Leading UK marine campaigner Hugo Tagholm to appear at Scarborough’s Big Ideas By The Sea Festival

In a Scarborough News feature from December 2023, Mr Tagholm paid tribute to the town’s Sons of Neptune group by stating: “The Sons of Neptune were really the pioneers of campaigning against sewage.

“That set the standard - the stunts, the props, the media cut through and the modus operandi which set the stage for so many national campaign groups today.

“We see their tactics reflected across so many of the campaign groups and NGOs in the current fight to free our seas and rivers from sewage”.

Mr Tagholm, a former CEO of national pressure group Surfers Against Sewage, is currently the UK director of global organisation Oceana.

North-Eastern representative of Surfers Against Sewage Steve Crawford said: “When Hugo joined SAS he was like a force of nature.

“His knowledge and enthusiasm modernised and reinvigorated.

“He has always been an avid campaigner and now with his work at Oceana, he’s working even harder to target the challenges of keeping our planet blue.”

Chaired by Nick Taylor, the event also features television explorer and environmentalist Paul Rose and UK fishing industry expert Mike Cohen.

Paul Rose is a former Vice President of the Royal Geographical Society and Chair of the Expeditions and Fieldwork Division and currently Expedition Leader for the National Geographic Pristine Seas Exhibition.

He was the Base Commander of Rothera Research Station Antarctica, for the British Antarctic Survey for 10 years and was awarded HM The Queen’s Polar Medal.

For his work with NASA and the Mars Lander project on Mt Erebus, Antarctica, he received the US Polar Medal.

Mike Cohen, of the National Federation of Fisherman’s Organisations (NFFO) is a widely respected national figure within the fishing industry.

He returns to Big Ideas by the Sea to bring the fishermen’s perspective on the future for our seas.

Mr Cohen has a legal and scientific background, as well as helping to form and lead the Holderness Fishing Industry Group for seven years.

He has also held the position of Chairman of the NFFO.

Hugo Tagholm, Paul Rose and Mike Cohen appear at St Mary’s Church on Saturday May 17 from 12.30-3pm.

Further details and tickets are available at bigideasbythesea.com.