Posted in Blog on Dec 04, 2024.
The UK Hub of UNESCO-MOST BRIDGES Coalition held a panel at the Wales Real Food and Farming Conference, on the afternoon of 20 November, 2024, highlighting the Welsh component of the Coastal TALES project, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) through the Belmont Forum.
The panel titled, “Sustaining the Sea: Stories & practices of Welsh fishers” saw Luci Attala & Louise Steel discussing the transdisciplinary humanities-incorporated sustainability science research being done, on how traditional stories can help deliver innovative local solutions to the changing climate in coastal regions. Collaborating with societal partners, Câr-Y-Môr, The Teifi Coracle Netman’s Association & Cardigan Bay Fish, examining climate adaptation, to understand how heritage stories can drive action in education, policy and nature-based innovation.
Unfortunately, the harsh weather conditions meant that our societal partners couldn’t join us on the panel, as planned, but it was a fantastic opportunity to present the project and discuss the transdisciplinary method of research. Coastal TALES demonstrates the value of reviving heritage stories in three distinct social contexts, each of which uniquely illustrates how listening to voices from the past and empowering voices of the present can create a legacy for future generations and offer a source of resilience in the face of climate stress. In Wales revival of local coastal heritage foods is foregrounded, with an emphasis on learning how heritage stories can drive sustainable adaptation.
Huge thanks to Alissa Flatley for joining the panel, discussing her work on a ‘citizen science' project, led by Carmarthen Riverside Association and supported by Carmarthen Together, launched to test water quality on Carmarthenshire’s River Towy. The project was set up to test water quality at several points along a 24-mile stretch of the Towy, from Llansteffan upstream to Llandeilo. Dr Flatley shared that "Over 225 water samples were tested over the course of the pilot project, and most show elevated levels of phosphates, nitrates and nitrites, exceeding limits for a healthy river system.”
It’s clear action is needed to restore, protect and enhance the freshwater habitats of the River Towy, and other local Welsh rivers suffering from similar conditions, in the face of increasing reports of sewage pollution, and concern over high levels of phosphates, nitrates and nitrites.
With relevance to the Coastal TALES project, it’s vital to listen to and learn from the experiences of those such as our societal partners, Câr-Y-Môr, The Teifi Coracle Netman’s Association & Cardigan Bay Fish, who working on the coast and fishing the seas, about how these issues are impacting their working practices, and how they are adapting to the changing conditions and climate.
Appreciation to those who joined us in the audience to learn about the Coastal TALES project, and showed an interest in the work taking place on the Welsh component of the initiative; and for the thought-provoking conversations that came out of the panel.
For more information on the Coastal TALES initiative, please see: https://bridges.earth/projects/coastal-tales and https://jpi-climate.eu/project/coastal-tales/
