Description

As we learned in our previous module, sustainability in the seafood industry is imperative to mitigating the negative effects of Ocean Fishing in our oceans. We heard from the Ocean Wise Seafood team about restorative seafood and some of the decisions that consumers can make to support fisheries who adhere to our standards, but how else are people in the industry tackling the issue of overfishing? And what are some other ways in which we, as consumers, can start or continue to combat some of the challenges of overfishing. Join us on November 3rd for an exclusive Ocean Bridge Session where we invite a panel of industry specialists (bio’s below) to unpack those questions.  

Learning outcomes

• Explore the state of fisheries, in Canada and internationally 
• Reflect on large-scale and small-scale approaches to dealing with overfishing that are being used by non-profits, industry leaders, and policy makers. 
• Hear from individuals prioritizing interdisciplinary and inclusive approach to fish and fisheries policy, management, and research in the hopes of identifying voices and stakeholders that must be part of local and global solutions to these issues.  

Date + time

November 3rd, 5:00 pm PST / 8:00 pm EST

Pre-dialogue action items

• Watch: Ocean Wise Seafood Webinar: Navigating Solutions to Overfishing | June 8, 2021 - YouTube to get an overview of Overfishing and Ocean Wise’s approach.
• Watch "Module 6: Let's Talk Seafood!" Recordings - Pages - Ocean Bridge - Ocean Wise - TIGed if you have not yet seen it. 

Agenda

• Welcome
• Speaker Introductions
• Live Q&A facilitated by Claire Dawson (Ocean Wise Seafood)
• Wrap-up and thank you

Post-dialogue discussion tasks

• Participate in synchronous or asynchronous discussion

Meet our speakers

Claire Dawson

Since beachcombing in Nova Scotia during summers as a child Claire has been passionate about the Ocean. Originally from Ontario, Claire returned to Nova Scotia to study at Dalhousie University earning a Bachelor of Commerce degree. After discovering the corporate life wasn’t for her, Claire heard the ocean calling and had to answer. She went abroad, guiding scuba dives and educating her guests about ocean conservation and seafood sustainability. It was while living abroad Claire realised there was more she could do to have a broader impact. She completed her Masters of Marine and Environmental Affairs at the University of Washington in 2016 where her thesis utilized a triple bottom line approach to understanding opportunities for sustainable development through shrimp aquaculture in Indonesia. She has experience in ecosystem-based fisheries management, coral reef restoration and conservation, sustainable aquaculture, marine spatial planning and seafood traceability. As a values-driven person, Claire’s wish is that oceans remain healthy and abundant to safeguard livelihoods, promote biodiversity and support food security into the future. Through her work with Ocean Wise, Claire is thrilled to be able to work all along the seafood value chain to educate and inspire people about the value of our global oceans.

RJ Taylor

RJ is a second-generation fish farmer and environmental advocate in Ontario. He and his sister Arlen raise rainbow trout, Arctic char and coho salmon at four land-based fish farms. They also run a processing facility and deliver sustainable wild and farmed fish to 2,000+ homes a month through a unique direct-to-consumer brand called Springhills Fish. RJ is the managing director for the Ontario Aquaculture Association, an advisor to Ontario's agriculture minister, and was appointed to the province's species and risk advisory committee. Although RJ grew up on the end of a fish net, he took a ten-year hiatus in his 20s to lead science education initiatives across Canada for Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, the University of Toronto and Dyson. 

Sonia Strobel

Sonia is co-founder and CEO of Skipper Otto, a Community Supported Fishery which connects BC fishing families and their catch directly to seafood-loving home-cooks across Canada. Sonia has worked in a variety of community-based organizations, non-profits, and as an inner-city high school teacher for many years, always striving for social and environmental justice. A long-time member of Community Supported Agriculture programs, Sonia brought her knowledge of CSAs to her family fishery, first conceiving of the idea for the Community Supported Fishery (CSF) in 2008. Sonia has won several innovation awards including SheEO’s Radical Generosity and the FWE Pitch for the Purse.

Liane Arness

Growing up in Calgary, Liane didn’t think about the ocean too much. However, that changed after completing a BSc of Biology at UBC when Liane joined the ecosystem of fisheries and sustainability policies in 2008 when she worked on the Sea Around Us project, based at the UBC Fisheries Centre. Keen to learn more about sustainability, Liane moved to Edinburgh to pursue a MSc in Environmental Sustainability. This led to an opportunity to work on marine policy at the Zoological Society of London and then to work on European fisheries policy for an environmental law NGO, based out of London, for five years. Since 2017, Liane has been working for SeaChoice, a sustainable seafood partnership supported by the David Suzuki Foundation, Ecology Action Centre and Living Oceans Society. Liane is SeaChoice's National Manager, coordinating the activities of the project across Canada.