Historical records show that kelp beds once stretched along 40 km of the West Sussex coastline and extended at least 4km out to sea; in total covering over 176 km.
In 2018, seeking to protect essential fish and marine habitats and support sustainable inshore fisheries, the Sussex Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IFCA) compiled the evidence and created a compelling case to initiate a new piece of legislation: the Sussex IFCA Nearshore Trawling Byelaw. Fundamental to this is a programme of research which measures changes in the ecosystems, fisheries and local communities resulting from the Sussex Nearshore Trawling Byelaw, which allows benefits from the Byelaw and its associated impacts to be assessed and quantified. The SKRP research programme is a collaborative effort between research organisations, regulators, filmmakers, fishers, conservation groups, marine user groups and local communities. Kelp provides commercial, recreational and aesthetic value to local communities, businesses and visitors. Public engagement is vital to raise awareness of the value of these coastal ecosystems and involve a wide audience – beyond the scientific community – in their recovery.
