March 10th, 2025
Guardians of Ceibwr Bay: The women leading the fight for wildlife Protection
Ceibwr Bay, a rugged and breathtaking coastal haven in Pembrokeshire, is home to grey seals, otters, and endangered seabirds. Despite its designation as a Special Area of Conservation, its fragile ecosystem faces growing threats from unchecked adventure tourism. When plans emerged for a new marine recreation hub that could further disrupt this protected wildlife sanctuary, Gill Lewis and Dagmarr Moore took action. With the support of the Environmental Law Foundation, they are fighting to ensure that nature is prioritized over profit. Their journey highlights the power of grassroots advocacy and the resilience of women in environmental justice.
What inspired you to take action and become a leader in environmental advocacy within your community?
We were inspired to take action and lead this environmental campaign to try to save the rugged beauty of Ceibwr Bay and its precious wildlife for future generations. For over a decade, the community had been raising concerns about wildlife disturbances caused by coasteering providers operating too close to wildlife. We felt that despite the designated multiple protections, the environment was being damaged on a regular basis and that the responsible bodies were not fulfilling their duties to protect the wildlife and habitats. We realised that with the proposed development of an adventure hub, adventure tourism could expand at Ceibwr, one of the last wild remote places in the Pembrokeshire coast. We took on the baton from others in the community who have been trying to protect the bay, to give wildlife a voice.
What has been your proudest achievement or most meaningful moment in your journey to protect the environment?
One of the most meaningful moments was receiving an email from the Environmental Law Foundation to say they would support us. For the first time we felt we had been listened to by someone who could help us. They empowered us to stay strong and have the confidence to continue on our journey to protect the fragile environment at Ceibwr. We were also incredibly grateful to Dr Rob Thomas, a leading seabird expert, for supporting our community and giving his expert opinion on seabird disturbances.
Our proudest achievement so far is having the ongoing legal support from Wild Justice who have permission to take Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority to court for a judicial review, challenging the planning approval of the adventure hub. We believe that this court case will highlight the damage that has been done to natura 2000 sites on the Pembrokeshire coast, and we hope that the authorises will recognise that they have a duty to prioritise wildlife over adventure tourism.
What challenges have you faced as a woman leader in environmental advocacy, and how have you overcome them?
We have received unpleasant and defamatory abuse both directly and on social media sites from men who wish to use Ceibwr Bay for commercial reasons. We have overcome these challenges by reporting the abuse and also having the support from almost the entire community, and we have made lifelong friends along the way.
How do you believe empowering women contributes to stronger, more resilient environmental movements?
Empowering women in the community is important because women often support each other, form strong bonds and work well together as a team, harnessing all their different skills. Many of the women in our close-knit community are at a time of life that is sometimes derogatorily referred to as ‘women of a certain age.’ However, this is our superpower. We have had to fight injustice, sexism and misogyny throughout our lives and careers to date. We’re not prepared to be shut down or silenced and we are prepared to use our voices for positive change. We become a force to be reckoned with.
What advice would you give to other women and girls who want to take action and become leaders in environmental justice?
One of the most empowering things you can do is to create a strong network and community. There will be times when you feel alone and ready to give up, but the support is a vital safety net. We have a team of brilliant women and men, all with different skills and knowledge.
When campaigning it’s important to do the research and gather the facts. Don’t be afraid to ask for advice and help from experts in their field to support you.
You will face being ignored, push-backs, and bluster. Don’t give up. Stay strong. Never make a campaign personal. Go after the policy. Work out where the weakness is.
Don’t be scared to speak up, but use social media wisely.
Especially for the younger women, don’t take abuse personally, but do call it out. If they are attacking you, then you know you are winning.
Know your worth. Many men with fewer qualifications and experience than you may assume authority over you.
You will have to fight twice as a hard as a woman, but you will become twice as strong.