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Even one drop of water raises the ocean.
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Fish are an essential part of the marine ecosystem and when populations are disrupted, every aspect of the ocean will change, from its biodiversity and even to its water salinity begins to change (Zabel et al., 2003). Businesses and individuals should be aware of the situation and encouraged to modify their habits. It is necessary to illuminate the role that every person can play in saving the world's oceans.
Quelling the Demand for Fish
The effects of changes in the ocean will effect everyone on the planet, from consumers, to businesses, to governments, to international organizations. Education is an essential part of successfully implementing our solution. As we outline in our plan, there are many steps that can be taken to reverse the negative trends we see in the ocean fisheries. Some steps need to be taken by individuals, some need to be made by businesses, some need to be enacted by governments. However, the basic foundation that is required for the implementation of these steps is for the people involved to understand the problem and the benefits of the solution. We cannot force the implementation of our plans; our plans need to be accepted. To this end, we recognize that educating people at all levels of involvement is an important part of our plan.
Broad public education
The Demand for Fish
The amount of fish we consume now is twice the amount consumed in 1973. This has be largely due to developing nations, whose urbanization, population and income growth have led to higher levels of animal products consumed. In 1973, China accounted for 11 percent of the global fish consumption, but after 24 years, that number rose to 36 percent "Global consumption of fish has doubled since 1973, and the developing world has been responsible for nearly all of this growth. Countries with rapid population growth, rapid income growth, and urbanization tend to have the greatest increases in consumption of animal products, including fish products, and the developing world has experienced all three trends. China, where income growth and urbanization have been major factors, dominates consumption of fish products. It accounted for about 36 percent of global consumption in 1997, compared with only 11 percent in 1973. India and Southeast Asia together accounted for another 17 percent in 1997, with total consumption doubling since 1973" (Ahmed et al., 2003). In order to quell the demand for fish, education efforts must reach the developing world and those who are most dependent on fishing.
The Population Crisis
In 1999, the world's population reached 6 billion , and has been growing at increasingly large rates exponentially ever since (UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 1999). As the population grows , our natural resources become strained. The number of individuals to feed is growing exponentially. As a result, there at an ever increasing rate, the ability of the world's natural resources to feed, clothe, and supply everyone becomes increasingly strained. There is an ever-increasing demand for fish, as well as possible alternatives to fish. In certain developing countries, such as China, India and Indonesia, the population is increasing so rapidly that controlling it would have a large effect on fisheries. Education of the public in such countries is the most ethical way of going about this, though it will be a difficult task, especially in regions where family size is determined by tradition or culture. For this reason we advocate the creation and extension of programs to educate people in these developing countries about family planning and contraception. The specifics of such campaigns are outside the scope of this project, but they are relevant because the population growth rate will effect fisheries in the future.
Methyl Mercury Effects
The education aspect of the proposed solution would include informing people of the negative consequences of fish consumption in hopes to reduce it, such as toxic mercury content which can be found in fish species of the oceans.
"For fetuses, infants, and children, the primary health effect of methyl mercury is impaired neurological development. Methyl mercury exposure in the womb, which can result from a
mother's consumption of fish and shellfish that contain methyl mercury, can adversely affect a baby's growing brain and nervous system. Impacts on cognitive thinking, memory, attention, language, and fine motor and visual spatial skills have been seen in children exposed to methyl mercury in the womb. Recent human biological monitoring by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 1999 and 2000 shows that the majority of people have blood mercury levels below a level associated with possible health effects. Outbreaks of methyl mercury poisonings have made it clear that adults, children, and developing fetuses are at risk from ingestion exposure to methyl mercury. During these poisoning outbreaks some mothers with no symptoms of nervous system damage gave birth to infants with severe disabilities, it became clear that the developing nervous system of the fetus may be more vulnerable to methyl mercury than is the adult nervous system." (Health Effects, 2007)
Other Risks
Fish may have bacteria, viruses, parasites and other disease causing organisms. Unfortunately, fish can pass directly from the fishermen to the consumers without being processed by a regulatory body. Of late there was an global breakout of SARS which spread with the chicken. If such a problem emerges with fish it would take a longer time to detect because fish are not as strictly regulated as chickens. Every commercial chicken farm needs to be registered with some regulatory body while it is not at all necessary for the fishermen to register themselves with any regulatory bodies in some cases.
