The edge

The magazine of CoastNet Summer 2008

CoastNet
Special
National educators Shore Stories Fishing the Supporting
network Thames Estuary Moroccan
fishing families
 Contents
3 Editorial

4 News
7

6 CoastNet special

CoastNet – breathing new

life into coastal matters
7 Shore stories
Summer 2008 Suzanne Gattrell explores the power of
Coastal Industry words and story sharing through CoastNet’s
Holding Back the Tide project.

The edge is a quarterly magazine,

sent out to all CoastNet members. 10 Fishing the Thames Estuary – a future for
CoastNet is an international the inshore fisheries?
networking organisation that
works with all coastal interests to
promote the exchange of ideas, 10
12 A coastal and marine education network
information and expertise to find
long term solutions to coastal for the UK
problems that benefit all. Our Theresa Redding takes a look at CoastNet’s
mission is to safeguard the world’s new National Educators Network.
coast and those communities of
people and wildlife that depend
upon it for their future.
13 The challenge of communicating coastal
Editor: Lesley Smeardon management
Lesley.smeardon@coastnet.org.uk
Designed by: Cottier & Sidaway
Printed by: Swan Print

14 Supporting fishing families and ecotourism

Submissions
To submit an article for publication, please in the South Mediterranean
email to the editor saving your submission Manuela de los Rios reports on a CoastNet
as a word document. Alternatively, send to
the address below. Letters can be sent to the international project.
editor but we are unable to acknowledge 14
receipt. The editor reserves the right to edit
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CoastNet: The Gatehouse,

Rowhedge Wharf, High St,
Rowhedge, Essex, CO5 7ET.
Tel/Fax: 01206 728644
Email: admin@coastnet.org.uk
Web: www.coastnet.org.uk

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The opinions expressed in the magazine are

not necessarily those of CoastNet.
© CoastNet, 2008

2 The edge Summer 2008

Editorial
CoastNet has seen a lot of change in the 13 years since it was
conceived. Governments have come and gone, climate change has
re-defined environmentalism and 9/11 has transformed global conflict.
Then there’s nuclear energy that dropped off the political agenda, only to re-emerge with a
new world energy market and, of course, the internet has changed the way we work and
how we publish, use and perceive information.

But in other ways, surprisingly little
has changed. Governments still
struggle to integrate management in
coastal areas despite years of debate
and research, and despite the horrors
of the Asian Tsunami and Hurricane
Katrina. Towns and cities are still
built in high risk coastal areas even
though climate change has a high
world profile, and renewable energy
generation from the sea is still in its
infancy, even taking into account
offshore wind energy. Despite many
European and UK initiatives, the UK
still has no national coastal zone
policy or law, and nor will it, even
with the adoption by Parliament of
the proposed Marine Bill.
Most professionals now acknowledge
the need to take a long term view in
coastal management – but this is
meant to refer to the management
perspective, not the length of time
taken to bring about institutional
change! At the rate we are
going............. well, I’ll leave you to
think about that one. CoastNet
is needed now more than ever.
The trends in coastal areas (across
the world, not just in the UK
and Europe) are as far from
sustainability as they were in 1995.
Those in a position of influence,
which includes all coastal
professionals (who advise, and who
take decisions), must strengthen their
efforts to improve the system.
CoastNet is here to provide the tools
to help do that: forums for debate in
our meetings and online; access to
knowledge through our conferences
and web tools; policy research to
present new analysis and arguments;
and technical advice through
consultancy and practical projects.
In this issue we focus on CoastNet’s
activities, to provide a flavour of
our strategy for integrated coastal
management: networks and good
practice, dissemination of knowledge,
policy research, and community and
economic development.
Alex Midlen,
Strategic Director

