Ecosystems in Balance, From Local to Global, Knowledge into Action, Sustainability Inside and Out, Sustainable Seafood, To Conserve and Protect

Carter Sullivan

I have been to the New England Aquarium many times. However, I had not before been treated to many of the things we did on Friday. Most memorable for me was the presentation we got from Meghan Jeans, Director of Conservation. She talked a lot about the aquarium’s various conservation programs, including grants, Marine Protected Area initiatives, and their sustainable seafood program.

This sustainable seafood program was extremely interesting. The aquarium actually works with supermarkets, restaurants, and other large seafood retailers to do “risk assessments” of their supplying practices. This consists of finding out everything there is to know about the seafood that the retailers sell – every detail of its supply chain. This can be an extremely difficult task, as seafood supply chains are often very complicated and hard to follow. As the NEA is finding out, these supply chains can also be incredibly opaque. It is often very unclear where certain fish actually came from, much less the specific vessel that actually caught them. Ideally, the NEA likes to track supply chains all the way back to the vessel, because this is the surest way to ensure safe, sustainable, and legal practices all throughout the chain. However, this is proving extraordinarily difficult to do in most cases because there is not enough information available from suppliers to even the retailers themselves, much less to this inquisitive third-party group.

It is not rare that during this process, the NEA finds a link in a retailer’s supply chain which is unsustainable, illegal, or is not transparent enough to be worth the risk. In this case, the NEA simply strongly recommends that the retailer rework this part of their supply chain. It is often not possible for the NEA to take too much action against these irresponsible suppliers, as in order to investigate them the way they are, they have to sign all sorts of confidentiality agreements.

What’s most interesting, therefore, is the way this program is attempting to address unsustainable/unsafe/illegal fishing practices. It is not confronting the problem head-on by finding the perpetrators, investigating their actions, and bringing them to the attention of the authorities (which may or may not actually do anything about it). Instead, by partnering with some of the largest seafood retailers in the country, the NEA is taking down this malpractice simply by encouraging a drastic reduction in the size of the demand for unsustainably harvested seafood. Because the NEA’s retail partners are such huge and important corporations, the NEA is able to make a difference without having to get entangled in the direct enforcement of fishing regulation.

Alexander Cotnoir

The New England Aquarium (NEA) is a not-for-profit organization which sees over 1.3 million visitors each year at its headquarters in Boston (About us: An Overview).  Aside from making the earth’s oceans and the plethora of organisms which inhabit them available to the general populace through hundreds of exhibits, the New England Aquarium is highly invested in “conservation and research projects (which) span the world, from protecting the North Atlantic right whale in New England, and preserving coral reefs in the South Pacific to…working on issues related to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico” (Endangered Species and Habitats). As part of its commitment “to build awareness and find innovative solutions through marine conservation and research”, the New England Aquarium has devoted funding to educating the next generation in ocean stewardship through Teen Internship programs, Harbor Discoveries Camp, and a Teacher Resource Center. In addition, the New England Aquarium has prided itself in environmental advocacy and research projects. For example, the aquarium’s Vice President, Greg Stone, “was at the center of negotiations, acting as scientist and conservationist, diplomat and fundraiser” in establishing 158,453 square miles of ocean around the Phoenix Islands as the world’s largest marine protected area (The Aquarium: Making a Lasting Impact).

One of the many issues which the New England Aquarium seeks to address is environmental sustainability in regards to the seafood industry. To address this issue, the NEA has focused on consumer education and advisory services for aquaculture and wild-caught fishery operations. Realizing that consumer habits have a profound impact on sustainable seafood production, the NEA has incorporated information pages available to the public on their website which outline “ocean-friendly seafood recipes” and “how to make ocean-friendly seafood choices”. These resources also include printable “seasonal guides” to local sustainable seafood species. The NEA runs community-interactive “Celebrate Seafood Events”, which include “documentary screenings, dinners, cooking classes and forums…to learn more about the issues surrounding sustainable seafood and the steps you can take to protect the oceans” (Celebrate Seafood Events). In regards to consumer awareness and sustainable seafood consumption, the NEA has also partnered with eight local restaurants throughout Boston to certify menu options as “ocean-friendly”, which are indicated by a “Blue Plate Special” label.