Another possible approach to possible alternatives to fish. One method of reducing fish consumption would be to inform individuals of the advantages of becoming a vegan or vegetarian, especially in certain rapidly developing countries. Mission 2011 does not , however, support replacing the protein and nutritional value gained from fish with other animal meats, especially cattle: the cattle beef industry is a large contributor to global warming through activities ranging from the clear-cutting of forests to methane production by cattle (Marian, 2007). We do endorse obtaining the necessary amino acids nutrients from combinations of grain/wheat/flour with and legumes/vegetables/beans. Additional information on food combining foods to achieve optimal protein intake from non-animal sources can be found on Protein in the Vegan Diet and on this Protein Information Sheet. We also recognize that protein replacement in societies entirely dependent on fish, or in countries with little arable land, is much more difficult and less logicalpractical. Therefore In conclusion, Mission 2011 highly encourages people not dependent on fish for sustenance strongly supports education programs that encourage people with access to other means alternative sources of protein to substantially decrease their consumption of fish . Although, in terms of alternatives, aquaculture can be encouraged.
Incentives must be identified for companies to implement fish-limiting policies as they may be detrimental to their economies, at least in the immediate short term. When proposing treaties, the UN must be able to convince nations that, in the long term, this will prevent the 'tragedy of the commons' from happening (Numprasertchai). More international trust can be gathered by the formation of an international body responsible for gathering scientific data and routing it to the different governments (Smith).This can be achieved by allowing scientific and policy representatives from different countries to work together and by allowing access and review of data by professionals from any interested country. Several bodes like this already exist, though more attention should be devoted to them. Governments also need to be educated on the importance of saving the oceans, irrespective of immediate costs, to prevent a global oceanic catastrophe.
A decrease in fish consumption is recommended to some extent as a measure to decrease the number of fish extracted from the oceans and will likely cause companies to suffer. To ease this crisis- or even to prevent it- governments may provide subsidies encouraging the companies to fish and trade sustainable fish. Training could also be offered by government bodies and NGOs to help diversification to other fields such as marine reserves. Companies should also be made aware that fishing more and more will only cause further damage. By educating them through workshops and competitions, companies will hopefully realize that a change will allow them become more efficient and, in the long run, more competitive.
(i.e. people in developed countries, like the United States and European Union).
Key groups to educate
Governments
Governments are in charge of much regulation and international policy decision, thus they have a great degree of power in any area of management. Our plans require a large degree of international cooperation and national legislation, so knowledgeable governments are critical to the implementation of our plans. The loss of fisheries production will have negative effects on many countries. Unless the governments are aware of these issues, they cannot make the necessary decisions to mitigate these effects.
Businesses
If businesses understand the benefits they can eventually derive from the protection of the resource upon which they rely, they can become a valuable partner in pressuring governments to implement regulations and to join international conservation movements.
Fishermen
Incentives for fishermen and large-scale fisheries to implement sustainable policies must be clearly identified and promoted. Fisheries should also be made aware that proceeding along the status quo will only cause further damage, and eventually deplete the industry beyond a profitable level. Education through activities such as workshops has the potential to convince the industry that changing fishing practices will improve production and profitability over the long term. Broadcasting the existence of government incentives for switching to environmentally friendly fishing methods will also be an element of the education campaign.
Consumers
People should be encouraged to understand that there is a problem with the ocean and that their daily efforts and attitudes can ultimately prevent a global disaster. The problem the international populace world faces now concerns not only concerns fish, or even merely the oceanoceans, but rather is a part of the global exploitation of the Earth's resources. Examples of methods to engage the interest of individuals include, but are (though are not limited to): documentaries, news corporation advertisements, books, and school programs which would to teach children to value and preserve the environment.
One possible method for raising public awareness of the issue of the world's fisheries is to follow the example lead of other promoters of global issues. One instance that comes to mind is that of Al Gore's film 'An Inconvenient Truth', a documentary designed to frighten the public out of it's apathy regarding climate change. activists. An excellent example is former United States Vice-President Albert Gore and his film, "An Inconvenient Truth." Gore succeeded in executing a "multimedia plan for informing the public about the dangers of global warming" (Koeppel, 2007). What if Gore's tactic was applied to raising awareness about global fisheries?
The commercial success of Gore's film is quite apparent. It has become the fourth highest grossing documentary in history history and earned two Oscars at the 2006 Academy Awards (Wray, 2006). Even more impressive is that the film earned half of its gross revenue outside the United States (Koeppel, 2007). This success proves The success of the film means that there are now many more people in around the world now who have a clear some idea of the devastating effects that global warning will have on our planet and perhaps . And perhaps many of those people now possess more motivation to do something about mitigating those effects. It also suggests that there is an appetite among the public for information about what is happening to our planet. If we appeal to that appetite by presenting the facts of a global issue in a format that is interesting, entertaining, and easily accessible, we can reach a wide audience with our message, both domestically and abroad.
Several factors other than pure entertainment value contributed to the popularity of "An Inconvenient Truth". One of these factors was the identity of the narrator: a former presidential candidate who is a memorable, engaging, and controversial topic in and of himself. for his own sake Another factor is the widespread knowledge about global warming that already exists in popular culture. In order for a film about the plight of global fisheries reach a sizable audience, we would have to have similar assets on our side: both a well-known public figure (or several figures) presenting the message and simultaneous educational campaigns to raise awareness about the problem that are separate from promotion of the film itself. With the proper approach Used properly, film and media will be powerful tools in the fight to save the oceans.
