Professor Francis Neat Appointed Co-Chair of International Marine Conservation Workshop

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Professor Francis Neat of the World Maritime University (WMU) has been appointed Co-Chair of the Joint International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) / European Bureau for Conservation and Development (EBCD) / International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) / Commission on Ecosystem Management Fisheries Expert Group Workshop on Assessing Management Effectiveness of Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs) in Marine Capture Fisheries (WKAMO). Appointed for a one-year term, Professor Neat will help guide this international effort to strengthen the role of OECMs in marine biodiversity conservation and sustainable fisheries management. 

Professor Neat joined WMU in 2019 and is Professor of Sustainable Fisheries Management, Ocean Biodiversity and Marine Spatial Planning (Nippon Foundation Chair). Originally from Scotland, he holds a PhD from the University of Glasgow and has conducted postdoctoral research in Italy, Austria and the United States. He previously served as a principal researcher at the Scottish Government’s Marine Laboratory and later as Head of Strategic Research at the Marine Stewardship Council.

His research has focused on deep-water ecosystems, fish migration, and the environmental impacts of fishing, contributing to fisheries management and marine policy, including marine protected area networks and European Union deep-water fishing regulations. He has published around 90 peer-reviewed papers and provided scientific advice to ICES, IUCN, the Food and Agriculture Organization, and the European Commission, including at the United Nations level. He currently leads the CAPFISH capacity development and interdisciplinary research project on regional responses to tackling IUU fishing.

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