![The Corn Exchange, Brighton Dome, East Sussex](SUSSEX_BAY_MARINE_REWILDING/Brighton-Dome-Corn-Exchange-Theatre-Museum.JPG)
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.
One
of our roving reporters was in attendance to hear from the
diverse cast of presentations. And they did not disappoint.
Every speaker introduced a new aspect of the bays in Sussex, of
which there are actually two major scallops along the section
identified for some TLC.
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.
![Alinah Azadeh](SUSSEX_BAY_MARINE_REWILDING/Sx-Alinah-Azadeh-Seascapes-Bay-Sussex-Corn-Exchange-Brighton-Dome13June2024.jpg)
[Left]
Ruth Anslow is one of the organisers, a speaker and adviser to
the Sussex Bay project. [Right] Alinah Azadeh gave a
presentation on the Sussex walk that is one of our favorites,
more on the power of the seascape. If anyone treads this path,
we feel sure they will appreciate how calming the ocean is,
along the English Channel.
![Sam Zindel](SUSSEX_BAY_MARINE_REWILDING/Sx-Sam-Zindel-PropellerNet-Sussex-Bay-13June2024Dome-Brighton.jpg)
[Left]
This was the PPT from Lewis Crathern, a champion kite surfer.
Giving the audience a taste of flying on a surf board, using the
power of the wind to make giant leaps into the air. [Right] Sam
Zindel hosted the last of the afternoon sessions, making the
audience shout loud to test the sound quality.
![A panel of experts answered questions from Sam Zindel, including: Caroline Price, San Fanshawe, Henri Brocklebank, Tom Willis and Kevin Richmond. All of the panelist explained their part is Sussex Bay and various projects from their perspective.](SUSSEX_BAY_MARINE_REWILDING/Sx-Caroline-Price-Sam-Fanshawe-Henri-Brocklebank-Tom-Willis-Kevin-Richmond-Bay.jpg)
[Left]
Dave Erasmus played some interesting sounds to the audience.
Who, had to try to guess what was making the noises recorded
underwater. [Right] A panel of experts answered questions from
Sam Zindel, including: Caroline Price, San Fanshawe, Henri
Brocklebank, Tom Willis and Kevin Richmond. All of the panelist
explained their part is Sussex Bay and various projects from
their perspective.
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, including Eastbourne,
Hastings
and Seaford, NGOs and other types of
organisations who often partner
on external funding bids to help deliver conservation projects,
without 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
![Benita Matofska - Sustainability changemaker](SUSSEX_BAY_MARINE_REWILDING/Sussex_Benita_Matofska_Bay_Climate_Speaker.JPG)
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![Paul Brewer - Adur & Worthing Councils Director](SUSSEX_BAY_MARINE_REWILDING/Sussex_Paul_Brewer_Director_Bay_Adur_Worthing_Council.JPG)
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![Dean Spears- Head of Blue Natural Capital](SUSSEX_BAY_MARINE_REWILDING/Sussex_Dean_de_Aragon_Spears_Bay_Blue_Capital.JPG)
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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](SUSSEX_BAY_MARINE_REWILDING/Sussex-Joanne-Preston-Professor-Marine-Biology-University-Po.JPG)
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![Lewis Crathern - World champion kitesurfer](SUSSEX_BAY_MARINE_REWILDING/Sussex_Lewis_Crathern_Kite_Surfing_World_Champion_Bay.JPG)
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![Alinah Azadeh - Writer Sussex Heritage Coast](SUSSEX_BAY_MARINE_REWILDING/Sussex-Alinah-Azadeh-Seven-Sisters-Heritage-Coast-Bay.JPG)
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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](SUSSEX_BAY_MARINE_REWILDING/sussex-leo-perrin-bay-elizabeth-swann-hydrogen-ship.JPG)
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![Caroline Price - Crown Estates](SUSSEX_BAY_MARINE_REWILDING/Sussex-Caroline-Price-Nature-Environment-Crown-Estate-Marine.JPG)
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![Pooran Desai OnePlanet Founder](SUSSEX_BAY_MARINE_REWILDING/Sussex-Pooran-Desai-OnePlanet-Founder-Bay.JPG)
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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](SUSSEX_BAY_MARINE_REWILDING/Sussex_Ruth_Anslow_Entrepreneur_Bay_Adviser.JPG)
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![Sam Zindel - MD Propellernet digital](SUSSEX_BAY_MARINE_REWILDING/Sussex_Sam_Zindel_MD_Propellernet_Analytics_Bay.JPG)
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![Mandy Wolfe - Lyme Bay Fisherman's CIC](SUSSEX_BAY_MARINE_REWILDING/Sussex-Mandy-Wolfe-Chief_Executive_of_Lyme-Bay-Fishermans-Co.JPG)