The edge Summer 2008 3

N ew s
CoastNet regeneration activity in
Devonport, Plymouth takes another
step forward
Children at Mount Wise Primary School,
Devonport, clamour for attention.
Devonport is a deprived area in
Plymouth, Devon which is the
subject of a 10 year Neighbourhood
Renewal programme. CoastNet have
been working there for the past year
to support the work of the Devonport
Regeneration Community
Partnership and others. Successes so
far include securing an in principle
award from Big Lottery Community
Assets programme to refurbish
Devonport Guildhall as a community
arts and education centre, which will
open in 2010. Attention has now
Delegates at Coastal Access conference recognise
urgent need for integrated resource management
The recent CoastNet Coastal Access
conference, delivered in partnership
with Durham Heritage Coast
Partnership considered coastal access
in the wider context of access to coastal
resources, and the consequent need
for an integrated and holistic
management approach to coastal areas.
The characteristics of rural economies
were also considered, as the context for
considering the potential benefits of
coastal access. Three broad conclusions
came out of the event:
• the need for integrated resource
management
• the need to capture benefits for
4 The edge Summer 2008
turned to secure the future of the
Devonport Guildhall and the
OddFellows Hall.
All three buildings formed the original
civic core of Devonport when it
became a town in its own right in
1824 on the back of its dockyard and
naval base. The varying fortunes of the
naval base over the years has had a
huge impact on the community.
CoastNet priorities are to engage the
community in the civic future of
Devonport, by understanding its past
and developing a new sense of place.
Civic buildings seek a new role
in Devonport
rural communities and economies
• the imperative to understand the
needs of the individual user,
which range from group activities
to enjoyment of solitude.
The day following the conference saw
participants experience the issues at
first hand with a trip to the Durham
heritage coast (pictured). The physical
improvements to the coast achieved
through the ‘Turning the tide’ project,
which saw the removal of millions of
tonnes of coal waste from the cliffs
and beaches, had a lasting impact on
all present.
New body proposed
to lobby the EC on
coastal policy and
funding
At the Encora project steering
group meeting in Copenhagen in
February, EUCC proposed the
formation of a new body to
coordinate the activities of coastal
management networks across
Europe. Since then CoastNet have
moderated a debate among Encora
partners and reached agreement
on an initial proposal. It is planned
now to circulate this widely among
other networks in Europe, prior to
the launch of the new body at the
Littoral conference in Venice in
November.
CoastNet sees the primary role of
the body as a means to lobby the
European Commission and
Parliament regarding coastal policy
and funding, so as to create a
better environment for the
activities of networks and coastal
professionals across Europe.

