Cat is up today in our spring blog relay - catch up on entries from other Greenpeace staff.
I'm a biologist. I have always been fascinated by the vast array of
beautiful, crazy and weird life forms on this planet. I specialized for many
years on the health of one of the most fascinating creatures - human beings. But
now I work on the health of the oceans, without which the health of the entire
planet is in dire trouble.
Like Emily, I joined Greenpeace as volunteer, coordinating and training local activists in London, while working full-time as a medical journal editor. I became a freelancer to have more flexibility to be an activist, and soon found work on a variety of Greenpeace projects with the active supporters unit, the publications team, and the toxics campaign. Then the oceans team urgently needed a researcher, and the next thing I knew I was writing briefings and heading out to sea on the Esperanza to try to stop seabass pair trawlers from catching and killing dolphins.
That was almost six years ago and now the oceans are my passion. I work closely with our science unit and with campaigners who are running our sustainable seafood project to encourage supermarkets to source their seafood more responsibly and become ambassadors for healthy oceans. This project was so successful in the UK that it has now spread around the globe.
I can usually be found at my computer, surrounded by fish posters, assorted toy marine critters, and the latest science reports. My reading pile is a scary miniature of the leaning tower of Pisa. I write a wide range of briefings and reports for our campaign, from the latest news on cod stocks to case studies on good practice in aquaculture. I am affectionately known by my colleagues as The Fish Head.
I also speak publicly on oceans issues whenever I can. I have even given a lecture on overfishing to interpreters working for the European Commission. I also recently joined one of our ship captains to speak at a screening of The Deadline, a film that follows a Greenpeace investigation of pirate fishing off the coast of West Africa.
I go to many debates and conferences to get a perspective on what other people think of our oceans. Often this is inspiring - there is a lot of great work being done to protect marine life. However, after a recent sustainable seafood debate at the Science Museum's Dana centre, oceans campaigner Willie and I were anything but inspired. Those listening to the debate could be forgiven for thinking that there is disagreement about what is really going on out at sea, but I don't believe that is true. Those of us working on fish - scientists, the fishing industry, environmental groups - all read the same news, and the same science papers. The differences are our visions for the future and what we are prepared to fight for.
For some people, making things a little better is enough. They will tolerate bottom trawlers scrapping their nets along the seabed in some areas. They will allow discarding of large numbers of unwanted marine creatures as long as fishermen record what they throw away. They will consider reducing fishing just a little. The potentially devastating impacts of climate change and increasing ocean acidity on our already depleted oceans are a mere afterthought. That is not my vision.
My vision for healthy oceans is one teaming with marine life, where overfishing and pollution are things of the past, and large areas of the ocean are protected as marine reserves. All fisheries will be fair and sustainable, and all those that need to eat fish - from sharks to seals to humans - will be able to do so without trouble. That's why I work for Greenpeace - I work with those who share my dream.
