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Daily Read: World

Scottish Divers Protect Seabed from Bottom Trawling

Howard Wood and Don McNeish founded the COAST community group to protect their bay from bottom trawling and scallop dredging. They campaigned for years and secured Scotland's first-ever no-take zone in 2008. The protected seabed is now home to around twice as many species and three times more marine life than nearby unprotected waters. This is a rare example of successful marine protection in Europe, where just 0.2% of the seabed is properly protected. The success of the South Arran Marine Protected Area shows what's possible when local people work together to protect their sea. The story of Howard and Don is an inspiration to others fighting for marine conservation.

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The essential points

  1. 01Howard Wood and Don McNeish founded the COAST community group to protect their bay.
  2. 02They secured Scotland's first-ever no-take zone in 2008.
  3. 03The protected seabed has twice as many species as nearby unprotected waters.
  4. 04The protected seabed has three times more marine life than nearby unprotected waters.
The full brief

Howard Wood and Don McNeish founded the COAST community group to protect their bay from bottom trawling and scallop dredging. They campaigned for years and secured Scotland's first-ever no-take zone in 2008. The protected seabed is now home to around twice as many species and three times more marine life than nearby unprotected waters.

This is a rare example of successful marine protection in Europe, where just 0. 2% of the seabed is properly protected. The success of the South Arran Marine Protected Area shows what's possible when local people work together to protect their sea.

The story of Howard and Don is an inspiration to others fighting for marine conservation.