Scott Dowd

Scott Dowd is a Conservation Strategist and the Executive Director of Project Piaba, an international nonprofit dedicated to conserving Amazonian biodiversity through prudent and ethical use of aquarium fisheries.

He earned his M.Sc. from the University of Stirling in 2003, with a research focus on the ecological, social, and economic dimensions of freshwater aquarium fisheries.

For more than 30 years, Scott’s primary case study has been the aquarium fishery of Brazil’s Rio Negro. His work has helped demonstrate how a well-managed, community-based pet trade can deliver substantial and measurable benefits to rural and Indigenous riverine communities while simultaneously protecting vast regions of exceptional biological importance.

This fishery is widely recognized as a model for conservation through sustainable livelihoods, helping to maintain intact forests and healthy aquatic ecosystems by providing economic alternatives to destructive land uses.

Scott has played a leading role in bridging science, conservation policy, and the aquarium industry. He established and serves as Global Chair of the Home Aquarium Fish Sub-group within the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Freshwater Fishes Specialist Group, where he works to advance science-based assessments, best practices, and policy guidance for the beneficial trade of freshwater aquarium species.

Through his establishment and leadership at Project Piaba, Scott collaborates with local communities, researchers, government agencies, aquarists, and international conservation organizations to promote ethical sourcing, biodiversity conservation, and public education about the positive role that responsible aquarium keeping can play in freshwater conservation worldwide.