Inspiring progress of Sussex Kelp Recovery Project: A beacon of hope for marine conservation

Amid the negative daily news, a beacon of hope shines through.

Transition Chichester have recently completed a film festival at Chichester Cinema and the documentary film, ‘Our Sea Forest’ filled me with hope. A packed auditorium were inspired during the 30-minute showing of the impact of increased trawling since the 1980s and encouraging revival of the marine ecosystems off the Sussex coast.

The two heroes of the show were the Sussex Wildlife Trust and the 73 year-old free diver Eric Smith, who have worked alongside the fisheries management authority and other charities and partners.

Eric has spent his life exploring the seas and witnesses profound changes in the waters near Worthing, Lancing and Bognor Regis.

Aged 11, Eric started free diving and gradually saw the loss of life on the seabed. Most of the loss of kelp happened from the mid 1980s – we lost about 96%. But now thanks to the Sussex Kelp Recovery Project, inspiring progress is being made and the seabed is now flourishing with life.

Eric and his daughter have partnered with the Sussex Wildlife Trust (SWT) as part of this movement, through initiatives like the SussexKelp.org.uk citizen science programme.

They are working with the community to record these essential underwater habitats, which have a tremendous impact on the environment. Kelp, for example, provides vital nurseries for fish, which in turn support local sustainable fisheries, as well as protecting our coasts from storm damage and coastal erosion. .

Sussex Kelp Recovery Project’s success has inspired conservation efforts across the UK, with nearly 20 coastal areas now considering bans on bottom trawling, a destructive fishing practice. Internationally, countries like Greece and Sweden have already designated marine protected zones to remove trawling and safeguard their underwater ecosystems.

The Government has committed to dedicating 30% of land and sea for nature in the UK, and SWT is campaigning hard for this ambitious target. The world is experiencing a climate and ecological crisis and yet many are not aware of these insane statistics: 70% of fish consumed in the UK is imported while 70% of locally caught fish is exported, creating an unsustainable imbalance. The same goes for many other commodities too!

Beyond marine protection, SWT’s work includes education programmes aimed at reconnecting Sussex's youth with the sea. It seems that 40% of children in Sussex have never even visited the coast, so SWT is delivering ocean education to schools and training teachers to share this vital knowledge.

Public involvement is also key, with SWT encouraging people to use tools like the Good Fish Guide app to make sustainable seafood choices or to write to the BBC to request that the ‘Our Sea Forest’ film be put back on iPlayer.

You can do it here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001q97d CEO of BBC News and Current Affairs Deborah Turness [email protected] Tim Davie Director General of the BBC – [email protected]. BBC South Today coverage can be seen here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEAmhnUDIkE

With support from citizens, Sussex Wildlife Trust and Sussex Underwater stand as shining examples of what can be achieved when we come together to protect our oceans.

To find out more visit sussexkelp.org.uk or follow @sussexkelp to follow their journey to rewild Sussex seas!

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