An Appetite for Change: Suffolk & the Sea

Friday 23 September 2011, Hoffmann Building, Snape Maltings, Suffolk

The Speakers

Sheila Dillon
Sheila is again our Conference Chair for the day but is, of course, best known as presenter of the award-winning BBC Radio 4 Food Programme, renowned for its investigative reporting of food poverty, food education, food science, food production − and good food.

Dr Jason Hall Spencer
Jason is one of the UK’s foremost marine biologists based at the University of Plymouth Marine Institute in the UK. He conducts applied research to provide policy makers with the scientific information needed to best manage the marine environment, ranging from deep-sea benthos, fisheries, aquaculture, marine protected areas, biogenic reefs and seamounts.

He is currently working on coral reefs in the Arctic Ocean, the use of satellite tracking of fish vessels to design effective conservation areas and studying underwater volcanoes in the Mediterranean Sea to help predict the effects of ocean acidification.

Dr Stuart Rogers
Stuart manages the provision of short-term and strategic advice to government on the impacts of human activities on the UK marine environment through his role as Divisional Director at Cefas, and coordinates a broad range of applied marine science.

He has also contributed to and chaired a wide range of technical and advisory working groups, and provides advice to Defra and the European Commission on the implementation of national and European legislation.

Jeremy Ryland Langley
is responsible for Fish Sourcing Policy at Waitrose, across all Commercial areas (including Fresh, Frozen and Canned Fish). He has been employed by Waitrose since 1979 and has held a number of different positions within the Retail and Buying environments. Jeremy has been responsible for the Waitrose Fresh Fish category since 1996 and has been instrumental in the development of Waitrose’s Responsible Fish and Shellfish Sourcing policy covering both Wild caught, Farmed and Organic fish.

Jeremy has been interested in the marine environment since an early age, is a keen sport fisherman and has his own carp fishery in Hampshire. In his own words “he lives and breathes all things fish”.

James Thornton
James Thornton,“One of the ten people who could change the world” (New Statesman) is one of the world’s top environmental lawyers, a solicitor and a member of the bars of California, New York, and the United States Supreme Court. James is the founding CEO of ClientEarth, the non-profit environmental law group with offices in London, Brussels and Warsaw and gives our keynote address.

Bill Parker
Brought up in Birmingham and with an Agricultural Economics degree, Bill spent 20 years working in retail. A change in direction with an MSc in Conservation Management and working for the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Unit (SCHU) developed his fascination with the coast.

As Suffolk’s first Integrated Coastal Zone Management Officer, Bill works for a partnership of local Authorities, Agencies and SCHU – finding ways forward to meet the challenging issues for the Suffolk Coast.

Jerry Percy
Jerry’s family were Norfolk and Suffolk folk, with the surname of ‘Seaman’. They farmed and fished at Happisburgh on the Norfolk coast, his mother was brought up at Pin Mill on the river Deben. Jerry skippered a number of longlining vessels from Lowestoft in his early days so he is well set for his role at the New Under Ten Fishermen’s Association (NUTFA), which is the only UK organisation specifically dedicated to the support, survival and development of the under ten metre fleet. A non-profit making organisation, NUTFA represents its members at local, UK and EU levels, defending their rights and fighting for their future.

Sir Edward Greenwell
Sir Edward lives and farms near Orford. He has been involved with the work of local landowners, farmers and other interested parties looking into the possible solutions to the challenges of land under threat by the sea. He is currently president of the Suffolk Association of Local Councils, chairman of the Rural Housing Trust, and chairman of the Estuary Planning Partnership of the Alde & Ore. He is also chairman of the East Suffolk Internal Drainage Board and a member of the Board of the National Trust. He was President of the Country Land & Business Association (CLA) from 2001 to 2003.

East Feast
Eastfeast is an educational charity made up of a team of professional gardeners and artists who develop ‘outdoor’ classrooms with local schools. The project focuses on food and where it comes from (land and sea), culminating in an artistic and edible feast to celebrate the learning and produce. The feast is always shared with the local community.

Nick Saltmarsh
Nick will be rapporteur for the conference again this year, keeping track of the important points raised and assisting the chairman.

For his day job, Nick is founding partner of Provenance, where his work includes market development for a Suffolk organic vegetable producer and editing Defra’s sustainable development newsletter. He has previously worked at East Anglia Food Link, for an organic wholesaler, as a picker of wild mushrooms and on a goat farm.