September 10, 2024
I met Howard Wood a year ago in Geneva, Switzerland, for a conference hosted by IUCN. As we approached each other in our hotel’s eclectic lobby, Howard’s well-worn Patagonia sweater contrasted sharply with the vibrant pink decor. With bright blue eyes that sparkled from underneath a salt-weathered baseball cap, Howard greeted me with a warm handshake and thick Scottish accent.
Along with another Prize winner, we set out on a micro-tour of the city. Accustomed to walking the hills of San Francisco, I kept, in my opinion, a brisk but pleasant pace. “She nearly killed me!” Howard reflected to our team later that evening, gaining a round of laughter from the table.
Determined but jolly, Howard’s love of Scotland’s seas is preceded only by his love for his granddaughters. He’s a stalwart member of the community, a charismatic Scot who can befriend anyone over a sip of Arran whisky, and, when it comes to restoring Scotland’s seas, an absolute force of nature.
The Beginnings of an Environmentalist
Howard has lived on Scotland’s Isle of Arran since he was 15 and has been diving in its cold waters since 1973. Over the years, he has witnessed Scotland’s fisheries decline first-hand, the result of slow and steady regulatory rollback. In 1968, fishing was allowed in Scotland year-round, and, in 1984, a three nautical mile exclusion zone to protect coastal spawning grounds was eliminated. By the 1990s, the famous Lamlash Fishing Festival, a local cultural cornerstone where historic sea angling catch weighed upwards of seven tons, was canceled entirely. The fisheries had simply collapsed. With no big fish left, the fishing industry moved to exploit what little remained, indiscriminately scraping the bottom of the ocean for scallops.
In response, in 1995 Howard and friend Don MacNeish co-founded the Community of Arran Seabed Trust (COAST), a citizen group committed to protecting the local marine environment. After years of volunteering, in 2003 Howard decided to sell his plant nursery business and dedicate his time fully to COAST. As he shared with the New York Times, it was high-time to “persevere in making no money and saving the world and all that sort of crap.”
With dogged perseverance, Howard and Don got to work through COAST. It was an uphill battle, generating not only environmental hurdles, but also social, economic, and political adversaries. “We were very naïve,” Howard reflected. After 13 years of sustained campaigning, in 2008, COAST established a 2.67-square-kilometer no-take zone (NTZ) in Lamlash Bay. In 2014, the government designated the much larger (roughly 280 square kms) South Arran Marine Protected Area (MPA), but it would be another two years of intense campaigning until the community celebrated its biggest accomplishment: legal management of the MPA and the official exclusion of bottom-trawling. This was a huge accomplishment for the community and provided robust protections for the MPA.
Before and After: Assessing Scotland’s Marine Life
It’s now been eight and half years since the South Arran MPA was protected from damaging fishing practices and, although one might not know the difference from above the water, beneath the surface, change is afoot.
Marine species are making a comeback. Recent surveys indicate a three-fold increase in king scallop density within the NTZ, and a more than eight-fold increase in king scallop density within the wider MPA since 2016. Recovering areas, particularly within the NTZ, now boast complex seafloor habitats, restoring crucial nursery grounds for juvenile cod, a commercially important species that was once abundant in the waters around Arran. “It’s incredible how fast it recovers!” Howard exclaimed. The proof is in the pudding: true MPAs work.
Unfortunately, sustaining—let alone expanding—Scotland’s protected areas is a neverending battle. MPA boundaries encompass approximately 37% of Scottish seas, but damaging activities are still occurring. Whereas England has 40 vessels to monitor fishing compliance, Scotland, which has even more coastline, only has five (a recent increase from just three due to pressure from COAST). The team at COAST is constantly fighting to keep marine conservation top of mind—partnering with universities and nonprofits, joining petitions, providing comments at public hearings, and writing to government officials. Most importantly, COAST continues to advocate for government enforcement of MPAs; enforcement is a critical and frequently underfunded linchpin to ensuring that thriving ecosystems are not slowly eroded. To strengthen their voices, Howard and Fauna & Flora International helped found the Coastal Communities Network, a network of communities across Scotland that share data and organizing tactics, often over a pint at the local pub. “In Scotland, the ocean can be out of sight, out of mind,” Howard shared. “People come here, and they go see the green hills and the castles—they forget about what’s underwater.” Howard’s goal? To ensure that the ocean isn’t forgotten.
Ocean Innovation and Education
The benefits of MPAs extend beyond stronger fisheries; emerging research suggests that they can also help mitigate climate change. COAST’s new research vessel, the RV COAST Explorer, was recently chartered by the University of Exeter to conduct groundbreaking research into blue carbon.
When the RV COAST Explorer is not being used by nonprofits and universities, it’s busy conducting citizen science research with schoolchildren. From April through October, groups of students aged 6 to 11 come to COAST’s visitor center, board the RV COAST Explorer, occasionally captained by Howard’s son, and head out to sea. “It’s not a free ride though,” Howard noted. “Students sample plankton, use drop down cameras, and do lots of other tests.” The field trips are Howard’s solution to combating a rise in climate trauma among young people throughout the United Kingdom. “Going out on the boat and making a difference gives the next generation hope,” Howard shared. “That’s important to me.”
Improving Ocean Literacy across Scotland
Over the past decade, Howard has become a quiet celebrity—in 2015, he won the Goldman Environmental Prize and, in 2016, he was named an officer of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II. Howard and COAST are the frequent subject of films: the latest, a PBS docuseries featuring Shailene Woodley, chef José Andrés, and Martha Stewart, focuses on the importance of sustainable seafood to the global food economy. The filming of the series, Hope in the Water, was a bit of a shock to Howard and his sleepy island community: “There were three minibuses with camera crews unloading on our dock, and my wife said to me—’Hollywood has arrived!’” Howard speaks highly about the film, however, calling it the best production about COAST to date.
Howard’s work has put him on the map and, more importantly, raised the profile of an entire ecosystem: the ocean. COAST has fostered an increase in ocean literacy—community members on Arran understand marine principles and the social and economic value of healthy seas. A 2020 survey of Arran residents and visitors reported that 95% were aware of the NTZ and 97% supported marine protected areas, an increase of 24% from a decade earlier. In fact, 84% of all Scots want the government and fishing industry to protect more of the oceans, and with more urgency.
In recent years, Howard’s efforts have shifted toward succession planning. “When you’ve spent 30 years building out a project, the last thing you want it to do is become less effective or collapse,” he grimaced. Despite receiving a recent round of support from the prestigious King Charles III Charitable Fund, COAST’s small team is still shy of its funding needs. The NGO aspires to grow its Marine Discovery Center, continue survey and monitoring projects, and become a key hub for marine research.
Howard and COAST have built the foundation for marine biodiversity recovery in Scotland. Will the rest of the country follow their lead and continue to build a resilient blue economy? Hopefully, Howard ponders, the best is yet to come.
Explore COAST’s website and support its work.
About the author
Ellen Lomonico
Digital Communications Manager
Ellen is excited to elevate the stories and amplify the impact of Goldman Prize recipients around the globe. She manages the Prize’s digital presence, produces written and visual content, and contributes to strategic communications planning. Prior to joining the Prize, Ellen held various roles in the solar industry, from marketing to education program management. She holds a BA in Geography and Environmental Studies, with minors in Spanish and Environmental Systems and Society from the University of California, Los Angeles. She joined the Prize in 2020.