In order to address the issue of non-sustainable seafood production through advising; the New England Aquarium sponsors and organizes an “Aquatic Forum Series” each year. These events “facilitate the identification, analysis and resolution of aquatic conservation problems by bringing together multiple stakeholders for consensus-building discussions of key issues.” Past summit series have focused on topics from lobster-fishery management, to priorities for assessing herring stock (Aquatic Forum Series). One of the NEA’s largest projects regarding sustainability in the seafood industry is its corporate seafood program. Established in 2000, this program has “expanded to include several of the country’s largest seafood companies”, where aquarium staff “work with fishermen and fish farmers to make proactive changes in their practices to favor aquatic environments.” Through this corporate advising program, the New England Aquarium has made considerable changes by integrating “science-based assessments of…seafood supply chains” into the management practices of several leading seafood producers (Sustainable Seafood Advisory Services).

Cody George

The New England Aquarium is a huge attraction in Boston where it draws about 1.3 million visitors a year (About us: An Overview). Since 1969, the aquariums goal is to bring about the serious challenges that the ocean faces through education, entertainment and action. This specific aquarium is unique because it is the only Boston based aquarium with its main focus on protecting the environment and the ocean (About us: An Overview). One of the conservation and research actions that the aquarium does is focusing on the bycatch and how detrimental it can be on a species.

Bycatch is a serious issue in the oceans because there are so many species that are endangered that end up perishing inside one of these nets on accident. Unfortunately, many people do not see bycatch as a huge issue because the fisherman who sets these nets and traps do not purposely catch the animals that they do not want. When the number of bycatch is very high, it can start to put a species in danger and can ruin the habitat that it was accustomed to, therefore making it even harder for these species to survive (Bycatch Overview). It is said that around 7.3 million tons of marine life is caught and perished in bycatch. “In some fisheries, the percentage of bycatch outweighs the percentage of the target catch” (Bycatch Overview). This is a huge dilemma because with bycatch outweighing the target catch, it can lead to species becoming endangered or even worse, extinct. An example of this is the baiji, a freshwater porpoise found in Chinas Yangtze River, who became extinct after decades of being caught as the bycatch (Bycatch Overview).

Fortunately, there are a couple ways to hinder the amount of bycatch and that is to reduce fishing or direct them away from hotspots of conflict between fishing corporations and non- target animals (Bycatch Overview). There are ides of technology that can stop bycatch and keep the fishing industries active but it can be very difficult to collaborate solutions with fishing industries. Also, a way is to switch to more selective fishing gear that targets a specific species rather than leave bait on hook that can attract multiple species (Reducing Bycatch, 2006).

The New England Aquarium is a very special place in which over 20,000 marine species live. They are constantly looking for new ways to protect and rebuild species while providing sufficient information to the public so that they can help as well. They are committed to providing the highest quality visitation experience along with bringing a wealth of knowledge that the visitors will learn from.

Nevin Cunningham

Considered one of the best aquariums in the US by the travel channel, the New England Aquarium (NEA) is certainly one of the more exciting places to visit in the Boston area. It provides a family-friendly learning environment, with over 600 different species (neaq.org) and in-depth educational programs for anyone who wishes to learn more about the ocean. In addition to elementary learning programs, the NEA supports many research projects focused on the conservation of ocean species and resources, which are driven by the never-ending exploration of marine life activities (neaq.org). One such program is an exhibit displaying the rehabilitation of endangered sea turtles. The NEA is a global leader in educating the public about and preserving the sea turtles (neaq.org).

