Photo by Mapping what Matters
Active and retired skippers and crew across England are being invited to take part in Mapping What Matters, a Defra-led project capturing the cultural and social importance of fishing grounds. Following pilot sessions earlier this year, the project’s national rollout begins with a series of drop-in sessions across the East of England from 28 September.
What the sessions involve
At each drop-in, fishermen will be able to mark grounds and transit routes that matter to them and explain why – whether for income, safety, heritage or family tradition. Information gathered will be converted into digital form, made anonymous, and combined with other contributors’ data so that it cannot be attributed to any individual. The resulting maps are intended to feed directly into planning decisions on offshore wind development, Marine Protected Areas, Fisheries Management Plans and other uses of English seas – decisions that have historically relied mainly on environmental and economic data rather than fishing communities’ own sense of what their grounds are worth.
East of England schedule
- Ramsgate RNLI Lifeboat Station: Monday 28 September (14:00-19:00), Tuesday 29 September (08:00-19:00)
- Horsebridge Centre, Whitstable: Wednesday 30 September – Thursday 1 October (09:00-19:00), Friday 2 October (09:00-18:00)
- Quayside Hotel, Boston: Monday 5 October (14:00-19:00), Tuesday 6 – Thursday 8 October (08:00-19:00)
- Kirkley Community Centre, Lowestoft: Monday 12 October (15:00-19:00), Tuesday 13 – Thursday 15 October (08:00-19:00), Friday 16 October (08:00-13:00)
- Merchants Place, Cromer: Monday 19 October (15:00-19:00), Tuesday 20 – Wednesday 21 October (08:00-19:00)
- Wells Maltings, Wells: Thursday 22 October (08:00-19:00), Friday 23 October (09:00-12:30)
Further dates for King’s Lynn and Southwold are still to be confirmed.
A wider national rollout
The project will continue into other English regions over the coming months: the North East from 2-20 November, the North West from 30 November to 11 December, the South from 14 December to 5 February, and the South West from 15 February to 2 April.
How to take part
Fishermen wanting to attend can register interest, or arrange a more convenient time and location with the project team, via bit.ly/Mappingwhatmatters – though registering is not a requirement for turning up. Postal packs are also available for anyone unable to attend in person. Mapping What Matters is delivered jointly by ABPmer, Fishing into the Future, the Countryside and Community Research Institute, Mindfully Wired, ICF and Defra.