Sussex Bay have teamed up with Blue Earth Futures to launch Sussex Bay at The
Brighton
Dome, Corn Exchange, on Thursday 13th June 2024, from 12pm.
Hear from the people behind the Sussex Bay movement, about the pioneering projects going on right now in the
water, and from some familiar faces who found fame in and around that
water.
In the evening, after the launch, the Blue Earth Futures event will feature Sussex Bay in the broader context of the national and global blue economy. This will be held in the same venue, with food and drinks available between events.
The beautiful Sussex seascape and its coastal waterways shape the land and the way we live. It’s a source of wellness and joy, recreation and enterprise for millions of people - and it makes this region special. Sussex Bay is a movement initiated by Adur & Worthing Councils on behalf of Sussex coastal local authorities, and powered by civic organisations, local businesses and people. We have a vision for 2050 where our seascape and
rivers flourish, so that nature, people and local economy can thrive.
The 'Bay' project is externally funded by Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and Rewilding Britain. Sussex Bay collaborates with charities, the 11 Councils across Sussex Bay, NGOs and other types of organisations who often partner
on external funding bids to help deliver conservation projects.
(Not involving council taxes.)
The launch features expert speakers on seascape strategy, investment in Blue Natural Capital and how humans can come together to make a real difference to nature's recovery, this is a pivotal moment in the future of our seascape as we launch the movement and open our £1m Crowdfunder campaign.
The vision for Sussex Bay is widely understood and supported, and work has continued at strategic and project levels during 2022 and 2023 with funding from Defra, Coast to Capital, MMO
Fisheries & Seafood Scheme and others.
This generational challenge to restore our rivers, coast and sea requires the project to work at nature’s scale. Sussex Bay will work with all bodies, through highly open and collaborative communication, and effective formal partnership. We are currently working with the Crown Estate, Sussex local authorities, the Living Coast Biosphere, Greater Brighton Economic Board, Coast to Capital, Shoreham Port, Sussex Marine & Coastal Forum, Sussex Wildlife Trust and others to invite collaboration and alignment of goals.
Adur & Worthing Councils commitment to carbon reduction (it declared a climate emergency in 2019), and subsequent Net Zero strategies acted as spur to consider the role of local nature recovery projects in the Councils overall climate response.
The opportunity for the Councils to play a broad role in enabling recovery at nature’s scale (not constrained to municipal boundaries) was clear to the joint administration, and Adur District Council made two key early land acquisitions (£1.2m) on the Adur River to show strong intent in the emerging field of ‘natural capital investment’ for nature recovery.
The Councils were deeply inspired by two local projects with national and international reputations. The Knepp Estate which has rewilded 951 hectares of farmland and seen massive increases in wildlife and biodiversity, and secondly the work of the
Sussex Inshore Fisheries Association to introduce a 300 km2 trawler exclusion zone off West Sussex to restore the decimated historic kelp forest.
SPEAKERS
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Benita Matofska -
Sustainability changemaker
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Paul Brewer - Adur & Worthing Councils Director
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Dean Spears- Head of Blue Natural Capital
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Joanne Preston - Professor of Marine Biology
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Lewis Crathern - World champion kitesurfer
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Alinah Azadeh - Writer Sussex Heritage Coast
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Leo
Perrin - EU Clean Water Mission -hydrogen ship
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Caroline
Price - Crown Estates
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Pooran Desai OnePlanet Founder
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Ruth
Anslow - Adviser to Sussex Bay
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Sam Zindel - MD Propellernet digital
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Mandy
Wolfe - Lyme Bay Fisherman's CIC
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Dave
Erasmus - Speaker & Social Entrepreneur
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Sam
Fanshawe - Blue Marine Foundation UK
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Tom
Willis - Shoreham EcoPort manager
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Henri Brocklebank - Sussex Wildlife Trust |
Kevin
Richmond - Sussex Community Foundation |
Eric Smith & Catrine Priestley -
SX Underwater |
WHAT IS MARINE REWILDING?
Rewilding Britain note the urgent need to reverse the catastrophic decline in marine
biodiversity. Sea-based rewilding projects are far less common than those on land. The Blue Marine Foundation defines rewilding the sea as ‘any effort to improve the health of the ocean by actively restoring habitats and species, or by leaving it alone to recover’.
Man is the destroyer with ghost
fishing nets, overfishing
and bycatch.
Then, there is marine plastic, glass fibers and chemical
carcinogens.
COULD SUSSEX BAY BECOME A MARINE PARK?
We are watching the brilliant work at Plymouth, Jersey and elsewhere closely. Plymouth received funding of £9.5m to develop their Marine Park concept. What matters most at this stage is the development of partnership and public awareness raising, but it remains something of interest for the future.
Brighton Dome Corn Exchange & Studio Theatre
New Road
Brighton
BN1 1UG
For media enquiries, please contact Dean Spears: dean.spears@sussexbay.org.uk
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