of the immune system in marine mammals. +
-  - **Opportunistic Infection:** The "mouth rot" is caused by bacteria (including anaerobic species and //Ecoli// likely from sewagethat a healthy pup would normally resistHowever, the immuno-compromised pups cannot fight off the infection, leading to necrosis and death.<sup>4</sup>+
  
-This causal chain provides a clear scientific rebuttal to the MMO's likely defence that the deaths are due to a "natural" disease outbreak. It frames the disease as a symptom of underlying chemical poisoning caused by the disturbance of toxic sediments—the very activity the JR seeks to halt. 
  
-===== 2.2 Historical Context: The Crustacean Die-Off (2021-2023) =====+===== Stop Press 30th November 2025 =====
  
-While the seals provide the immediate hook, the narrative must contextualise this within the broader collapse of the Tees ecosystem. In October 2021, a mass mortality event wiped out crab and lobster populations across 30 miles of coastline.<sup>8</sup>+I have been looking into the pollution of the River Tees for over 4 years and made numerous recommendations to the MMO to modify licences to improve the environment to little success.  Howeverhaving found what I believe are legal flaws in the way in which the MMO follows the OSPAR ConventionI have instructed solicitors to look into whether there is case which requires judicial review, //I hope to know by 3rd December// (update 3rd December there is a case, so my legal team drafting the PAP letter) and will then issue a pre-action protocol (PAP) letter to inform MMO of my intention to ask for a judicial review of the granting of the latest River Tees Maintenance Dredge licence.
  
-The government's response to this event set the precedent for the current regulatory battle. Defra initially blamed an algal bloom (//Karenia mikimotoi//), theory that was widely ridiculed by independent academic experts because the bloom had occurred weeks prior and water temperatures were too low to support it.<sup>9</sup> Subsequently, a government-appointed independent panel concluded that a "novel pathogen" was "as likely as not" the cause, despite no such pathogen ever being identified.<sup>8</sup>+Please have a look here for more details and if you able make donation to support legal costs - https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/protect-the-tees/
  
-This history is vital for the media strategy because it establishes a pattern of **state denial and obfuscation**. The "novel pathogen" theory served to exonerate the dredging operations required for the Teesworks FreeportBy linking the unsolved crustacean die-off with the new seal mortality, the narrative demonstrates that the "toxic theory" (involving pyridine and other industrial chemicals) remains the most plausible explanation for the continued ecosystem collapse.<sup>1</sup> The Judicial Review is thus framed not as a new complaint, but as the culmination of a four-year battle for truth.+I am being supported by the North East Fishing Collective who are also raising money to support my legal action: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/nefc2025
  
-===== 2.3 Visualising the Crisis for Media =====+Thanks, Dr Simon Gibbon - simonrg@northeastfc.uk
  
-To secure coverage, the abstract concepts of "PCBs" and "dredging volumes" must be translated into visual assets. The following assets are identified in the research and must be highlighted to picture desks and TV producers:+===== Genesis =====
  
-  * **Drone Footage:** Aerial video of the Seal Sands colony showing the proximity of the seals to the industrial complex and dredging vessels. This juxtaposes nature and heavy industry.<sup>2</sup> +I started to investigate the chemical state of the River Tees in 2022 prompted by the crustacean mortality event and consistent official reports which all excluded chemical causes having any role in the die-off.
-  * **Pathology Photography:** High-resolution images of the "mouth rot" lesions on stranded pups. While graphic, these images are necessary to convey the severity of the suffering (with appropriate warnings).<sup>4</sup> +
-  * **Comparative Imagery:** Photos of healthy, plump seal pups from other colonies (e.g., The Wash) contrasted with the emaciated, skeletal remains of the Tees pups to illustrate the "failure to thrive".<sup>4</sup>+
  
-====== 3The Legal and Regulatory Battleground: The OSPAR Breach ======+My investigations of contamination data held within marine licence applications and Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council planning application reinforced my concern that it was likely that chemical contamination had played a role in causing the crustacean die-off However, evidence of a direct causal link is missing as so little routine data is measured in the environmental space - monthly water quality measurement will miss any short lived contamination event, the 10s of sediment samples measured over the 1,600 football pitch area of the river does not give a full picture of the chemical state of the river sediments, lack of any biassays, ....  Insufficient measurements are only taken when an environmental incident occurs and without a baseline it is difficult to draw any conclusions.
  