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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](SUSSEX_BAY_MARINE_REWILDING/Sussex-Dave-Erasmus-Social-Entrepreneur-Speaker-Bay.JPG)
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![Sam Fanshawe - Blue Marine Foundation UK](SUSSEX_BAY_MARINE_REWILDING/Sussex-Sam-Fanshawe-UK-Projects-Manager-Blue-Marine-Foundati.JPG)
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![Tom Willis - Shoreham EcoPort manager](SUSSEX_BAY_MARINE_REWILDING/Sussex-Tom-Willis-Shoreham-Eco-Port-Bay.JPG)
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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](SUSSEX_BAY_MARINE_REWILDING/Sussex_Henri_Brocklebank_Wildlife_Kelp_Recovery_Bay.JPG)
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![Kevin Richmond - Sussex Community Foundation](SUSSEX_BAY_MARINE_REWILDING/Sussex-Kevin-Richmond-Chief-Executive-Sussex-Community-Found.JPG)
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![Eric Smith & Catrine Priestley - SX Underwater](SUSSEX_BAY_MARINE_REWILDING/Sussex-Eric-Smith-Catrine-Priestley-Bay-BBC-Underwater-Seafo.JPG)
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Henri Brocklebank - Sussex Wildlife Trust |
Kevin
Richmond - Sussex Community Foundation |
Eric Smith & Catrine Priestley -
SX Underwater |
THE LINE UP
SESSION ONE
12.00 Arrivals, coffee, networking
13.15 Welcome, by Ruth Anslow
13.25 Keynote speech, by Benita Matofska, Changemaker for Climate and Sustainability
13.50 Sussex Bay Vision and Launch, by Paul Brewer, Director Adur & Worthing Council
14.00 Sussex Bay Five-year Horizon, by Dean Spears, Head of Blue Natural Capital
14.15 Voices from Sussex Baya
1) Telling the story of Sussex Underwater, by father and daughter divers, Eric Smith and
Catrine Priestley
2) Marine science and blue ecosystems, by Joanne Preston, Professor of Marine Biology
at Portsmouth University
3) Creativity and the power to imagine a seascape for all coastal citizens, by Alinah
Azadeh, the inaugural Writer-in-Residence for the Sussex Heritage Coast
4) Building bonds within marine communities, by Mandy Wolfe, Chief Executive at Lyme
Bay Fisherman’s CIC
5) Happy seas = happy people, by Lewis Crathern, Pro Kite surfer and British Champion
15.05 Fundraiser launch, by Ruth Anslow
15.10 Coffee break
SESSION TWO
15.40 Welcome back, by Sam Zindel
15.45 What happens when we listen to the sea? by Dave Erasmus, social entrepreneur
and innovator for positive behaviour change
15.55 Panel session with Partner organisations
- The Crown Estate: Caroline Price, Head of Nature & Environment (Marine)
-
Blue Marine Foundation: Sam Fanshawe, Marine Projects Manager
-
Sussex Kelp Recovery Project: Henri Brocklebank< Director of Conservation
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Shoreham Port: Tom Willis, Chief Executive
-
Sussex Community Foundation: Kevin Richmond, Chief Executive
16.35 Hear from young innovator, Leo
Perrin, United Nations Ocean Ambassador
16.45 Restoring Sussex Bay, Together, by Pooran Desai, Changemaker for Climate and
Sustainability
16.55 Wrap up, by Sam Zindel
17.00 Networking
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18.30 Blue Earth Futures Event: Future of Oceans
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.
![](SUSSEX_BAY_MARINE_REWILDING/Brighton_Corn_Exchange_Dome_Theatre.jpg)
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
East
Sussex
BN1 1UG
For media enquiries, please contact Dean Spears: dean.spears@sussexbay.org.uk
THE CORN EXCHANGE, BRIGHTON DOME -
Leo Perrin is the Youth Project Lead at the
Cleaner Ocean
Foundation - a not for profit R&D organisation. This is an
amateur video of a short presentation given on the 13th of June 2024 about the
'green
hydrogen' powered Elizabeth Swann - a zero carbon trimaran
(ZEWT)
around 44 meters in length. Bristling with state of the art tech. This talk (only his second) was given at the launch of the
'Sussex
Bay' re-wilding project, a brilliant initiative to conserve around 100 miles of Sussex coastline, supported by many authorities and like minded concerns. Please visit their
website to learn more of this important work.
![](SUSSEX_BAY_MARINE_REWILDING/BBC-Bay-Sussex-Stuart-Maisner-14-June-2024-News.jpg)
BBC NEWS 14 JUNE 2024 - NEW SCHEME AIMS TO RESTORE MARINE
ENVIRONMENT
Stuart Maisner
- BBC News, South East
A new scheme aimed at restoring the marine environment in Sussex has been launched.
Sussex Bay, external brings together organisations, groups and individuals from along the Sussex coastline who want to help care for coastal habitats.
