Environmental

Apollo is firmly committed to being environmentally responsible and took stringent precautions to ensure that any environmental impact, either on marine life or on land as a result of laying the transatlantic cable, was minimised. Long before any installation work began, Apollo commissioned a comprehensive study of the proposed area that could be affected by the installation of the cable, from the beach landing to the cable landing station.

As part of the permitting and design activities, a number of wildlife and environmental organisations were extensively consulted whereby a number of detailed and specific studies were commissioned to ensure that important areas of habitat were avoided. Where at all possible, the final terrestrial land cable routes were carefully selected to include existing roads.

Apollo ensured that vegetation was protected during the installation activities. However, in the event that any vegetation was affected during the construction process, this was restored after the installation was completed.

Holiday seasons were avoided to minimise the impact on the local population and visitors.

Throughout its operation, Apollo continues to be committed to environmentally safe practices with other seabed users, and in particular, fishermen. In shallow waters, there is a risk that fishing boats may dredge and unearth a previously buried cable. If the fishing gear is then caught on cable, it can put a crew and boat in serious danger.

Therefore, Apollo continues to emphasize safety and makes cable charts available. Apollo regularly sends representatives to visit ports and talk to skippers to ensure that the exact positioning of the Apollo cables are known.