The Aldeburgh Food and Drink Festival is holding an important conference, focusing on Suffolk and the Sea. It will take place in Suffolk at Snape Maltings Hoffmann Building on Friday 23 September from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Developing the Appetite for Change theme from last year’s highly successful event, Suffolk and the Sea will address two main areas where change is needed: over-exploitation of the marine environment and coping with the threat from the sea in low-lying coastland in Suffolk.
For the world and for Suffolk, the sea is an essential resource but its sustainability is endangered by pollution, by over-fishing and by mineral extraction. In Europe, 80 per cent of fish species are over-fished and more than seven million tonnes of fish and sea creatures are discarded annually. Scientists, fishermen, environmentalists and EU member states all agree that radical ideas for change are urgently needed.
In Suffolk, the sea itself is a threat to coastal communities, to agriculture and to wildlife. Sea level rise, sinking land and coastal erosion have long been familiar problems in East Anglia and climate change will make them more severe. Suffolk’s coastland has huge social, agricultural, economic and environmental importance and our inshore fisheries are valued highly.
Better ways must be found to manage the marine environment and also the sea’s impact on the land. The purpose of the conference is to explore these issues and particularly how they affect Suffolk. International, national and local experts, scientists and environmentalists will explain the need for change and how it can be achieved.
The conference will be chaired by Sheila Dillon, presenter of the renowned BBC Radio 4 Food Programme. There will be four speakers in the morning. Dr Jason Hall-Spencer from Plymouth University, one of the UK’s top marine biologists, will talk about the threats to newly discovered marine species and habitats. Dr Stuart Rogers, director of Environment and Ecosystems at the Lowestoft CEFAS (Centre for the Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture, the UK’s largest and most diverse applied marine science centre) will outline threats and opportunities in the management of East Anglia’s marine environment. James Thornton, the renowned international environmental lawyer and chief executive of ClientEarth will explain the sustainable way forward for fisheries policies. Jeremy Ryland Langley, the fourth speaker and head of fish and shellfish sourcing policy for leading supermarket chain Waitrose, will examine the role of the retailer in responsible sourcing and in changing consumers’ buying habits.
The afternoon session will focus on Suffolk and Suffolk solutions. Bill Parker, Suffolk Coast Futures Officer, will describe innovative projects being developed to meet the challenges facing the Suffolk coast. Sir Edward Greenwell, east coast farmer and landowner, will describe the threat from the sea to Suffolk farming and how to respond to it. Jerry Percy, chief executive of the New Under Ten Fishermen’s Assocation and representing the local inshore fishermen, will ask whether sustainable fishing is becoming an unsustainable industry. And to complete the afternoon programme, local primary schoolchildren and young people working with Eastfeast, Suffolk’s educational charity, will give us their views on the sea.
The Suffolk and the Sea conference is sponsored by The Crown Estate, Waitrose and Alde & Ore Futures. Cost per delegate is £25, including VAT, refreshments and lunch. Bookings can be made online at www.aldeburghfoodanddrink.co.uk or by calling Aldeburgh Music Box Office on 01728 687110.
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