Deputy First Minister announces Saltmarsh Network Cymru

Deputy First Minister for Wales and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs Huw Irranca-Davies MS has announced funding for the development of Saltmarsh Network Cymru.

This network will provide a foundation for a coordinated and strategic approach to the restoration and protection of saltmarsh habitat in Wales.

Saltmarshes are vital coastal ecosystems that protect shorelines, support biodiversity, improve water quality, and store carbon to help combat climate change.

Saltmarsh habitats make up approximately 7000 ha of the Welsh coastline, and 6000 ha of Scottish coastline, providing habitat for land and marine creatures, nutritious grazing for livestock, and popular spots for fishing and birdwatching.

Saltmarshes have featured in popular fiction and folk stories as remote landscapes haunted by dangerous people and strange creatures. The fast incoming tides which for centuries evoked fear of stranding are rising with sea levels, and washing away this intertidal fringe of the UK, of which 85% has been lost since the mid-1800s.

Political and scientific interests focus on issues of land reclamation for agriculture and development, sea level rise, indirect effects of industrial fishing on associated habitats like seagrass and oyster reefs which provide protection from wave erosion, health and well-being benefits, and now carbon sequestration, nutrient remediation and co-restoration of coastal seascapes.

The announcement was made during the UK Saltmarsh Forum – an annual event, coordinated and chaired by UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) coastal ecologist, Angus Garbutt. This year’s forum, which brings together over 130 saltmarsh experts from across the UK, is hosted by Swansea University and sponsored by The Crown Estate, Natural Resources Wales and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-UK).

Address

In his opening address welcoming delegates to the event, the Deputy First Minister said: “I am pleased to announce that we have recently provided funding for the development of the Saltmarsh Network Cymru.

“Led by the North Wales Wildlife Trust, this work will establish a foundation for a coordinated and strategic approach to saltmarsh restoration and protection right across Wales. The project will gather knowledge that is often siloed or can be informal and bring it to a national action plan.”

“As our understanding of saltmarsh habitats grow, their role in positively impacting biodiversity, resilience and climate change is becoming clearer, and with this the importance of effectively managing and protecting them too.”

UKCEH coastal ecologist Angus Garbutt, who chairs the UK Saltmarsh Forum, commented: “The forum provides a great opportunity to bring together key players from across the devolved governments, academics, civil engineering businesses and NGO’s including Natural Resources Wales, NatureScot, Natural England, Environment Agency, Universities, ABPmer, WWF-UK and Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust. The sharing of knowledge and expertise ensures that the flow of evidence from scientists to policymakers helps to shape future plans for these critical blue carbon habitats.”

Critical role

Caroline Price, Head of Nature & Environment for The Crown Estate, lead sponsors of the event said “The Crown Estate is delighted to support this year’s UK Saltmarsh Forum. Coastal ecosystems play a critical role in underpinning our economy, health and wellbeing and saltmarshes were identified in our recent work on High-Integrity Marine Natural Capital Markets in the UK as making a significant contribution.”

Over the two-day conference sessions cover a range of key themes including enhancing diversity, engaging stakeholders, nature-based solutions and seascape restoration.

At the meeting there will also be an update on the UN 2030 Saltmarsh Breakthrough, a global programme that brings together countries and initiatives to inspire and drive global collaboration. By offering a clear framework for change, it empowers nations to prioritise, coordinate, and amplify collective action across seven key sectors, unlocking new opportunities to accelerate progress towards a sustainable, low-carbon future.

The event also builds on the minister’s announcement with a workshop on the Saltmarsh Network Cymru to help plan the rapid rollout of saltmarsh restoration across Wales, building on the success of Seagrass Restoration Cymru and Project Seagrass.

Day two includes a field trip, organised by Natural Resources Wales, to Cym Ivy saltmarsh where restoration in action will provide a backdrop for further discussion.