-The core of the Judicial Review is the allegation that the MMO acted unlawfully in granting the license. 
  
-===== 3.1 The OSPAR Convention Violation =====+===== AI Generated PAP Letter =====
  
-The UK is a contracting party to the OSPAR Convention (Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic). This treaty obliges signatories to take all possible steps to prevent pollution and protect the marine area.<sup>12</sup> 
  
-The specific legal argument for the JR centres on the MMO's failure to adhere to OSPAR guidelines regarding the //sampling// of dredged material.+===== Pre-action Protocol Letter 2025 December 4 =====
  
-  * **The Sampling Deficit:** The sediment in the Tees estuary is known to be heavily contaminated due to a century of industrial activity (steelworks, chemical plants). Yet, the MMO granted a license covering an area of over 12 million square meters based on only **31 sediment samples**.<sup>14</sup> This sampling density is statistically insignificant and fails to provide a representative picture of the contamination risks, particularly regarding "hotspots" of toxins like PCBs and heavy metals. +[[251204Pre-action Protocol Letter - GRS to MMO|4th December 2025 - Pre-action Protocol Letter Goodenough Ring Solicitors to Marine Management Organisation]]
-  * **The "Unduly Legalistic" Defense:** In pre-action correspondence, the MMO dismissed our insistence on robust OSPAR-compliant sampling as "unduly legalistic".<sup>14</sup> This phrase portrays the regulator as viewing international safety standards as bureaucratic inconveniences rather than essential safeguards.+
  
-===== 3.2 The "Baseline" Fallacy =====+[[251215Follow-up to pre-action letter|15th December 2025 - Follow-up to pre-action letter - Goodenough Ring Solicitors to Marine Management Organisation]]
  
-A critical point of legal contention is the "baseline" used for environmental impact assessments. The MMO argues that the impact of the dredging should be measured against the "current state" of the environment—a state that is already heavily degraded by decades of dumping.<sup>14</sup>+===== Defendant Response =====
  
-  * **The Flaw:** By using a polluted baseline, the regulator effectively normalises the toxicity. The legal challenge argues that the assessment should compare the dredging activity against a "clean" or "restored" baseline to truly understand the harm being perpetuated. This argument mirrors successful legal challenges against the Environment Agency regarding River Basin Management Plans, where courts ruled that regulators failed to comply with the Water Framework Directive by not aiming for restoration.<sup>15</sup>+[[251224MMO Response to PAP Letter|251224MMO Response to PAP Letter]]
  
-===== 3.3 The Failure of "Good Environmental Status" =====+===== Interested Party Information =====
  
-The North Sea is failing to meet "Good Environmental Status" (GES) criteria for chemical contaminants. The JR argues that continuing to dump 2.4 million tonnes of toxic sediment annually makes it impossible for the UK to meet its statutory obligations to improve marine water quality.<sup>14</sup> This links the specific Tees issue to the broader national failure of water quality regulation, a theme currently dominating the news agenda via the sewage scandal. 
  