All Party Parliamentary Group
considers Marine Bill
On 4th June the APPG Coastal and
Marine met to consider the issue of
integration within the draft Marine Bill.
Four speakers gave their views and a
general debate followed, chaired by
Norman Lamb MP. Rhoda Ballinger, of
Cardiff University, called for a ‘zip’ to
mesh marine and terrestrial policy,
and ‘Velcro’ to provide a close and
secure fit where plans overlap.
Jim Claydon, of Terence O’Rourke
Associates and RTPI, proposed a UK
level Intergovernmental Committee to
ensure consistency in policy and its
application between the devolved
administrations. Rhona Fairgrieve of
the Scottish Coastal Forum drew
attention to the artificiality of offshore
News in brief
Fisheries and seafood
● Report says supermarkets failing to
adopt sustainable seafood buying
practices in US
According to a new report by
Greenpeace (Carting away the oceans:
how grocery stores are emptying the
seas) US grocery stores are failing to
develop sustainable purchasing
strategies with all 20 of the country’s top
supermarket chains continuing to sell
fish from the Red List. The report
graded supermarket chains on seafood
procurement policies, labelling and
transparency and support for
sustainability initiatives.
● Bluefin tuna fishing ban in the
Mediterranean
The European Commission has banned
Mediterranean and Eastern Atlantic
fishers from trawling for bluefin tuna, a
species overfished for years. EU
Fisheries Commissioner Joe Borg
rejected calls by some of the countries to
suspend the ban, citing numerous
“failures of implementation and control”
that made it impossible for national tuna
catches to be accurately monitored.
boundaries between devolved
administrations, and Mary Lewis of
Countryside Council for Wales warned
of the potential for policy vacuums
when different administrations
developed policies at a different pace.
Finally, CoastNet raised a question
regarding the unclear relationship
between terrestrial and marine
planning in the proposed Bill, and the
need to understand how the systems
would work together before the Bill can
be considered for fitness of purpose.
The meeting closed with agreement to
submit a report of the meeting as
evidence to the Joint Scrutiny
Committee for the draft Marine Bill.
● Wildlife Foundation say hake could
disappear from Argentina’s seas
Fundación Vida Silvestre, Argentina’s
Wildlife Foundation has called for an
urgent government plan to save the
common hake, Argentina’s largest fish
export, according to ipsnews. An
immediate reduction in capture rates
as well as more equitably distributed
fishing quotas and stricter monitoring
are needed say the group.
Energy
● Britain misses renewable energy
targets
A parliamentary report published in
June outlined how Britain is set to
miss its own renewable energy
targets and fail to meet European
Union requirements unless it steps up
action substantially. Currently less
than five per cent of British electricity
comes from renewables.
● End the offshore oil drill ban
says Bush
President Bush has urged Congress to
end a ban on offshore oil drilling,
seeking to address rising consumer
N ew s
Word up
June 2008
“Every second week when
we get the high tides, there's
always reports of erosion. To
plan for the day when you
no longer have a country is
indeed painful but I think we
have to do that.”
Grim prediction of President
Anote Tong of the South Pacific
nation of Kiribati, in his appeal
on World Environment Day for
countries to provide a home for
his people in the event of global
warming rendering his island
uninhabitable.
worry over record high petrol prices,
according to news agency, Planet Ark.
According to a Reuters/Zogby poll,
about 60 per cent of Americans support
government moves to encourage more
oil drilling and refinery construction as a
way to combat soaring energy prices.
However, the same number also claim
to be in favour of conservation.
Environmental groups have long
opposed expanded offshore oil drilling,
raising concerns about the dangers to
fragile ecosystems as well potential for
oilspills that could mar the US coastline.
Flooding
● New guidance for local councils for
local planning influence on flooding
The UK government has published new
guidance aimed at ensuring local
councils maximise planning rules to
better manage flood risks in their area.
The guide calls on planners to identify
inadequate drainage and surface run-off
or sewer problems and avoid risk by
prioritising non-flood areas for
development.
The edge Summer 2008 5
CoastNet Special
S
ince its beginnings in 1995,
CoastNet has been championing
long term solutions to coastal
problems, working with all coastal
interests for a truly sustainable coast
that benefits both people and wildlife.
Our long term vision of a thriving coast
that supports the many communities
of people and wildlife that depend
upon it, requires local, national,
regional and international action – all
areas we work in to realise our long
term goals.
Local
Empowering local voices
CoastNet has been involved in a
number of different projects,
supporting and running local events
related to Low Tide Day as well as
supporting local coastal professionals
through various public engagement
workshops. Now CoastNet is running
an exciting project ‘Holding back the
tide’ which will span 2008 and 2009
and collect coastal stories from people
around the East Anglian coastline – see
page 7-9.
Understanding industry
CoastNet works with a wide network of
coastal interests including those
representing various coastal industries.
See our report, Offshore Development –
new frontiers of opportunity on our
website. Look out for an APPG on
energy at the coast and read about our
fisheries work on P10.
6 The Edge Summer 2008
CORE project, CoastNet will be
National developing scenarios to guide the
development of future policies for the
Coastal and marine
region’s coast.
education network
From its inception 13 years ago,
European
CoastNet has been involved in coastal
education and now we are setting up
Involvement in European
a coastal education network, a chance
programmes
for those professionals to share
European coastal programmes with
information and discuss issues in a new
broad based project partnerships
coastal and marine education forum,
present a unique opportunity for
see p12.
coastal managers everywhere. They
offer a chance to share approaches to
All Party Parliamentary
coastal management and learn from
Group on Coastal and Marine
Issues (APPG)
systems elsewhere to take back and
adapt to a local/national scenario.
We recognise the need to influence and
CoastNet is currently involved in the
maintain avenues of communication
delivery of two European projects:
with those political decision makers
Imcore and Encora, both of which are
who are able to bring about real
discussed in the context of
change. That is why in 2006 we helped
communications on p13.
set up the APPG, recognising a clear
gap in communication channels and a
A varied conference
clear aim to debate and recommend
programme
coastal and marine solutions to
CoastNet has taken its rich conference
Members.
programme to a European audience,
holding eight conferences in venues
Governance consultancy
across North West Europe.
Good governance lies at the core of
integrated coastal zone management.
International
CoastNet supports organisations
by providing advice and access to
African scoping study
good practice. In North West Wales
At the international level, CoastNet has
we are supporting CCW and other
recently undertaken a Moroccan and
stakeholders to integrate the
African scoping study and is now
management of the Menai Straight
seeking funding to run a full scale
and Conwy Bay marine conservation
project supporting fishermen and their
area with regional regeneration
families and ecotourism in Northern
programmes. In the East of England,
Morocco. See p15 for more details.
with partners in the EU Interreg IM-
 ristow
is Szaj & John B
Mav
lk
, Norfo
Scratby

Linda Berry
A Aldeburgh, Suffolk

h Trellis
r & Elizabet
Steve Turne
, Essex
Rowhedge

Photo A – Ruth Slater, head of

St Lawrence Primary School
pictured with Suzanne Gatrell
from CoastNet.
ShoreStories
Suzanne Gattrell explores the power of words and story sharing
in celebrating East Anglia’s rich coastal and community heritage
through CoastNet’s Holding Back the Tide project.

