Once stretching 40km along the Sussex coast, kelp beds provided vital habitat for marine life, improved water quality, protected the coastline, and stored carbon. Today, only 4% remain due to trawling, dredging, storms, and sedimentation. In 2021, the Sussex IFCA introduced the Nearshore Trawling Bylaw, banning bottom-towed fishing gear across 300km² to help restore kelp. This led to the Sussex Kelp Restoration Project (SKRP), a collaborative effort focused on research, community engagement, and removing barriers to recovery. High sediment levels were identified as a key threat, and SKRP is now investigating causes and solutions to enable long-term kelp restoration.
Scotland’s Seas: An Environmental and Economic Opportunity
Scotland’s seas are six times larger than our land area and among the most ecologically important in the world. They support internationally important marine wildlife, globally significant ecosystems and the coastal economies that depend upon them.
16 September 2026