In developed countries, it is also important to educate people on the impact of sportsfishing, which has risen 9% in the past five years (NOAA, 2007). People no longer have the luxury of fishing for recreation: fish populations globally are at risk, and each fish taken out of the ocean makes a difference. In order to feed those who are most dependent on fish, and in order to bring the oceans back to MSY, we must advocate the end of sportsfishing.
Recommendations for Education:
Individual Countries:
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However, in cases where sportsfishing is critical to a local economy or is still strongly desired, sportsfishing should be implemented on a catch-and-release basis only, with strong enforcement of catch limits as set by a government.
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Recommendations:
Country Level:
- Developed countries should be encouraged to aid less-developed countries in adapting to non-fish economies (e.g through preferential trade rates for goods and services other than fish
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- ) and to aid with educational efforts in those developing countries that may not be able to fund these campaigns.
- Countries should integrate ecology and ocean curricula into their mandatory educational systems so that all students will have a basic exposure to the issues and concepts behind this and other global environmental problems.
- Countries should provide
Businesses:
1. Encourage the government to provide subsidies to companies who fish more sustainably or who want to diversify to other fields.
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- training and job opportunities for fishermen so that the transition from fishing to other jobs
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- is smoother. Training the fishermen
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- for alternative
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- jobs such as aquaculture,
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- ocean research, and regulatory observation on fishing boats
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- would help the fishermen to smoothly shift out of
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- fishing and yet
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- work continue to work in ocean-related vocations.
Business Level:
- Companies should be educated as to the advantages of becoming more
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- sustainable
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- . In the long run it makes businesses more efficient, more profitable, and more competitive.
4. Organize more competitions such as those NOAA is already doing for the most sustainable fish business.
Individuals:
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- Companies interested in sustainability should lobby the government to provide subsidies to companies who fish sustainably (employing equipment that does not harm the ocean environment) or who want to diversify to other fields.
Individual Level:
- The public should be educated about the ocean problem and how their everyday actions hold the key to solving this complex problem. This can be achieved by advertisements, and documentaries such as "An Inconvenient Truth" or even by
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- exposure to the problem
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2. Introduce classes at all educational levels : involve the problems faced by our oceans in school and higher education curricula :This will make the every student aware of the importance of protecting the environment and how to use natural resources sustainably. It would be effective in the long run to implement laws or regulations involving fisheries after this because more people will be aware of the problem. In India, the education board has made it compulsory for every student to have experience with environmental education.
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- in popular culture.
- Classes should be introduced at all educational levels, even beyond the mandatory core suggested under "Country Level" educational goals.
- Organization of school and university activities:
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- debates, quizzes, workshops
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- , research opportunities, or competitive activities about how we
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- can become sustainable consumers of our resources would help to spread awareness among people
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- .
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- World Ocean Day: Currently there is
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- an Oceans Day Program
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- sponsored by a collaboration between the Malibu Foundation for Environmental Education, the California Coastal Commission, Spectral Q Aerial Art and regional partners along the west coast of North America.
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- Spreading such programs
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- worldwide would help
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- create large-scale awareness
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- of the issue.
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- Advertisements: Advertising on popular Web sites like Google or Yahoo! will further help in increasing awareness. The Ad Council is currently running a campaign focusing on Oceans Awareness
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- using Ariel from the Disney movie "A Little Mermaid". Extension of such programs will help increase overall knowledge of these issues.
- Campaigns in Public Places: Celebrity endorsement may also help
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- raise awareness as well as money for the cause. Such events can be held at educational institutions or in other public places.
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Works Cited
Ahmed, M., Delgado, C.L., Meijer, S., Rosegrant, M.W., Wada, N. (2003). The Future of Fish: Issues and Trends to 2020. International Food Policy Research Insitute and WorldFish Center. Retrieved 18 November 2007, Website: http://www.ifpri.org.
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Marian Koshland Science Museum of the National Academy of Sciences (2007). Global Warming Facts and Our Future. Retrieved 17 November 2007, Website: http://koshlandscience.org/exhibitgcc/causes04.jsp.
National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration, Fisheries Statistics Division. (2007). By the Numbers: Saltwater Fishing Facts for 2006. from: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/PartnershipsCommunications/recfish/BytheNumbers2006.pdf.
Numprasertchai S, Igel B, Managing knowledge through collaboration: multiple case studies of managing research in university laboratories in Thailand Website: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.technovation.2004.03.001
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Zabel R, Harvey C, Katz S, Good T, Levin P, . (2003). Ecologically Sustainable Yield Website: http://www.americanscientist.org/template/AssetDetail/assetid/17216?fulltext=true&print=yes