through a series of oral history

G
ertrude Stein once said that
human beings are interested in
two things. They are interested
in reality and interested in telling stories
about it. This is certainly something I’ve
discovered through my work with
CoastNet’s latest community project
based in East Anglia, Holding Back the
Tide. The project is working with
individuals and community groups to
record local peoples' experiences of how
life and landscape have changed on the
East Anglian Coast in the counties of
Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk over the past
50 years or more.
It involves collecting artefacts,
memorabilia, photographs, but most
importantly it involves peoples’ stories
interviews. Gertrude Stein’s words
immediately resonate with the sheer
enthusiasm of a wide range of
individuals, schools and organisations
jumping on board throughout the
region – from Scratby in north
Norfolk, to Burnham on Crouch in
Essex. Culminating in a touring
exhibition of coastal living history for
regional and local museums in Spring
2009, the project looks set to unearth
great oral riches and memory gems.
As well as recollecting the coastal times
of yesteryear, youth projects are being
set up to look at the values and visions
of young people about their coastal
homes in comparison to its heritage.

The Edge Summer 2008 7


Scratby, Norfolk – Mavis
Szaj and John Bristow
Mavis Szaj was one of the thousands
of people in 1950s Britain who
regularly holidayed on the East
Anglian coast.
Mavis, now living in Scratby, used
to come on holiday to the town
regularly in the 1950s and, after
her mother bought a house in 1959,
Scratby became their summer holiday
destination of choice (see picture A-
C). For Mavis, Scratby has wonderful
memories. “Scratby always conjures
up nice memories for somebody….
and everyone’s got their own story of
a special summer holiday here”,
she remarks.
With her interest in the social and
economic side of coastal
communities, Mavis, along with John
Bristow has volunteered on behalf of
the Scratby Coastal Erosion Group to
assist in collecting oral histories from
local people for the Holding Back the
Tide project.
8 The Edge Summer 2008
A
B C
Rowhedge, Essex – Steve
Turner and Elizabeth Trellis
Sixth generation ‘Rowhedger’ Steve
Turner was the first person to have his
oral history collected by Mavis during
a training day for all those
volunteering to interview participants
in the project. Nestled on the banks of
the tidal River Colne, Rowhedge is
still very much a seafaring
community today with locals
enjoying the opportunity to sail,
motor, kayak or row from the village
quayside (see picture D). Estuaries and
tidal rivers are iconic to the Essex
coastline and Rowhedge itself has a
rich maritime history, enjoying its
own ship building heyday between
1890 and 1914.
Steve’s family tree shows that his
great, great, great grandfather was
born in the village about 1780 and his
family has more or less always been
involved with boats. His great great
grandfather was a shipwright, his
granny’s brother was chief clerk at the
Iron works and his grandfather Fred
Turner, known to fellow workers as
‘Turner the Burner’, was a riveter in
the shipyard. However, Fred also
crewed on the royal racing cutter
Britannia and, as launch man, would
taxi King George V to shore.
Also sharing her memories, was fellow
Rowhedge resident, Elizabeth Trellis.
Recalling the amount of boat traffic
on the Colne, Elizabeth commented,
“Of course, what we really miss is the
coasters up and down, because it was
very, very busy when we were here
between 1970 and 1975. We used to
keep a log of them, which was great
fun for the children to see where they
came from and learn a lot of
geography from the boats”.
Today Elizabeth still keeps a log of the
boats which she can see from her
house, just across the high street from
the quay. She is a well known figure
around the village, known as ‘the lady
who swims in the river’ – a rather
impressive claim at 74 years old. It was
this fame that sparked two local
villagers to ask if they could name
their boat after her (see picture E).

