In 2024, Selsey has a fleet of small fishing vessels most well-known for its crab and lobster catches. This, however, is the only the most recent part of its rich fishing heritage, the fishing industry at Selsey was first mentioned in writing in 731 AD in the Ecclesiastical History of the English People. This was series of books by the Venerable Bede that provides a snapshot of life in England during the 8th Century.
Selsey’s fishing heritage is also recorded in archaeological finds, that predate and postdate, Bede’s written record. During the creation of the Medmerry Reserve, (the result of one of Europe's largest managed coastal realignment schemes) the remains of a large medieval fish weir was uncovered, stretching over 225 meters it was dated to the first quarter of the 15th Century. Further work on the site revealed another structure, much older that could date back as far as the Bronze Age.
In our first article, we mentioned that CHASM (Crustaceans Habitats and Sediment Movement) came from questions raised by Selsey’s Fishing Community as part of the Sea’s The Day Project. This project was funded by a heritage lottery grant won by Selsey Town Council and ran between July 2018 and mid-2020. Sea’s The Day was to create a permanent oral history record of Selsey fisherman and raise awareness of the changing face of the industry today. Via a series of interviews available in a book, photographs, museum exhibition and the creation of a film, the project looked to connect the current town with this important part of its history. These days fishing is no longer than the main employer in the town but a core and central part with strong links to the RNLI Lifeboat and others.
During the interviews, observations on not only the past but present were captured. They recorded vibrant histories, and pressures on the fisherman today, including changes in the marine world as seen by the fishermen. They raised concerns over why lobster catches were significantly down and why was there increased sediment being found on traditional fishing grounds. Anya was also interviewed and talked about the changes, she had noted over the, then 15 years, Mulberry had been diving at Selsey and when conducting our ecology beach sessions and walks.
The answer to these concerns, which were outside the remit of Sea’s The Day, led to the formation of the CHASM partnership, with Jane Cunningham, Chichester District Council, being a led partner in both projects. The aim of CHASM is to follow up on the concerns and investigate the issues raised. The work of CHASM will hopefully support the next chapter in Selsey’s fishing heritage in the future and not just as the memories captured and now kept safe as part of the West Sussex Record Office.
You can view the Sea’s The Day video on You Tube here
Read the Summary Report on Sea’s The Day here
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