FishWatch Profile - Dawn Martin

To paraphrase Aldo Leopold, sustainable means taking resources from the environment only if it does not disturb the "integrity, stability and beauty of the biotic community," and doing so in such a way that our world can naturally replenish itself. All that this planet has to offer has to be maintained to ensure a healthy environment for generations to come.

I have witnessed the urgent need to apply sustainable practices to fisheries, not only in the United States and Europe but also while visiting local communities in the Pacific islands that are dependent on the seafood they catch off their shores for food. The voices of these communities' leaders still ring in my ears, telling stories of how industrial fishing fleets from other countries are now targeting these biologically rich areas. Lacking good management practices and enforcement mechanisms, the fisheries and their habitat are rapidly becoming depleted. By working with local communities to employ sustainable practices and a holistic or ecosystem-based approach to managing their resources, we can perpetuate these fisheries and therefore these cultures. Such an approach can serve not only these communities but also fisheries around the world.

SeaWeb knows that often the biggest barrier to advancing impartial, science-based solutions to our ocean's threats is getting understandable information to those who need it. So as an organization of communications experts, SeaWeb strives to facilitate the use of the latest science by demystifying this knowledge and getting it in the hands of industry leaders and decision-makers. As SeaWeb's President, I see my job as helping to inform and bring together the diverse voices that must be heard in order to effectively manage our fisheries for future generations. Our Seafood Choices Alliance does this by connecting and convening local and commercial fishermen, fish retailers, restaurant owners, chefs, conservationists and policymakers to resolve how seafood can be brought to the consumer in a sustainable manner, both for the industry and the marine environment.

SeaWeb also knows that to achieve a healthy ocean, we cannot just focus on how individual species are fairing. We must step back and evaluate the compounded effects that species' decline or extinction could have on marine environments in combination with threats such as climate change and pollution. This requires an integrated, ecosystem-based approach. By working with others in the marine community to identify and highlight the benefits of ecosystem-based management, and providing tools to effectively communicate those benefits, we are helping to advance this approach to the forefront of the ocean governance debate. Only through a lens that evaluates entire marine ecosystems will we truly be able to monitor and ensure the health of our ocean.

The marine community needs comprehensible, sound science in hand to make wise decisions—and we don't have any time to waste on uninformed debate. If unsustainable fishing practices continue, we are facing the potential loss of most of the seafood we eat within the next few decades. With nearly a sixth of the world's population depending on marine ecosystems for protein, we must take steps now to ensure we have a healthy ocean for future generations.

By finding pragmatic solutions that emerge when seemingly opposed voices are brought together, SeaWeb catalyzes innovation and empowers new champions on behalf of the ocean. Such ocean champions carry messages far beyond the discussion table to their own networks and to decision-makers in order to motivate actions that truly make a difference in the water.