Aldeburgh, Suffolk –
Linda Berry
In addition to interviewing local
people, Holding Back the Tide also aims
to make links between generations,
with planned link ups with local
participating schools. Linda Berry, Head
teacher of Aldeburgh Primary School in
Suffolk, was the first to say she would
like her school to participate. Also
volunteering to collect oral histories,
Linda will be interviewing local people
along with the help of members from
the Alde and District Local History
Society and is particularly interested in
the surviving habitants of the ‘Lost
Village of Slaughden’. This village, just
south of Aldeburgh, has been lost to the
North Sea as a result of the extensive
erosion faced by this part of the Suffolk
coast over the centuries. Aldeburgh
pupils will be learning about Slaughden
through a field trip to the original site
and a visit to the Moot Hall Museum.
Originally built in the middle of the
town, this 15th century town hall now
presents a visually arresting example of
how the East Anglian coast is eroding
(see picture F). Today, although still in
F
its original position, it is no longer
situated in the centre of the town but just
metres away from the beach.
Holding Back the Tide is an adventure
of rediscovery into the cultural and
natural heritage of the East Anglian
coastline through the recollections of
local people. It will create a valuable
community resource for future
generations that can be used by local
museums, heritage trusts and societies,
future schools programs as well as coastal
management bodies. And judging by
early interviews, there is a lot of lost
history to rediscover and learn from,
through the age old art of storytelling.
Holding Back the Tide would
not be possible without the
funding provided by the Heritage
Lottery Fund and Hervey
Benham Trust. More information
about participating groups
and activities underway can be
found at the project BLOG
www.coastnet.org.uk/holding
backthetide.
Photo A – Mavis Szaj and her sister
on Scratby beach in 1949.
Photo B – Scratby postcard from
the 1960s conjures up memories of
childhood seaside holidays; Now:
an offshore wind farm can clearly
be seen just off the coast in a
recent image.
Photo C – Mavis Szaj, her father and
her sister at their holiday home in
Scratby in the 1950s.
Photo D – The Essex village of
Rowhedge where CoastNet’s offices
are based is itself steep in Maritime
Heritage and was the setting of
the oral history training for
volunteers in May.
Photo E – The lady who swims in
the river, Elizabeth Trellis, seen here
on a boat named after her in the
village of Rowhedge, Essex.
Photo F – Aldeburgh’s 15th century
Moot Hall is a visual reminder of the
effect of coastal erosion along the
East Anglian coastline. Now situated
right by the sea, it was originally
built in the centre of the town.
The Edge Summer 2008 9

