Pippa Howarth

Background

About Pippa Howarth

As a Technical Advisor at ITOPF, my objective is to provide technical advice and support in response to ship-source marine pollution incidents worldwide, including oil, chemical and plastic spills. This involves attending incidents on-site, assessing environmental and socio-economic impacts, advising on pollution response strategies, and contributing to post-incident damage assessments and claims analyses. I also support contingency planning, training, and outreach activities, helping to build capacity and promote best practices in marine pollution preparedness and response across ITOPF’s global network. I’m a member of Team Americas and the Fisheries Working Group. Before joining ITOPF, I worked as a Senior Consultant and Business Development Lead at MRAG Ltd, specialising in the sustainable management of aquatic resources. I led and contributed to a variety of fisheries-related initiatives, including assessing the impacts of ship-source spills and vessel groundings on fisheries and aquaculture systems. My collective experience has been applied to several high-profile cases, including the X-PRESS PEARL (Sri Lanka), the EUROCARGO VALENCIA (Sardinia), the TERRANOVA (Philippines), the STENA IMMACULATE / SOLONG (United Kingdom) and MSC ELSA 3 (India / Sri Lanka). I also have analytical expertise in GIS and R programming, which I’ve used to support regional fisheries management across West Africa, the Indian Ocean, and the Red Sea. My work has focused on enhancing vessel monitoring, control, surveillance, and enforcement through intelligence analysis and targeted capacity-building initiatives in collaboration with national and international maritime stakeholders. In addition to my professional role, I serve as a Governor at Canford School, where I play an active role in the strategic oversight and governance of one of the UK’s leading co-educational independent boarding schools. I work closely with the leadership team to ensure strong financial stewardship, uphold high standards in academic and pastoral provision, and support the school’s long-term vision. A key part of this role is my commitment to the wider Canford community—students, staff, parents, and alumni—helping to foster a supportive and forward-looking environment for all.