Meet The Team
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Gary stokes
Special Investigations Officer
Gary worked as a professional photographer and diving instructor. His images have been used in most major news agencies and publications. He became an effective ocean advocate and follows a ‘no-compromise’ approach when it comes to those inflicting harm on the marine ecosystems.
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Gary has spent the past twenty years investigating and exposing the shark fin industry, gaining international media coverage as being featuring in both ‘SEASPIRACY’ and more recently Eli Roth’s ‘FIN’. When not exposing the shark fin industry, he can be found investigating shipping routes for transnational wildlife crimes or on a beach analyzing marine debris to better understand the plastic pollution crisis.
Rob Read
Chief Operating Officer
Rob has an honours degree in Environmental Science and has previously worked at a postgraduate University for 13 years. Volunteering with Sea Shepherd UK since 2008, he worked his way up from a volunteer to a Regional Coordinator, then Vice-Chair of the board. From 2013 Rob took on the role of Chief Operating Officer of Sea Shepherd UK which recently changed it's name to the Captain Paul Watson Foundation UK in early June 2023.
Rob has managed campaigns against seal shooting around Scotland in 2014 and 2015, in Japan against the Taiji dolphin hunt in 2016-2017, against the grindadrap hunts of pilot whales and dolphins in the Faroe Islands from 2016 to 2023, and against commercial fin whaling by Hvalur hf in Iceland in 2018, 2022 and 2023.
Rob is also an experienced drone pilot and drives several of CPWF UK's boat and recently organised the acquisition of an Austal 16m patrol boat which increases our campaign capabilities significantly.
Report Crimes and Marine Issues
Imogen Sawyer
Overseas Campaign Coordinator
Imogen originally joined after learning about whaling in Iceland, totally horrified that whaling was still continuing in modern times. Since then, she has returned to Iceland many times on campaign and has also volunteered out in the Faroes, working to highlight the barbaric and unnecessary slaughter of dolphins.
When she's not on campaign, you'll typically find her studying (she's back at university getting a degree in marine science), thinking about marine mammals (she also volunteers for SMASS and as an Area Coordinator for BDMLR), out cleaning a beach or volunteering with the coastguard. The ocean gives her life and brings her peace, so she does her best to try and protect it and the marine life that calls it home.
General Inquiries:
ROB DOUGLAS
Volunteer & Events Officer
Having been with CPWF for over 13 years, he has witnessed some concerning treatment of our oceans and sea life during this time. He believe that it is imperative that we ensure future generations can enjoy and witness the marvels of the oceans. Understanding our human dependency on the oceans for survival is crucial, and we must learn to coexist in a balanced manner to avoid posing any threat to our future.
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ELVEN VILLECOURT
Content and Communications Manager
Right after earning his art degree, he embarked on a road trip around the globe, settling in Mexico. There, he honed his skills in the cinema industry. Growing weary of meaningless advertising and B-movies, he joined the Milagro campaign, dedicated to protecting the vaquita marina in the Gulf of Mexico.
This marked the spark that ignited his journey, taking him across various oceans and into numerous campaigns and challenges.
Driven by passion and principle, he returned to Europe, dedicating his time and skills to Captain Paul Watson's UK branch, which he believed embodied the true essence of the original movement.
Helen Taylor
Charity Lead and Ambassador
Helen’s mission is to help others accelerate environmental change. She’s a Food Technologist, turned environmentalist with the passion, tenacity and ability to make what might seem impossible, possible.
Her connections across the food industry, businesses, environmental charities, policy makers, young activists, funders and influencers help her weave her web of magic to help the Captain Paul Watson Foundation grow, focusing on partnership development, fundraising and supporting the Foundation’s development of campaigns, communications and connections.
Helen’s also Ambassador for: Ecotricity, the world’s first green energy company and Forest Green Rovers FC, the “Greenest Football Club in the World’. She also runs the Green Britain Foundation, is Project Manager of the Ministry of Eco Education and Young Green Briton Awards, and a Director of Catalyse Change.
MArk muschamp
Dive Operations - Coordinator Support - UK Trading
He signed up as a volunteer in 2013 after being inspired by the dedication of the volunteers featured in 'Whale Wars.' Within a few weeks, he embarked on the first of two trips to Japan to highlight the plight of hunted dolphins in Taiji. Since then, he has participated in several campaigns.
For many years, he has contributed to producing videos and graphics to raise awareness of the Foundation's efforts to protect the planet's most valuable assets: the oceans and their inhabitants. His main focus in recent years has been the development of the Ghostnet Campaign. Nothing brings him greater satisfaction than being at sea, skippering the boats to enable the team of volunteer divers to safely clean up the waters around the UK.
Other Contacts:
Luke Bullus & Louise De Lisle
Dive Operations
Campaign Co-ordinators
Educational Programs
Iain Rowan & Chris Mountain
Coastal Debris
Campaign Co-Ordinators
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Neptune's Pirates Tattoo