– a future for the inshore fisheries?
T
he inshore fisheries of the
Thames Estuary stretch along
the Essex and Kent coastline –
from Harwich in Essex, to North
Foreland in Kent. It’s a large area,
fished mainly by smaller, ‘non-sector’
boats under 10 metres in length by
people from local coastal communities,
with species ranging from plaice, sole
and sea bass, to lobster and oysters.
Clive Mills (pictured above) is one such
Thames Estuary inshore fisherman,
based in Mersea, Essex. Fishing has
always been a great family tradition in
the Mills’ family. Clive was just five
when he first went ‘on the water’ and
bought his first fishing boat at 17. “My
10 The Edge Summer 2008
Fishing
the Thames Estuary
grandfather, who originated from
Tollesbury, was a fisherman and net
maker here and his father (my great
grandfather) before him”, says Clive.
“My great grandfather was also skipper
of the King of Spain’s J Class racing
yacht. And one of his four brothers
was the skipper of the tea magnate
Liptons’ yacht.”
But Clive will be the last of the family
to be in the fishing business. Says Clive
who has lived in Mersea all his life,
“I’ve got two boys and they’re not
going fishing, the way the inshore
fisheries are now. The government has
managed the inshore fishermen out of
the UK fisheries.”
What quotas for smaller boats?
Like many fishermen, Clive is angry
about the quota system that seems to
benefit the larger (over 10 metres) boats
belonging to Producer Organisations
more than the smaller, non-sector boats
mainly fishing the inshore fisheries,
like himself. Currently only about three
per cent of the total fishing quota
for the UK goes to the inshore fisheries
with the rest going to Producer
Organisations.
For example, the UK North Sea area
quota for plaice is about 13,000 tonnes
but of this only 31 tonnes is available to
share between the inshore boats (under
10m fleet) fishing from Dungeness
Point to the Borders. Clive’s boat has a
quota of 1 tonne a month for sole and
100kg of plaice “which isn’t enough for
two men, it’s the bare bones” says Clive.
The throwing back of dead fish because
quotas have been reached only feeds
the resentment. Says Clive, “The
volume of cod we are dumping back in
the sea is criminal. This year, one of the
Mersea boats caught 150 stone of cod
when they were fishing for plaice – they
all had to be dumped dead. It’s a waste
when you’ve got half the world starving
to death and food bills going up.”
Sustainable fisheries
So where do the fisheries go now?
Recent demonstrations by fishermen
show feelings are running high. The
high cost of fuel coupled with the small
proportion of EU quota of the more
commercial species means that for the
inshore boats going out to fish, equates
to a loss – so why bother? Is there a
future for the inshore fisheries and the
communities which depend on this
industry for their livelihood? Can the
inshore fisheries be sustainable?
CoastNet recently undertook a scoping
study for WWF to look at the suitability
of the Thames Estuary Inshore Fisheries
to be assessed for its sustainability
status under the Marine Stewardship
Council (MSC) certification process.
The MSC certification process assesses a
fishery on the basis of whether stocks
are at suitably sustainable levels to be
fished, if the quantity of fish to be
caught will be sufficient to sustain the
market and whether the manner of
fishing itself is sustainable, ie the
methods and gear used.
The study found that at least six species,
including sea bass, lobster, dover sole
and cockles, were suitable candidates
to be assessed under the MSC
sustainability criteria with catch levels
currently high enough to support
market demands and great potential to
create a sustainable inshore fishery.
This would be a good news story for
the inshore fisheries who would be
able to demonstrate that by adhering
to the principles of sustainability they
could help deliver the Governments
long term vision for 2027 which states
that ‘A sustainable fisheries sector
is essential for delivering the
Government’s vision of clean, healthy,
safe, productive and biologically
diverse oceans and seas’ and that in
2027 ‘access to fisheries continues to
be available to small-scale fishing
vessels (Fisheries 2027 – a long term
vision for sustainable fisheries, Defra
2007).
Yet it seems that it’s an industry
without a future unless urgent and
radical management changes are
made. The mismatch between the
potential benefits of carrying the MSC
sustainability accreditation and the
seemingly ongoing lack of support by
government for inshore fisheries
regarding the amount of quota
allocated is a huge obstacle to
overcome if the inshore fisheries are
to survive.
Clive’s view of the management of
the fisheries is very forthright “It’s
clear as crystal that the civil servants
who have managed our fisheries
have absolutely ignored the inshore
fishermen in the under 10m fleet
and now Europe wants every fish
to be counted… where’s our bit?
The alternative is to accept
decommissioning money, and as Clive
says “put the boat on the tip and walk
away from it”. “We’re like the corner
shops trying to compete with the big
supermarkets……… the industry’s in
meltdown”. Clive feels that there is
little government support for the
inshore fleet and there are now
potentially hundreds of fishermen
who may no longer have a future in
the industry.
The Edge Summer 2008 11
A coastal and marine
education network for the UK
Theresa Redding takes a look at CoastNet’s new education network.
C
oastNet has been involved in,
and committed to, coastal and
marine education since its
beginnings in 1996.
To ensure that our coasts and seas are
sustainable, careful management is
needed. And to get our communities
involved in coastal governance locally,
an awareness and understanding about
coastal and marine issues both
nationally and locally is vital.
That’s where the new coastal and
marine education network comes in –
helping an army of coastal and marine
educators with a similar aim share new
innovative ways to encourage learning
and motivation in people to find out
more about the coast.
CoastNet has recognised the need for a
coastal and marine educators network
since the 1990s when it worked on
a number of education initiatives,
CoastNet: supporting marine and coastal education since 1996
Coastal and marine educators at work –
Low Tide Day 2005
2005 Low Tide Day
including its practical guide to marine
and coastal interpretation techniques,
Ship to Shore, its 2000 conference
that explored various educational
approaches in the coastal and marine
sectors, its partnership with River
Ocean in 2005 on Low Tide Day, its
regional workshops in 2006 to share
activity ideas among other coastal and
marine communicators and the
publication of a ‘tool kit’ of resources
for coastal and marine educators (see
photo box).
The coastal and marine
education network
This new coastal and marine education
network is intended to provide a
place for those involved in coastal
communication and education to share
ideas, ask specific questions to fellow
professionals, find latest publications
