Welsh seagrass habitat recovery strengthened with new funding

Extra funding has been confirmed by the Welsh Government which will be used to support the recovery of the equivalent of 266 rugby pitches of critically important seagrass habitats.

The additional £100,000 was announced by Huw Irranca-Davies, Deputy First Minister with responsibility for Climate Change and will be used to support the development of Seagrass Network Cymru’s (SNC) National Seagrass Action Plan.

Seagrass is a critically important habitat which provides us with multiple benefits including carbon storage, flood protection and increasing biodiversity.

Research has found that seagrass habitats harbour four times the number of fish of unvegetated habitats. One hectare of seagrass can support as many as 4,700 more fish and 28 million more invertebrates than unvegetated habitats.

Climate emergency

Restoring seagrass and saltmarsh habitats in Wales is crucial for tackling the climate and nature emergencies and is a Programme for Government commitment. The sites span the whole of Wales from Pembrokeshire to Traeth Penial in Holyhead.

Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies said: “I am pleased to announce this additional funding which will help Wales to halt seagrass loss and support recovery of 266 hectares of seagrass by 2030.

“It will also help develop longer term sources of public and private finance to support the creation of green jobs.”

The National Seagrass Plan (NSAP) has been developed by Seagrass Network Cymru which comprises of a range of delivery partners including NGOs, academics and Natural Resources Wales. The NSAP will provide a strategic, longer term, coordinated programme or restoration, building upon our current work.

Decline

Penny Nelson, Ocean Recovery Advocacy and Policy Lead at WWF Cymru said: “The Welsh Government’s support of the National Seagrass Action Plan is a significant step in the collective efforts of the partners of Seagrass Network Cymru to halt and reverse the decline of seagrass across Wales.

“Seagrass meadows are vital for supporting biodiversity, communities, and food security all while mitigating the growing impacts of climate change. This endorsement puts Wales on the path to leading the way in the recovery of our coastal and marine habitats and building a sustainable future for Wales.

“We look forward to working with Welsh Government to implement the National Seagrass Action Plan over the next 5 years which is crucial to achieve a vision where seagrass meadows are recovering and thriving.”

Dr Leanne Cullen-Unsworth, CEO of Project Seagrass and Chair of Seagrass Network Cymru said: “The greatest strength of the draft National Seagrass Action Plan is its collaborative nature.

“Seagrass Network Cymru brought together seagrass stakeholders from across Wales to develop this plan and offer a coordinated and chronological blueprint for action.”

“This funding to bring in the National Seagrass Action Plan coordinator now is critical to maintaining momentum built up by Seagrass Network Cymru and begin to deliver on the actions outlined in the draft Plan.”