In the late 1970s, there were well established kelp beds between Selsey and Shoreham-by- Sea. This biodiverse environment played a key ecological role in providing shelter, feeding, and nursery grounds for marine life, including commercially important crustaceans. However, by the end of the 1990s, 96 per cent of the kelp had disappeared. Factors contributing to the decline in kelp include increases in water temperature, storm damage and abrasion of the seabed by trawl fishing gear.
In 2015, an inshore habitat map produced by researchers at Sussex Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IFCA) informed ongoing discussion within Sussex IFCA regarding effective ecosystem-based management for the recovery of essential fish habitats, such as kelp. Over subsequent years, Sussex IFCA, who manage the area from the shoreline out to 6 nautical miles, developed new legislation which aimed to protect essential fish and marine habitats to support sustainable inshore fisheries: the Sussex IFCA Nearshore Trawling Byelaw 2019.