on the subject and post their own
documents onto the site. The network
consists of the following sites:
CoastNet staff at an education event in
Devonport, Plymouth June 2008
2006 Public engagement workshop
To search for information and
publications and to upload
information our Coastal Portal,
Coastweb, now has a specific ‘coastal
and marine education’ subject area.
Go to: www.coastweb.info
To access the Coastal and
Marine Education forum and
communicate with other
coastal educators go to
www.coastnet.org.uk and click on
‘Marine education’.
CoastNet is also organising a specific
coastal and marine education
conference in the Autumn.
To join the educators network
and for more information about the
coastal and marine education
conference, contact Theresa Redding:
Theresa.redding@coastnet.org.uk
CoastNet education team members
‘role play’ May 2008
2007 Publication
of Dive straight
in, a practical
‘dip-in’ guide for
engaging the
public in coastal
and marine
issues
The challenge of communicating
coastal management
Could you figure out how many hours a day you spend answering phone calls, emails,
video conferencing, at meetings, workshops, searching on Google, exchanging information
with colleagues? A vast majority of those who work in Coastal Management would
recognise they sometimes feel literally either “Lost in Communications” or “Lost in
Information”. With innovations in remote sensing, applications of Geographical
Information Systems and collaborative writing projects, the million dollar question is:
“Does this actually making life easier for us coastal professionals?”
T
o resolve coastal issues we have
to bring together the best
available technologies matched
with the most up to date scientific and
technical information while skillfully
managing communications and
stakeholder involvement. Information
and Communication Technologies
(ICTs) have a key role in providing
scientists, policy makers or practitioners
with the information they need or the
ways of communicating with people
who can provide it or be involved in
the process.
What is CoastNet’s role in this
communications ‘revolution’? We aim
always to make the most of the
information we receive and to
proactively search out relevant news
and opportunities for our members.
Adapting
information to
specific needs
We assess
information and
disseminate it in
an appropriate
format depending
of the reader and
their interests. We don’t
like sending out long emails with lists
of information bytes. Rather, we work
on an editorial strategy to capture,
evaluate, edit and disseminate
information in a user friendly way.
Translating to
the internet
what coastal
management is
all about
The Internet
doesn’t
understand
what we mean
when we ask for specific information
so CoastNet has developed a coastal
thesaurus that includes relationships Strategic communications for
between terms. This so called coastal management
ontology is being applied to search Communications is not just an add on
engines and other software to find to ICZM projects. In many cases, poor
relevant and useful information with communication has led to the failure
an integrated approach. The category of projects and sadly, well thought
tree of the coastal wiki is already using out tools and studies are developed
the basic hierarchy tree from CoastNet but no one gets to see them or
http://www.encora.eu/coastalwiki/Ma use them. This is why CoastNet is
in_Page and CoastNet is liaising with leading a workpackage to coordinator
other similar projects in the same way. communications within the new
Interreg funded Imcore project, a
follow on from the Corepoint project.
Evaluating and developing
online coastal resources
Creativity and
The CoastWeb archive is an online
professionalism
library where anyone can store and
We believe that
retrieve coastal information which
coastal news
was set up by CoastNet within the
should never be
Corepoint project. CoastNet also had
dull, even if
a key role within the European
matters are
partnership project, Encora, to
serious, so
evaluate how successful the online
we work with professional
resources had been for coastal
communications people and look for
scientists and practitioners.
creative ways to get the message
across.
The Edge Summer 2008 13
Supporting fishing families
and ecotourism in the South Mediterranean
Manuela de los Rios reports on a CoastNet international project looking at sustainable
fishing and ecotourism in Northern Morocco.
E
arly this year, thanks to funding
from the Big Lottery
International Small Grants
Programme, a CoastNet team visited
Tetouan, in Northern Morocco,
approximately 50 miles from the
Strait of Gibraltar.
CoastNet’s interest in the African
coast of the Mediterranean has grown
out of the Encora Project, which was
extended in 2007 to include a
North African Encora Network. With
a view to bring further support to
coastal management in this region
CoastNet secured funding from the
Big Lottery International Small
Grants programme to gain a better
understanding of international efforts
in the region to promote sustainable
development. Morocco is one of the
case study areas that we investigated
to understand better the relationship
between international guidance, and
local delivery, and to identify
priorities for future activity.
14 The Edge Summer 2008
About Morocco
Morocco is the poorest country of
the Mediterranean, having the lowest
HDI (Human Development Index).
However, it is rich in coastal natural
resources, making it an increasingly
popular destination for tourists and
foreign investments in this sector. A
recent government scheme is aiming to
double tourist visits in 10 years which
would mean an increase from 5 to 10
million tourists by 2015.
Although there are local concerns
regarding the environmental pressure
from mass tourism, the priorities in a
country where 30 per cent of the
population are under 15 years old and
20 per cent are living under the poverty
threshold, put sustainable development
and climate change understandably at
the bottom of the agenda.
Although there is little coordination
between local coastal communities,
there is a strong interest in working
together to defend community rights. It
is within this perspective that CoastNet
met up with stakeholders in the country
to get a better idea of the current
situation and possible future actions.
CoastNet’s community project
Local actions with even a limited budget
can make a huge difference, and it
was with this approach in mind that
the CoastNet team interviewed
stakeholders belonging to national
research institutions, water companies,
women business organisations,
politicians, fishing associations and
tourism organisations. CoastNet agreed
that a key focus for future action would
be to support the artisanal fishing
communities whose way of life is
particularly vulnerable to the pressures
for change that they face. Confronted
with decreasing fish stocks, pressure for
mass tourism development, migration
from the villages to the cities, and loss of
natural and cultural heritage they need
help to adapt, and to capture some of the
benefits of change for their own
community.

