KELP BLUE NAMIBIA (Pty) Ltd EIA SCOPING & IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE PROPOSED KELP CULTIVATION PILOT PROJECT NEAR LÜDERITZ, KARAS REGION Prepared for: Kelp Blue Namibia (Pty) Ltd August 2020 1 DOCUMENT CONTROL Report Title EIA SCOPING & IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT FOR THE PROPOSED KELP CULTIVATION PILOT PROJECT NEAR LÜDERITZ, KARAS REGION Report Author Werner Petrick Client Kelp Blue Namibia (Pty) Ltd Project Number NSP2020KB01 Report Number 1 Status Final to MEFT and MFMR Issue Date August 2020 DISCLAIMER The views expressed in the document are the objective, independent views of the author with input from various Environmental and Social Experts (i.e. Specialists). Neither Werner Petrick nor Namisun Environmental Projects and Development (Namisun) have any business, personal, financial, or other interest in the proposed Project apart from fair remuneration for the work performed. The content of this report is based on the author’s best scientific and professional knowledge, input from the Environmental Specialists, as well as available information. Project information contained herein is based on the interpretation of data collected and data provided by the client, accepted in good faith as being accurate and valid. Namisun reserves the right to modify the report in any way deemed necessary should new, relevant, or previously unavailable or undisclosed information become available that could alter the assessment findings. This report must not be altered or added to without the prior written consent of the author. Project Nr: NSP2020KB01 EIA SCOPING & IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT AND EMP FOR August 2020 Report number: 1 THE PROPOSED KELP CULTIVATION PILOT PROJECT 2 Table of Contents 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 PURPOSE OF THIS REPORT ................................................................................................................ 1 1.2 INTRODUCTION TO THE PROPOSED PROJECT....................................................................................... 1 1.3 INTRODUCTION TO THE EIA PROCESS ................................................................................................ 2 1.3.1 LIMITATIONS AND ASSUMPTIONS .................................................................................................................... 4 2 BACKGROUND TO THE BIOLOGY, ECOLOGY AND AQUACULTURE OF KELPS AND THE KELP BLUE PILOT PROJECT MOTIVATION (NEED AND DESIRABILITY)....................................................... 5 2.1 KELP FACTS (I.E. BIOLOGY & ECOLOGY) AND INTERNATIONAL KELP CULTIVATION & HARVESTING ACTIVITIES ....................................................................................................................................... 5 2.2 GENERAL MOTIVATION FOR KELP BLUE’S PROPOSED KELP CULTIVATION PROJECT .............................. 8 2.3 THE NEED FOR THE PROPOSED PILOT PROJECT .................................................................................. 9 3 EIA METHODOLOGY ......................................................................................................................... 11 3.1 EIA PROCESS ................................................................................................................................. 11 3.2 EIA TEAM ....................................................................................................................................... 13 3.3 INFORMATION COLLECTION .............................................................................................................. 15 3.4 EIA SCOPING & IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT ................................................................................ 15 3.5 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PROCESS ..................................................................................................... 17 3.5.1 INTERESTED AND AFFECTED PARTIES .......................................................................................................... 17 3.5.2 STEPS IN THE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PROCESS ............................................................................................. 18 3.5.3 SUMMARY OF COMMENTS AND ISSUES RAISED ............................................................................................... 21 4 ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS AND POLICIES ....................................................................................... 23 4.1 SUMMARY OF KEY LEGISLATION APPLICABLE TO THE PROPOSED PILOT PROJECT ................................ 23 4.1.1 POLICY AND LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE EIA ............................................................................................. 23 4.1.2 LEGAL FRAMEWORK RELATING TO AQUACULTURE ACTIVITIES ......................................................................... 25 4.2 SUMMARY OF OTHER LAWS AND POLICIES RELEVANT TO THE PILOT PROJECT ..................................... 26 4.2.1 OTHER RELEVANT LEGISLATION ................................................................................................................... 26 4.2.2 RELEVANT POLICIES AND PLANS .................................................................................................................. 29 4.2.3 INTERNATIONAL LAWS AND CONVENTIONS ..................................................................................... 29 5 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED KELP BLUE NAMIBIA PILOT PROJECT ACTIVITIES ........ 31 5.1 GENERAL PROJECT INFORMATION .................................................................................................... 31 5.1.1 DETAILS OF THE APPLICANT ........................................................................................................................ 31 5.1.2 KELP BLUE SHAREHOLDERS ........................................................................................................................ 31 5.1.3 OVERVIEW AND BACKGROUND TO THE PROPOSED KELP BLUE PILOT PROJECT ................................................. 31 5.2 PROPOSED KELP CULTIVATION PILOT PROJECT ACTIVITIES ............................................................... 32 5.2.1 COLLECTION OF FERTILE SPOROPHYLLS AND HATCHERY ACTIVITIES ................................................................ 32 5.2.2 GIANT KELP GROWTH (I.E. CULTIVATION) ..................................................................................................... 35 5.2.3 KELP HARVESTING ..................................................................................................................................... 39 5.2.4 PROCESSING ............................................................................................................................................. 39 5.2.5 PILOT MONITORING .................................................................................................................................... 40 5.2.6 MARINE VESSELS ....................................................................................................................................... 40 5.3 ONSHORE BASE / INFRASTRUCTURE ................................................................................................. 40 5.4 “CONSTRUCTION PHASE” – I.E. ASSEMBLY OF ARRAYS, ANCHORING AT SEAS, LABORATORY SET-UP, ETC. .............................................................................................................................................. 41 5.5 EMPLOYMENT ................................................................................................................................. 41 5.6 NON-MINERALIZED (I.E. GENERAL) WASTE ......................................................................................... 41 5.7 PROPOSED PILOT PROJECT SCHEDULE ........................................................................................... 42 5.8 DECOMMISSIONING PHASE ............................................................................................................... 42 6 DESCRIPTION OF THE CURRENT/RECEIVING ENVIRONMENT ................................................... 43 6.1 GEOPHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS .................................................................................................... 43 Project Nr: NSP2020KB01 EIA SCOPING & IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT AND EMP FOR August 2020 Report number: 1 THE PROPOSED KELP CULTIVATION PILOT PROJECT 3 6.1.1 GEOLOGY AND GEOMORPHOLOGY ............................................................................................................... 44 6.1.2 BATHYMETRY ............................................................................................................................................ 45 6.2 BIOPHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS ........................................................................................... 46 6.2.1 CLIMATE ................................................................................................................................................... 46 6.2.2 WAVES, LARGE-SCALE CIRCULATION AND TIDES ........................................................................................... 47 6.2.3 WATER MASSES AND TEMPERATURE ........................................................................................................... 48 6.2.4 UPWELLING ............................................................................................................................................... 48 6.2.5 TURBIDITY................................................................................................................................................