Note from Somani: PLEASE DON'T DELETE ANYTHING. Feel free to edit but please don't delete.
Some references for the education team can be found on the "Call to Action" page.
Also, information on getting protein from non-animal sources can be found on Protein in the Vegan Diet and on this Protein Information Sheet.
...Key points include 46% of Californians are "very concerned" that fish/seafood is being overfished, but 56% still eat seafood more than once a week. http://www.ppic.org/content/pubs/survey/S_206MBS.pdf. From Public Policy Institute of California.*** Being vegeterian avoids problems like:diseases caused due to high cholestral
As the proposed solution is presented before a committee of international diplomats for approval, it is imperative that the public is also apprised of the current situation. Education, in effect, is a fundamental cornerstone of implementation. The consideration of the proposal cam be made public via news channels, the radio, magazines, etc. In doing so, people are better informed in terms of what their governments are voting on. This can spark interest in the situation and rally people for a change towards the sustainability of our oceans.
Fish are an essential part of the marine ecosystem and when they are overconsumed, biodiversity and even water salinity begins to change (Zabel et al). Businesses and individuals need to be aware of the situation and modify their habits. It is necessary to illuminate the role that every person can play in saving the world's oceans.
Our plan for education 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. Another possible approach would be to inform individuals of the advantages of becoming a vegetarian. In terms of alternatives, we would encourage aquaculture, and make fishermen aware of it as a possible job opportunity other than fishing from the oceans.
National Power
Countries need to find incentives to implement fish-limiting policies as this will inevitably hurt their economies, at least in the immediate short term. When proposing treaties, the UN has to be able to convince nations that, in the long term, this will kill the tragedy of the commons-in-happening[2]. More international trust can be gathered by formation of an international body responsible for gathering scientific data and routing it to the different governments[3]. 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. We also need to make governments understand how much it is important to save the oceans, irrespective of immediate costs, to prevent a global oceanic catastrophe.
Economic Issues
A decrease in food consumption is necessary if we want to save the oceans and will inevitably cause companies to suffer. To ease this crisis- or even to prevent it- government 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. We also need to make companies understand that fishing more and more will only cause further damage. By educating them through workshops and competitions, companies need to understand that a drastic change will only help them become more efficient and, in the long run, more competitive.
We make the difference
People need to understand that there is a big problem with the ocean and that, in the end, it is their tiny daily efforts and change in attitudes which will help prevent a natural disaster. The problem we have right now is not only about fish, or even the ocean but is all about the way we have been ruining Mother Nature by recklessly overexploiting it. The most efficient methods to reach out to people are, but is not limited to: movies, news corporation advertisements, books and school programs teaching children the value of the environment. It's also about convincing people how the earth's resources are not absolute and will end up one day - in fact very soon if we don't change our habits. And we are convinced that, in fact, only day-to-day actions by every one of us are the key to the solutions. Replacing fish one week by tofu, not buying sushi just for the glamour of it, switching off the lights is what is going to save the world. And people need to understand that the future of the planet is in their hands, as much as how it is easy for them to save it.
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- Hydroponics in poor countries...?
- Used for fresh water
- Hydroponics in poor countries...?
- Use celebs to talk about fish problem
- On the restaurant menus that serve sea food should be marked that it deals with an endangered fish, which would discourage the consumers.
- Have fisheries in the School and College Curriculum (worked in India--The education board has made it compulsory for every student to have a subject Environment Education before getting their graduation.)
- Have international drawing competition about 'SAVING THE OCEANS' among students. (Camlin color contest has again worked in India in creating awareness about environment problems)
- Advertisement on search pages like Google or Yahoo! which links to trivia quizzes on fisheries make people aware of it)
have events held in colleges or educational institutions which collect money for FISH
- captions and banners like "save the fish" in public places.
- just as it is mandatory to have 'Smoking is injurious to health' written on every cigarette pack, on every place where there is a recipe of dealing with endangered fish, there should be a mandatory caption like 'Save the fish'.
- lectures and talks in schools
- create an organisation to have lesson plans-- give a day to terrascope.
- World Ocean Day
- Create special interests group to be focussed on these problems
- donations from high profile people.
- university movement
- integrate the ideas of fish conservation into school curricula. Just like schools have mandatory Health classes, schools can also integrate environmentalism into mandatory classes.
Education
News, media, environmental channels---
By making the consideration of the proposal very public, placing coverage and information about the treaty on news channels, radio etc while inform the public of what their governments are voting on. This can spark interest in the subject at hand and rally people for a change towards better oceans.
Underwater camera so that people can see whats going on under the oceans-I'm not sure if we need to say anything about this one.
Getting celebrities to sponsor these campaigns
People love to support the causes of their favorite celebrities, and nowadays, the famous are using their influence as public role models to support various causes, from aids awareness to St. Jude's ResearchHospital. By recruiting a few well known celebrities to support our proposal, such as Angelina Jolie, etc, then public awareness of the situation will increase rapidly from the simple matter of having a celebrity associated with it.
Approving grassroots organizations that a further our mission
Putting it in the school and college curriculum
Advertisement on fisheries and oceans on the TV, radio and Newspapers
Documentaries
Documentaries are also an effective way of alerting the public to the current situation.
Implementation:
- In countries:
1. Formation of an international body responsible for gathering scientific data and routing it to the different governments
2. Encouraging rich countries to help poor countries on how to adapt to non-fish economies e.g through preferential trade rates for goods and services other than fish.
- In businesses:
1. Encouraging the government to provide subsidies to companies who want to fish more sustainably or who want to diversify to other fields.
2. Provide training and job opportunities to fishermen so that the transition out of the fish business is smoother.
3. Educate companies on the fact that becoming more sustainable will turn out to be more profitable in the long run as it makes businesses more efficient and more competitive.
4. Organizing more competitions such as those NOAA is already doing for the most sustainable fish business.
- For individuals:
1. Mass education of the public about the ocean problem and how their everyday actions hold the key to solving this complex problem. This can be achieved by advertisements, movies and making the fish problem more present in pop culture: for example by making Nemo 2 where Nemo is trying to escape overfishing nets J apprised
2. 3. Introducing classes at all educational levels about the importance of protecting the environment and about how to use natural resources sustainably.
4. Organize school and university activities (debates, quizzes, workshops, research opportunities) about how to become more sustainable.
[1]Zabel R, Harvey C, Katz S, Good T, Levin P, Ecologically Sustainable Yield Website: http://www.americanscientist.org/template/AssetDetail/assetid/17216?fulltext=true&print=yes
[2] Smith R, Resolving the Tragedy of the Commons by Creating Private Property Rights in Wildlife, Website: http://www.cato.org/pubs/journal/cj1n2-1.html
[3]Numprasertchai S, Igel B, Managing knowledge through collaboration: multiple case studies of managing research in university laboratories in Thailand, Website: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6V8B-4C7DD9K-3&_user=501045&_coverDate=10%2F31%2F2005&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000022659&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=501045&md5=651bc90ba6778d0595c51d84134adae5#vt1\\
Quelling the Demand for Fish
"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).
An important aspect of quelling demand for fish is the slowing of rapid population growth. In many developing countries, such as China, India and Indonesia this rapid growth is going to put a significantly more strain on our already threatened 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. We support the creation and extension of education campaigns to educate citizens of these questions about family planning and contraception. The exact details of such a campaign are beyond the scope of our project, but are still relevant because of their ultimate effect upon the situation of the fisheries.
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, from the World Wide Web: http://www.ifpri.org.