Sussex seabed shows early revival five years after trawling ban - Oceanographic Magazine
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Five years on from a landmark ban on bottom trawling, early signs of ecological recovery are beginning to surface along the Sussex coastline, as scientists and fishers report encouraging changes beneath the waves. Introduced in 2021 by the Sussex Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority, the Nearshore Trawling Byelaw removed destructive bottom trawling from more than 300 km² of seabed. Now, on its fifth anniversary, evidence suggests the measure is beginning to deliver tangible benefits for marine habitats and coastal communities. Once home to extensive kelp forests stretching from Selsey to Shoreham-by-Sea, the Sussex seabed had undergone dramatic decline in recent decades. By 2019, an estimated 96% of kelp had disappeared, driven by a combination of trawling, marine heatwaves, storm disturbance, and sedimentation. Today, that narrative is beginning to shift. At the centre of the recovery effort is the Sussex Kelp Recovery Project, a wide-ranging collaboration between scientists, conservationists, fishers, policymakers, and local communities. The initiative – the largest marine rewilding project in the UK – is working to monitor and support the natural regeneration of this once-thriving ecosystem. Early indicators point to a slow but meaningful return of marine life. Mussel beds, in some cases extending over a kilometre, are...
