The £300m container terminal at Bathside Bay would be the first of its kind, a public inquiry heard.
Michael Dearnaley, technical director for the hydraulic studies into the development, explained yesterday that there was no certain way of predicting what effect the plan would have on nature and fishing in the Stour estuary.
He said that the plan for Harwich could not be compared to other sites across the country.
"The estuaries are all different and they have different concerns," he said.
"There is no similar estuary system in the UK, so we are in uncharted waters in that sense."
Mr Dearnaley was questioned about the large-scale sediment replacement which would take place if the container terminal was given the go-ahead.
John Noble, of the Harwich Fishermen's Association, told the inquiry that a big discharge would cause problems for the fishing industry.
He said: "Our fishermen have never known it so bad in terms of catches in the North Sea since the silt was introduced."
Mr Dearnaley responded: "I don't think there is an adverse effect on fishing and nature."
He added a regulatory body met to discuss the problems of sediment movement.
Published Thursday June 10, 2004
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