-====== 4. The Political Economy of Teesworks: Motive and Opportunity ======+[[260112Gibbon v MMO PD Teesport - Statement of Facts and Grounds|13th January 2026 - Gibbon v MMO PD Teesport - Statement of Facts and Grounds]]
  
-Investigative journalists will ask //why// the regulator would approve such a license on flimsy evidence. The political and economic context is important.+[[26013Witness Statement of Simon Gibbon|13th January 2026 Witness Statement of Simon Gibbon]]
  
-===== 4.1 The Freeport Imperative ===== 
  
-The Teesworks site, the largest brownfield site in Europe, is the flagship project of the previous Conservative government's "levelling up" agenda and a central pillar of the Teesside Freeport policy.<sup>1</sup>+Watch this space
  
-  * **Capital vs. Maintenance Dredging:** While the licence in question is for //maintenance// dredging (keeping channels open), the economic viability of the Freeport depends on the ability of large vessels to access the port. This creates immense political pressure to ensure dredging continues without interruption or delay. +PAP Letter 
-  * **The Cost of Compliance:** Proper disposal of toxic sediment (bringing it to land for treatment rather than dumping it at sea) is more expensive. The "dump at sea" option is the cheapest method. The narrative suggests that the MMO is prioritising the financial viability of the port operators (PD Teesport) and the political success of the Freeport over environmental safety.<sup>8</sup>+Information Requests 
 +Responses 
 +Response to Response 
 +Request 
 +Consent Order
  
