Bob Earll.   ‘In the late 1970s a friend, David Erwin, who was working on the idea of a marine reserve for Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland told me about a visit he’d had from a London minister – Peter Melchett – a keen diver who was really supportive that this idea should go ahead. At the height of the troubles it was rare enough for ministers to visit Northern Ireland let alone make noises supporting MPAs. From the outset in 1977 Peter Melchett was one of the Vice Presidents of what became the Marine Conservation Society and I had the privilege of knowing him through the early days of Wildlife & Countryside link, taking through the Wildlife & Countryside Act (1981) with the first provisions for MNRs in the UK. Later he was heavily involved with Greenpeace and although he is noted for taking part in Direct Action he was at the helm when the Brent Spar and the Atlantic Frontier campaigns achieved huge success. The Brent Spar campaign effectively lead to the prevention of dumping of waste in the ocean and the London Convention incorporating principles of prevention and precaution. One of the main achievements of the Atlantic Frontier campaign was to get full recognition of Habitats Directive out to the limits of the EEZ enabling our deep sea habitats to be protected.

He was a natural and inspiring leader for the environmental movement and whilst this is difficult to define he was a giant in comparison with many of our current so-called leaders.’

Lord Melchett obituary

Environmental campaigner who as executive director of Greenpeace UK headed action against GM crop trials

The Guardian: Chris Rose The campaigner, environmentalist and politician Peter Melchett, Lord Melchett, who has died aged 70, is probably best remembered for leading a group of protesters who destroyed a trial crop of genetically modified maize in Norfolk in 1999.

He was one of 28 Greenpeace activists who were subsequently charged with theft and criminal damage, but were unexpectedly acquitted by a jury at Norwich crown court the following year. The result was a great victory for the anti-GM movement and the trial was seen as an important reflection of UK public opinion on the GM debate. That position has barely shifted in 20 years.

The acquittal came during a transformational period for Greenpeace UK. As its chairman and then executive director from 1986 to 2001, Peter oversaw many high-profile campaigns – including those concerned with whaling, nuclear waste at Sellafield and the dismantling of the Brent Spar oil platform by Shell in 1995. During his time there, Greenpeace also began to harness scientific evidence to convince industry to use alternatives to chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in order to protect the ozone layer. Peter was a passionate believer in the need to combine direct action with reasoned scientific argument.

Before Greenpeace, he had spent much of the 1970s in politics with the Labour party as a minister in the House of Lords, and after Greenpeace he made his biggest mark as policy director for the Soil Association, the charity that champions organic farming and sustainable forestry. Across his working life he also served in voluntary positions for various environmental organisations, from the RSPB to WWF UK. Click here to read more