Ian began his career as a field assistant on a variety of shark projects at the Bimini Biological Field Station in 1994. In 1997, Ian served as a commercial diver, working on both inshore and offshore oil facilities.
In 2004, Ian graduated from the University of Strathclyde with a Masters in Environmental Science before taking up employment as a marine ecologist for a commercial survey company. In 2007, he managed inshore fisheries in the United Kingdom as a Sea Fisheries Officer before moving into developing policy matters for the UK’s statutory nature conservation body Natural England. In 2011, Ian worked on the reform of the European Union’s Common Fisheries Policy for the Pew Charitable Trusts before joining the WWF’s Global Shark and Ray Initiative in 2013. During his tenure at WWF in 2013-2018, Ian led the WWF’s work on shark and ray management out of Fiji.
EXPERT OPINION: Can the CITES process help in shark and ray conservation?
By Ian Campbell
While CITES is not the ‘silver bullet’ that will save all sharks and rays from extinction, it certainly can provide a driver to stimulate conservation efforts.
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An appetite for responsible shark tourism
By Ian Campbell
I’ll never forget the day back in 2013 when I arrived in Fiji to take up my position with WWF’s shark conservation program. In a previous life, which now seems like a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, I worked as a commercial diver where my days (and many nights) consisted of spending most of my time underwater performing such glamorous tasks as mapping sea beds, welding piers, scraping ship hulls clean and other forms of general underwater maintenance.
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Sharks without borders
By Ian Campbell
Advocating shark and ray conservation measures at the the annual meeting of the Western & Central Pacific Fisheries Commission
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Between the devil and the deep blue sea
By Ian Campbell
When surveying people’s favourite sea creatures, sharks are nearly always at the top of the list. Many more sophisticated ocean animal lovers may also champion the wonders of the massive manta ray. Very few, however, are likely to include the manta’s smaller and more elusive cousins, devil rays, among their top marine treasures. As someone who works in the shark and ray field, this comes as no surprise to me.
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Ever wondered how to dive responsibly with sharks and rays?
By Ian Campbell
Even though I have logged too many dives to keep count, almost none of them have been for recreation. In my early diving days as a commercial diver, not a single dive was with the animals that had drawn me to study marine biology in the first place: sharks.
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Working to sustain the natural world for the benefit of people and nature.
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