-===== 4.2 The "Cover-Up" Narrative ===== +===== Other Pages That Link To This Page =====
- +
-The refusal of Defra to reopen investigations into the crustacean die-off, despite continued academic dissent, feeds into a "cover-up" narrative. +
- +
-  * **Withholding Data:** Journalists like George Monbiot have previously reported on the government's refusal to release specific evidence regarding the 2021 die-off.<sup>10</sup> +
-  * **Regulatory Capture:** The close alignment between the MMO's decision-making and the needs of the Teesworks development suggests a form of regulatory capture, where the watchdog has become a lapdog for the industry it is supposed to police. This is aligns with the Private Eye approach to Teesworks. +
- +
-====== 5. Conclusion ====== +
- +
-The Judicial Review against the MMO is more than a legal procedure; it is a narrative turning point. By linking the dry procedural failure (31 samples vs. OSPAR guidelines) to the visceral ecological tragedy (100% seal pup death), the campaign can bypass the fatigue associated with the "crab dispute" and ignite a fresh wave of public and media outrage. The key is that the regulator does not merely appear as incompetent, but also appears as //unlawful// and //complicit// in the destruction of a shared international resource. +
- +
-====== Works cited ====== +
- +
-  - North East Crustacean Die-off: The Crab Are Long Gone But The Smell Still Lingers, accessed on January 9, 2026, [[https://www.teesvalleymonitor.com/north-east-crustacean-die-off--the-crab-are-long-gone-but-the-smell-still-lingers|//https:%%//%%www.teesvalleymonitor.com/north-east-crustacean-die-off--the-crab-are-long-gone-but-the-smell-still-lingers//]] +
-  - start [North East File Collection - NEFC], accessed on January 9, 2026, [[https://northeastfc.uk/|//https:%%//%%northeastfc.uk///]] +
-  - Defra in Denial over Tees Seal Pup Deaths, accessed on January 9, 2026, [[https://www.teesvalleymonitor.com/defra-in-denial-over-tees-seal-pup-deaths|//https:%%//%%www.teesvalleymonitor.com/defra-in-denial-over-tees-seal-pup-deaths//]] +
-  - TESS stranded seal pup investigation 2025 - Tara Seal Research, accessed on January 9, 2026, [[https://www.sealresearch.org/research/tess-seal-pup-crowdfunding-project|//https:%%//%%www.sealresearch.org/research/tess-seal-pup-crowdfunding-project//]] +
-  - Water Bill: 28 Mar 2025: House of Commons debates - TheyWorkForYou, accessed on January 9, 2026, [[https://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2025-03-28b.1218.0|//https:%%//%%www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2025-03-28b.1218.0//]] +
-  - Reality Bites for Houchen: Steps Down as Chair of MDCs - Tees Valley Monitor, accessed on January 9, 2026, [[https://www.teesvalleymonitor.com/reality-bites-for-houchen-as-he-steps-down-as-chair-of-development-corporations77f90029|//https:%%//%%www.teesvalleymonitor.com/reality-bites-for-houchen-as-he-steps-down-as-chair-of-development-corporations77f90029//]] +
-  - Pollution kills all Tees Estuary seal pups - North East Bylines, accessed on January 9, 2026, [[https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/pollution-kills-all-tees-estuary-seal-pups/|//https:%%//%%northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environment/pollution-kills-all-tees-estuary-seal-pups///]] +
-  - BBC's Countryfile examines mass Teesside crustacean die off as government confirms no more analysis, accessed on January 9, 2026, [[https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/bbcs-countryfile-examines-mass-teesside-26225086|//https:%%//%%www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/bbcs-countryfile-examines-mass-teesside-26225086//]] +
-  - 2021 North-East England shellfish die-off - Wikipedia, accessed on January 9, 2026, [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_North-East_England_shellfish_die-off|//https:%%//%%en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_North-East_England_shellfish_die-off//]] +
-  - Pirates of the North Sea - George Monbiot, accessed on January 9, 2026, [[https://www.monbiot.com/2022/06/13/pirates-of-the-north-sea/|//https:%%//%%www.monbiot.com/2022/06/13/pirates-of-the-north-sea///]] +
-  - Just tell us what killed the crabs | The Lead - thelead.uk, accessed on January 9, 2026, [[https://thelead.uk/just-tell-us-what-killed-crabs|//https:%%//%%thelead.uk/just-tell-us-what-killed-crabs//]] +
-  - OSPAR Background Document on loopholes and best practices in waste management that contribute to marine litter, accessed on January 9, 2026, [[https://www.ospar.org/documents?v=46409|//https:%%//%%www.ospar.org/documents?v=46409//]] +
-  - Proceedings pursuant to the OSPAR Convention (Ireland – United Kingdom) - OFFICE OF LEGAL AFFAIRS |, accessed on January 9, 2026, [[https://legal.un.org/riaa/cases/vol_XXIII/59-151.pdf|//https:%%//%%legal.un.org/riaa/cases/vol_XXIII/59-151.pdf//]] +
-  - Protect the Tees: Challenge the Licence - CrowdJustice, accessed on January 9, 2026, [[https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/protect-the-tees/?utm_source=backer_social&utm_campaign=protect-the-tees&utm_reference=6f2ce11b348a6d47a1ea386e6e2e6c52&utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_content=post_pledge_page|//https:%%//%%www.crowdjustice.com/case/protect-the-tees/?utm_source=backer_social&utm_campaign=protect-the-tees&utm_reference=6f2ce11b348a6d47a1ea386e6e2e6c52&utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_content=post_pledge_page//]] +
-  - The Grayling Society news page, accessed on January 9, 2026, [[https://www.graylingsociety.net/news|//https:%%//%%www.graylingsociety.net/news//]] +
-  - Mass poisoning has suddenly killed off most sea life for 30 miles by the Tees. The govt claims it's natural; ind scientists warn it's manmade. The govt is desperate not to inquire too deeply as its freeport policy is at stake. : r/ukpolitics - Reddit, accessed on January 9, 2026, [[https://www.reddit.com/r/ukpolitics/comments/109b7fr/mass_poisoning_has_suddenly_killed_off_most_sea/|//https:%%//%%www.reddit.com/r/ukpolitics/comments/109b7fr/mass_poisoning_has_suddenly_killed_off_most_sea///]] +
-  - 5 Key UK Journalists Covering Energy and the Environment - Notified, accessed on January 9, 2026, [[https://www.notified.com/blog/5-key-uk-journalists-covering-energy-and-the-environment|//https:%%//%%www.notified.com/blog/5-key-uk-journalists-covering-energy-and-the-environment//]] +
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