Another program supported by the NEA, though less available to the public, is Aquaculture Best Practices and Consensus Building. The program is not directly run by the aquarium, instead, the NEA promotes and mediates discussion between the public, governments, the seafood industry and environmental scientists to develop a multi-faceted management plan (neaq.org). They stress that, in order to create a practical management plan, collaboration between all stakeholders is essential. To facilitate this collaboration, the aquarium sponsored a workshop conference in 2001 aimed at identifying and finding solutions to the challenges surrounding the development and management of sustainable marine aquaculture.

The conference was named “A Meeting for Stakeholders in the Northeast.” A workshop report, which can be found on the NEA website, was distributed to all those attending the conference; it was highlighted that the conference would focus on aquaculture impact on habitats, interaction between cultured and wild species, mechanisms for building consensus for action among stakeholders and effects on marine animals, birds and invertebrates (neaq.org). The workshop report was formulated very deliberately, organized in the order that the meeting would be carried out. There were individual chapters for various ecological focuses, followed by a chapter on economic and environmental considerations before concluding with a chapter on collaborative policy making.

Organizationally, the conference was set up quite well. All of the information necessary to have a productive discussion on aquaculture was provided beforehand and, presumably, the strategy to reach a decision that all the stakeholders would agree with was implemented. Theoretically, the conference would have been a success. However, considering how long and meticulous the chapter on strategy was, it seems improbable that the members in attendance would even be able to agree on that. There is no way of telling which policies did or didn’t come into existence because of the conference, but as much of the conversation could have been about devising a feasible collaboration strategy as actually making progress on policy establishment.

Slater Hobbs

The New England Aquarium is one of the best aquariums on the east coast. Not only do they have a wide variety of marine plant and animal species, but also are well respected for their research and conservation efforts. The aquarium, which opened in 1969, is also known for its efforts to explore the depths of our unknown waters. (About us: An Overview) Unlike many other aquariums The New England Aquarium’s founding mission is “combining education, entertainment and action to address the most challenging problems facing the ocean.” (About us: An Overview) This mission is shown through their numerous research and outreach programs, but also by their 2009 symposium on “Changing Climate, Changing Coasts” which brought together “climate change experts and business leaders, policy makers, and representatives from non-governmental organizations to bring the issue of global climate change closer to home.”(About us: An Overview)

One of The New England Aquarium’s intriguing research projects deals with the stress and health of elasmobranch fishes. Elasmobranch fishes are cartilaginous fish that include sharks, rays, and skates. These usually deep-water fish are unusual in that they have replaceable rows of teeth, and can detect small changes in the electrical energy around them. (Elasmobranchii Sharks, Skates and Rays) Elasmobranch fishes are especially susceptible to human induced effects via fishing because they have a long life span and a low reproductive rate. (Endangered Species and Habitats) The New England Aquarium’s research program aims to identify differences between mortality rates and stress of each species, and examine the effects of capture on the mental and physical health of the species. (Endangered Species and Habitats)

One specific part of this project is the research on “Condition and Discard Mortality of Skates in the Scallop Dredge Fishery.” (Endangered Species and Habitats) In the Gulf of Maine, the accidental capture rate for skates via trawling and dredge fishing is very high. Because many of these Skate species are a prohibited catch, the discard rates are very high as well. (Endangered Species and Habitats) Through these human induced interactions including “crushing injuries, lacerations and mechanical stress from interactions with the gear” their physiological state of the skate is harmed. (Endangered Species and Habitats) Along with The Virginia Institute of Marine Technology and the University of New England the project analyzes the fate of skates by allowing fisherman to store them in holding tanks on board their vessels until researches can examine them. (Endangered Species and Habitats) Through their research managing the skate populations has “been deemed a major priority area by fisheries management.” (Endangered Species and Habitats)

As we’ve learned in class, the implications on one marine species often have other consequences on the marine environment. It is important that The New England Aquarium continues to assess the physiological stress factors on skates and other elasmobranch fishes so we can better help them to survive after release back into the wild.

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Ecosystems in Balance, From Local to Global, Knowledge into Action, Sustainability Inside and Out, Sustainable Seafood, To Conserve and Protect