Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
defined the sustainable seafood movement also helped the aquarium define a role
for the programme. The Marine Stewardship Council's (MSC) standards for eco-
certification and subsequent labelling were viewed as the gold standard for all
seafood sources to achieve. The role of the Seafood Watch pocket guide and lists
like it were considered to serve as interim tools while more MSC-labelled items
entered the mainstream marketplace. To help coordinate the efforts of the various
initiatives in the US, the Seafood Choices Alliance was developed. Seafood Watch,
the MSC, Environmental Defense, the Blue Ocean Institute and others joined the
alliance to increase collaborative research, ensure consistent messages were put
into the public arena and to add momentum to the young movement.
After 3 years of implementing Seafood Watch, an independent evaluation of
the programme confirmed our success in changing consumer buying habits and
influencing the seafood purchases of local businesses (Quadra & Galiano 2004).
This information led to the development of a modified strategy that was reinforced
by a 2005 evaluation of the overall sustainable seafood movement sponsored by
the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. Seafood Watch would continue our
role in raising consumer awareness to maintain issue salience, but to expedite the
marketplace demand for sustainable seafood we would focus more attention on
supporting businesses with considerable purchasing power who are interested in
making a commitment to ocean friendly seafood sources.
To support this work and to expand the aquarium's contributions to the marine
conservation community, a new division was formed in the aquarium - the Center for
the Future of the Oceans
R
. The Center includes the Seafood Watch programme and
other initiatives that support the mission of inspiring actions for conservation of the
oceans, including the establishment of marine-protected areas and species-specific
conservation efforts consistent with the aquarium's pelagic research programmes.
17.3
Target audiences of the Seafood Watch programme
The original mission of the Seafood Watch programme was to shift the buying habits
of consumers to support sustainable fisheries and aquaculture operations. The effort
targeted aquarium visitors who may be open to conservation messages. During
our 2004 evaluation, an exploratory literature review helped us better understand
consumer demographics, buying patterns and marketing strategies. As a result, we
were able to confirm that the aquarium visitors' profile was similar to demographic
patterns among 'green consumers' and 'early adopters' of new innovations such as
buying environmentally responsible products (Wolfe & Lilley 2004).
It may seem odd to some visitors that an aquarium dedicated to conservation,
education and appreciation of marine ecosystems would make seafood recommen-
dations. But over the last 30 years, aquariums and zoos have evolved their mission
from entertainment centres to conservation organisations utilising the live animal
experience to create a personal, emotional connection (Yalowitz 2004). Monterey
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