The campaign aims to protect 100 miles of coastline from Selsey to Camber Sands.
A spokesperson said it wants to "bring communities closer to their local marine environment" and "increase access to coastal nature and wildlife", including jobs in marine conservation.
Sussex Bay aims to generate a £50m fund for marine and fresh-water restoration projects by 2050, driven by a "shared a vision of a healthy ecosystem for our ocean and coastline".
The project could see kelp, oyster beds and salt marsh reintroduced along the sea bed, in an attempt to combat climate change and encourage wildlife.
It has received no public funding and is core funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, with support from Rewilding Britain.
Dean Spears, from Sussex Bay, said: "We are delighted to launch following years of collaboration amongst communities, groups, organisations and business all keen to support nature recovery in our ocean."
Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, on
X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk,
or WhatsApp on 08081 002250.
SUSSEX ONLINE NEWS 2 APRIL 2024 - £100K FUNDING FOR SUSSEX MARINE REWILDING PROJECT
A biodiversity boost from Selsey Bill to Camber Sands.
An ambitious collaborative project working to enable nature to take the lead across 100 miles of
Sussex coastline is to be awarded £100k of funding from charity Rewilding Britain.
Sussex Bay, the organisation behind the project, has a vision for a healthy marine ecosystem for the Sussex Bay area, an extensive seascape that encompasses 100 miles of coastline from Selsey Bill to Camber Sands and is home to over 1 million residents.
Formed over the past two years from radical collaboration with over 200 groups, organisations, and partners – including local authorities, charities and diverse communities of residents and businesses – the project aims to create and deliver a pioneering seascape-scale strategy for the entire coastline.
Funding from Rewilding Britain, awarded as part of its annual Rewilding Challenge Fund, will enable Sussex Bay to accelerate its ambitions into 2025, increasing nature-led recovery of marine habitats already underway and creating opportunities for community engagement, employment, education and
circular economy projects.
Jacques Villemot, Marine Rewilding Coordinator for Rewilding Britain, said: “The amazing habitats found in our oceans and coastlines – like kelp, oyster beds and saltmarsh – offer a myriad of benefits for wildlife, nature and people. They act as natural carbon stores, support diverse ecosystems of wildlife, improve
water quality, act as a buffer to help protect coastlines from storm surges and provide invaluable resources and livelihoods to local communities.
“But, sadly, the majority of these habitats are heavily degraded or lost – 96% of the once extensive kelp beds in West Sussex have been lost since the 1980s. The
Sussex Bay rewilding project is delivering on an urgent need to develop a seascape approach to help drive nature recovery at scale, considering a multitude of species and habitats whilst also creating and progressing opportunities for community engagement, enrichment of local economies and
education. Rewilding Britain is delighted to be able to support this work and enable Sussex Bay’s rewilding ambitions to reach new heights.”
Funding awarded by Rewilding Britain will support Sussex Bay in its seascape strategy by enabling the appointment of a Science Lead to their Blue Natural Capital Lab project, along with contributing towards several pilot projects. The Science Lead will collaborate with the 200 groups operating projects along Sussex Bay to create a cohesive seascape framework.
The funding will also help develop several community enrichment initiatives including a work-experience tool-kit for those interested in working in the marine, rewilding and land management sectors, and a multi-discipline marine nature recovery programme for young people developed with partners including Weald to Waves and the Sussex Dolphin Project. Sussex Bay is also working with the Sussex Dolphin Project to enable students to complete training with Sussex Bay
cetaceans (whales,
dolphins and porpoises).
Paul Brewer, Founder and Director of Sussex Bay, said: “We are absolutely delighted to reach this milestone, which was only possible with the support and encouragement from so many people across the region and further afield. There is so much incredible passion, commitment and practical effort across Sussex Bay, and we aim to help grow that further. Our seascapes deserve radical collaboration and action at a large scale, ensuring no one is left behind. Thank you Rewilding Britain for your support.”
Sussex Bay will be officially launching at an event in Brighton in June. Later that same evening, Sussex Bay will be partnering with Blue Earth Summit on their Futures series, shining a spotlight on the future of coastlines. Additionally, Sussex Bay will join a panel discussion at TedxBrighton, on 5 April 2024. More details about these events will be shared by Sussex Bay and partners in the next few weeks.
Sussex Bay is the second ever recipient of Rewilding Britain’s Rewilding Challenge Fund, launched in 2022. The first recipient, Kent Wildlife Trust, was awarded £100k in 2023 to scale up the Trust’s rewilding efforts within and beyond West Blean and Thornden Woods, the largest ancient woodland in southern England and home to the UK’s first reintroduced European bison.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cv223ppkr7lo
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cv223ppkr7lo
https://sussexonlinenews.co.uk/2024/04/02/186882/
https://sussexonlinenews.co.uk/2024/04/02/186882/
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