Aquariums Reaching the Public with Conservation Campaigns

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Aquariums Reaching the Public with Conservation
Campaigns

• Leonard Sonnenschein
• President

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Vision Statement

• To create a wider awareness of the fragile state
  of the ocean ecosystems and what consumer actions
  can do to bring about a positive conservation
  change.

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Objective

• The objective of the Sensible Fish Campaign is
  to educate consumers on the issues of
  overfishing, aquaculture woes and empower them
  with actions they can take in the market place
  and/or restaurant.

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Goals

• To promote protection of marine/ freshwater
  environments
• To promote biodiversity in aquaculture any fish
  consumed affects an ecosystem
• To encourage and empower consumers to be able to
  make sustainable choices when buying seafood.
• To turn purchases and actions into positive
  environmental changes and greater financial
  motivation for other stakeholder and custody
  levels
• To promote the sharing responsibility in fisheries

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Social Actors and Targets

• Public Aquariums and Zoos
• Conservation Organizations
• Museums and Science Centers
• Government

• Consumers and Youths Moms and Kids
• Fishermen Organizations
• Fish Suppliers/ Processors
• Food Sellers, including restaurants, food service
  and retailers

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What is Sensible?
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The Role of the Public Aquariums

• Multi-access Education and Conservation

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Public Aquariums Role

• Formal Programs
• Publications
• Media Relations
• Teacher Education
• Adult Education
• Multi-faceted learning
• Informal Programs
• Ad hoc Exhibits
• Hands-out
• Talk Sessions

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WON

• CONCRETE FIELD ACTIONS COMMITTEE GOALS
• Implementing outdoor/indoor field actions on a
  local scale as well as on a global scale.
• To launch a call for Field actions project within
  the Network, according to pre-defined criteria
  and objectives.
• Partners supports of local initiatives on the
  field as well as votes for global projects which
  will be financed by the Network fund for Field
  action.
• WORLD OCEAN DAY Celebrations.

• Develop common international projects in the
  above areas and consider for additional funding
• Develop joint projects for local action project
  for all World Ocean Network participants

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Concrete Field Action Committee Members
AmbienteNews
RENACE
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Public Aquariums Engagements

• 2003
• The well-known petition campaign related to the
  oil spill of the Prestige.

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Public Aquariums Engagements

• 2004
• 10 Steps Towards Saving the Ocean
• Individual actions coupled with the multilevel
  better practices model engagement to ensure
  ecosystem change.

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Public Aquariums Engagements

• 2005
• Eating Fish Sensibly Campaign
• Affecting a Better Consumptive Practice on a
  Regional Basis.

WON Sensible Fish Campaign 2005
Every Fish Consumed affects the environment in
Some Way
The Benefit is Up to You, Make a Sensible Choice
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Seafood Advisories

• Private and Public Sectors

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How Did We Get Here?

• Over 90 of what once lived in the world's
  oceans no longer exists primarily because of
  human practices and chiefly from fishing
  practices (Sylvia Earle, Global Conference on
  Oceans, Coasts, and Islands , November 2003,
  Unesco, Paris)

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FDA and Statewide Advisories

• FDA Mercury in Fish or Shellfish Women and Young
  Children
• Do not eat Shark, Swordfish, King Mackerel, or
  Tilefish because they contain high level of
  mercury
• Eat up to 12 oz (2 aver. Meals) a week of a
  variety of fish and shellfish that are lower in
  mercury (shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon,
  pollock and catfish)
• Check local advisories about the safety of fish
  caught in your local lakes, rivers and costal
  areas

• Statewide on specific contaminant PCBs and
  Mercury
• Local advisories in contaminated State water
  resource areas
• PCBs tips for preparing Fish Safely methods
  for cleaning preparing fish trimming, skinning
  and cooking advise
• Mercury Do Not Eat Lists for Categories at
  risk and Safe Catchments areas

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Public Aquariums and Seafood Campaigns

• Seafood Guide Wallet Cards, Score Cards, Seafood
  Recommendations
• Based on ecological impact of smaller overfishing
  and destructive fishing practices and farming
  methodology.
• Often give generic advisories on mercury level,
  dioxins and other pollutant.

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A new issue? GE Fish in the US

• Private Campaigns against Transgenic Fish
  introduction in the US Market and Marine
  Environment
• Legal Petition
• Legislative Actions
• Grassroots (federal agencies, consumers, chefs,
  fish retailers and legislators)

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Evaluation and Recommendation

• Measure our successes and apply changes to most
  practical effect

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How do we communicate?
to many? Or to few?
Effectiveness?
Communication Medium Ability (FDA and State
Advisories,Wallet Card/Brochure)
Confusing?
comprehensive?
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Available Options

• Availability of different resources and advisory
  for the consumers nationwide, locally and
  statewide
• Pro/Con Eco-friendly not always is Health Safer.
  Local issues may overturn National Campaigns
  recommendation and the Consumers may not be aware
  of the local advisories due to a lack of media
  distribution.

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Prerequisites for Successful Adoption
Trialability
Compatibility
Observability
Relative Advantage
Complexity
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Benefits
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Recommendation

• Eco-friendly advisories linked to Statewide
  Contamination Advisories
• Promotion of benefits of eating fish safely
• Fish Sensible consumption yield ecological
  benefits
• Where to get more information
• Distribution of Wallet Cards in Fish Markets and
  Supermarkets

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Testimonials
Educated Consumers!
Cooking Shows and Chefs Testimonials
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Expected Outcomes

• We expect that every fish consumed in a sensible
  way will affect the environment from which it
  came, beneficially.
• We hope to educate consumers about the issue of
  overfishing and ask them to encourage their local
  retailers, producers to source seafood from
  sustainable fisheries (as identified through
  wallet cards and certification programs)
• We hope that producers and consumers will become
  economic partners as well as conservation minded,
  and that any campaign will become effective
  regardless of socio-economic barriers, since it
  is based upon common worldwide consumption
  patterns on a localized basis rather than
  centering its philosophy specifically to one
  lookout.

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Thank You