£100k boost for community working to save Arran’s seas from bottom-trawling

Location featured in David Attenborough’s Ocean documentary to highlight damaging effects of bottom-trawling awarded funding to expand community consultations

A world-renowned community-led charity on the Isle of Arran has been awarded £100k to expand its community consultations in a crucial next step in protecting and restoring Scotland’s seas.

The Community of Arran Seabed Trust, or COAST, has been awarded funding from Rewilding Britain as part of the charity’s annual Challenge Fund – an initiative that supports the scaling up of rewilding in Britain.

Working to save Arran’s seas from bottom-trawling

The funding will support COAST’s rewilding project “Communities & the sea: Exploring our Coastal Waters” to engage communities outside of the existing Marine Protected Area, which was spearheaded by COAST in 2014, with Arran’s coastal seas and explore opportunities for further marine rewilding. The charity has match-funding for the project from the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund, managed by NatureScot.

The planned community engagement initiatives include opportunities for community members to board COAST’s vessel and explore the seabeds not currently under marine protection via a special screen aboard the boat. By providing these engagement opportunities, COAST can work directly with the community on how best to shape the future of Arran’s marine conservation work for the benefit of nature, climate, economy and people.

Jacques Villemot, Marine Rewilding Policy and Advocacy Lead at Rewilding Britain, said: “COAST is one of the most inspiring community-led marine rewilding projects in Britain, and a world-renowned example of how a local community can recover its marine environment and in the process support jobs and businesses.

“Upscaling such vital marine rewilding projects is essential for restoring our oceans to health. COAST’s crucial work is proof that even the most degraded habitats can recover if given adequate protection, and we’re delighted to be able to support them in upscaling their vision for healthier seas and thriving communities.”

COAST was the driving force behind the 2008 establishment, in Arran’s Lamlash Bay, of Scotland’s first – and still only – No Take Zone, in which there can be no removal of any fish by any method. This pioneering agreement fully protects the waters, seabed and habitats in this 2.67 km² area – including one of Scotland’s largest maerl beds, a coralline pink seaweed that provides vital shelter for small species. The No Take Zone sits within a larger 280 km² Marine Protected Area, designated in 2014 following increasing concerns from COAST about the degradation of the Firth of Clyde marine ecosystem.

One of the founding members of COAST, Don MacNeish, features in David Attenborough’s new documentary Ocean where viewers are shown first-hand the devastating impact of bottom-trawling on ocean habitats and wildlife. MacNeish, an Arran diver, helped set up COAST in 1995 with the aim of reversing the shocking decline he had witnessed in Arran’s marine habitats.

Following the ocean designations, the recovery of marine life has been dramatic, doubling species richness within the South Arran marine protected area. This includes commercially important species such as lobster and scallop, therefore supporting the local traditional creel fishery. It has also contributed to the creation of a variety of local employment opportunities in marine restoration, community engagement, project management and research.

Áine Purcell-Milton, Executive Director at COAST, said: “COAST was founded by the community for the community – by the people who live in and love Arran, and for the special coastline we all treasure.

“Arran showcases how effective ocean protections like the No Take Zone and Marine Protected Area can help our seas recover and thrive. Now, communities from outside of the Marine Protected Area are seeing the benefits of these designations and wanting to learn more. This funding from Rewilding Britain is the next crucial step in being able to bring these communities on our rewilding journey and ensure they play an integral role in shaping Arran’s future.”

Rewilding Britain is a national charity that champions rewilding – the large-scale restoration of nature and its remarkable web of life. We’re helping create a wilder Britain for nature, climate and people. We’re inspiring a movement of rewilders across Britain’s land and seas – a groundswell of hope, so that together we can ensure a wilder, nature-rich future that benefits us all. We empower rewilders, we demand change, we build evidence and we inspire a movement.

COAST is a member of Rewilding Britain’s Rewilding Network, a network of over 1,000 rewilding projects throughout Britain. The Rewilding Network helps practitioners who are rewilding on land or at sea to connect, share experiences, ideas and expertise.

Rewilding Britain launched the Rewilding Challenge Fund in 2023 as part of its mission to upscale rewilding in Britain. This £100,000 funding opportunity is awarded by Rewilding Britain to one large-scale rewilding project every year. Previous beneficiaries are Kent Wildlife Trust and Sussex Bay. The Rewilding Challenge Fund re-opens for applications in September 2025, with decisions made in December 2025.

The Community of Arran Seabed Trust (COAST) is a community-led organisation that has made a huge difference to the conservation and restoration of the seas around Arran and the Clyde for the past 30 years. They stand for a diverse, abundant and beautiful marine environment for everyone.

Along with the Marine Conservation Society, Rewilding Britain is presenting a ground-breaking new report to the UK Parliament on Wednesday 4th June, a blueprint for restoring our marine environment and empowering coastal communities. The report, Wilder Seas, presents solutions to achieving a wilder ocean and features COAST as a case study on the benefits of removing pressures on the marine environment through effective protection and holistic marine spatial planning.

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