Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
demands may translate into pressure on politicians and more support for Forest
and Bird's efforts to pressure for environmentally better fisheries management and
for marine reserves, as part of the system of providing a cushion for the marine
ecosystem against the impacts of fishing.
18.5
Influencing consumer choices
Forest and Bird was aware of market research that suggested that people would
engage on the issue of fisheries impacts first as consumers. The engagement with
people on fisheries management policy is more difficult.
An obvious problem for Forest and Bird is the fact that 85% of product from
New Zealand fisheries is exported. Strategies for engaging consumer choices are
thus divided between those aimed at altering domestic consumers' choices and
those aimed at the consumers outside New Zealand. In the latter case, the task is
longer term. International partners were, and are, continuing to be sought to help
educate and pressure supermarket buyers, restaurants and hoteliers, and those in
the food media. BirdLife International is one such partner who have placed the
Forest and Bird material on their website. Forest and Bird has also sought the help
of international opinion leaders such as Sylvia Earle and others in raising the issues
with consumers abroad.
In the dynamic of the politics of fisheries management in New Zealand, this
reaching out to consumer and public opinion abroad is crucial, since such cus-
tomer sentiment means far more to the fishing industry in New Zealand than do-
mestic environmental opinion does. 'Reach' and influence in foreign markets are
important.
Domestically in New Zealand, where 15% of the fish is consumed, Forest and Bird
sought to place the wallet card (Plate 18.1) in the hands of a proportion of consumers
who will use it and who will then spread the word. This also enabled an opportunity
to talk to chefs, food media representatives, regular media, supermarket buyers
and hoteliers so that they would be informed and then help to mould consumer
preferences.
While many of the species that ended up high in the amber category were less
well known, they were also species that tended to be cheaper than species in the
red (avoid) category. This point was emphasised by the number of chefs (Daish
2004).
18.6
Programme marketing
New Zealand environmental organisations lack the resources of many of the larger
overseas groups and there is little in the way of foundation funding as is found,
for example, in the US. Programme marketing has therefore not had the benefit of
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