Dartmouth Explorer Monty Halls Unveils Remarkable Coastal Conservation Efforts in the South West: A Revolution in Marine Conservation

Dartmouth-based explorer and broadcaster Monty Halls has recently returned from his Generation Sea Change project, exploring the response of coastal communities in the South West to marine environmental challenges. 

His voyage - shortly to be broadcast in a series of eight films - revealed that the initiatives and projects created by people in Devon and Cornwall lead the UK, and in one particular case the world, in terms of proactive solutions to marine conservation issues.

“It was extraordinary,” said Halls upon returning to his home town of Dartmouth, “we were inundated by groups and individuals who have created volunteer schemes or innovative technology. These are viable solutions to huge conservation problems, they really are, and are having tangible effects on issues such as sewage, microplastics and coastal degradation.”

Halls believes that many of the schemes have emerged due to frustration at official apathy and government incompetence dealing with significant problems on South West stretches of coastline and marine ecosystems. 

“It’s a revolution in a way, a conservation insurgency. This region has always had such a close connection to the sea, and it seems to me that people have just had enough. They’re taking ownership of local problems, and coming up with what might one day end up being global solutions.”  

Projects covered include the largest rat eradication on earth on a populated island St Agnes in the Scillies - in order to allow endangered ground nesting seabirds such as puffins and shearwaters to return. 

The series begins with the story of a micro filter created by a Bude surfer that will radically reduce microplastics entering the ocean. Other topics include the first river sampling scheme in the UK from source to sea run by local people in order to provide alerts of sewage spills, and a tagging scheme to assess the population size of huge blue fin tuna that have appeared off our coasts.

“The people of the South West are out in force, creating initiatives that can be used as templates not only around the UK, but internationally. It’s been a phenomenal experience to witness first hand, to catalogue through images and film, and to hear about their efforts to turn the tide. They really are leading the charge.”

The Generation Sea Change premier film - “Life Cycle to Spin Cycle” is available to see at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1lirAaaHtc with a further seven films following as a series.