The target of the project, Amsa
(pictured above), is a small fishing
village to the south of the city of
Tetouan. Its fishermen have
traditionally made their living from
the adjacent bay. However,
overfishing in the Mediterranean has
had an impact on the fish resources
within the bay, so that fishing no
longer provides for the community as
it did in the past. Their vision for the
community’s future is for small tourist
lodges, nature trails, and a cooperative
of fisherwives to run a fish restaurant
for tourists; for diversification into
low-impact mussel farming; for better
sanitation and water supplies for the
village; and for improved education
and training so that local people can
benefit from tourism jobs. CoastNet
has set out a programme to help them
achieve these goals. The programme
also includes support for local NGOs,
to help them to build their own
capacity to support this and similar
communities through these rapidly
changing times.
The project will span 30 months and
build local partnerships between two
environmental NGOs, a women’s
support association, schools, local
government, university and the
national fishing research centre. It will
also support fishermen and their
families by:
• Renovating traditional fishing gear
and facilities and promoting
sustainable fishing techniques.
• Diversifying income by installing
and building capacity to develop low
impact mussel aquaculture.
• Developing coastal related
ecotourism attractions and
educational resources.
• Strengthening a network of civil
society from the region of Tanger-
Tetouan and Northern Africa that
will promote similar good practice in
rural coastal communities.
At the time of going to press we await
the outcome of a bid for further Big
Lottery funding for a £330,000 package
of activities and investment in support
of these goals.
About ICZM in the
South Mediterranean
The importance of the Mediterranean as
an international sea, its situation
between three continents, and the
extent of threats to its environmental
quality from pollution and coastal
urbanisation have resulted in complex
institutional arrangements for
international support in the coastal
regions of North Africa and the Middle
East. An added complexity is in the
relationship between Arab and Western
systems and institutions of governance.
Here are the principle institutions:
• CEDARE (http://www.cedare.int) –
The Center for Environment
and Development for the Arab
Region and Europe – established in
1992 as an international inter-
governmental organisation with
diplomatic status. CEDARE cites
marine and coastal management,
environmental economics and
assessment, urbanisation, and
education and communication
as areas of special concern.
www.cedare.int/Main.aspx?code=284
• United Nations Environment
Program Mediterranean Action
Plan
www.unepmap.org/html/homeeng.asp
– Established as part of UNEPIs
regional seas programme. Its priorities
include protecting the Mediterranean
coasts “from the impact of
unrestrained development and its
effects on the marine environment”.
• METAP, the Mediterranean
Environmental Technical Assistance
Programme www.metap.org – Coastal
management is a priority.
• The Short and Medium-term
Priority Environmental Action
Programme
(SMAP) http://ec.europa.eu/environ
ment/smap/whatis.htm – a European
Union framework programme of
action for the protection of the
Mediterranean environment, within
the context of the Euro-Mediterranean
Partnership, adopted in 1997.
The Edge Summer 2008 15
Po s t c a r d s f r o m t h e e d g e

Top left: Marine educators in fisherwomen’s clothes

role play.
Top right: Low Tide training day, 2005.
Middle left: Pupil from St Lawrence Primary School
with his waterside artwork as part of a display from
the Holding Back the Tide project.
Middle right: CoastNet Strategic Director, Alex Midlen,
with the Major of Cardiff who gave the opening
speech at CoastNet’s climate change conference.
Bottom left: Children from the Last Resort Youth
Group make bunting as part of the Holding Back the
Tide project.

This publication is partially funded

CoastNet emails:
Alex Midlen; alex.midlen@coastnet.org.uk
Theresa Redding; theresa.redding@coastnet.org.uk
Lesley Smeardon; lesley.smeardon@coastnet.org.uk
Manuela de los Rios; manuela.delosrios@coastnet.org.uk
Suzanne Gattrell; suzanne.gattrell@coastnet.org.uk
Events; events@coastnet.org.uk
General; admin@coastnet.org.uk
through the Corepoint project under
the Interrreg 3B Programme. Corepoint
aims to establish North West Europe
as an internationally recognised
region of excellence in coastal
management by encouraging full
implementation of ICZM, highlighting
best practice, providing education by
influencing national spatial policies –
for further details please see
http://corepoint.ucc.ie