TRACK: Sustainability and Resource Management TITLE: Consumer Awareness Toward Sustainable Oceans DATE: Sunday, February 19, 2006 TIME: 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM ORGANIZERS: Leonard Sonnenschein, World Aquarium   PARTICIPANTS:   * = invited, not yet confirmed. Leonard Sonnenschein (Moderator), World Aquarium Philippe Vallette (Speaker), World Ocean Network World Actions Equate to Ocean Health Ram Boojh (Speaker), Center for Environmental Education, India Taking Personal Responsibility for Ocean Health: The World Ocean Network Passport George Leonard (Speaker), Monterey Bay Aquarium U.S. Public Awareness and Consumer Response: Actions Toward Compliance Lennart Nyman (Speaker), World Wildlife Fund, Sweden Common Fisheries Policy Within the European Union and Some Implications from a Sustainable Fisheries Perspective AVAILABLE ABSTRACTS: No available abstracts. SYNOPSIS: Our living seas which cover over 70% of our planet’s surface are dwindling due to overfishing, pollution and coastal effects. People, through their seafood consumption activities, can make a significant impact on the future viability of our oceans. Governmental and non-governmental organizations ranging from fishermen to public aquariums to lawmakers and industry have banded together through the World Ocean Network (www.worldoceannetwork.org) to engage people to make a difference through their actions toward the oceans. Protecting this life sustaining resource through consumer understanding and the resultant change in the chain of custody equation is crucial to the survival of life on this planet. The World Aquarium’s first step was to organize and convene stakeholder meetings in various global regions in pursuit of establishing baseline data and understanding of fisheries on a regional basis including Europe, Caspian Sea region, Southeast Asia, South Asia and Asia, North and South America and Africa in coordination of the Sustainable Seafood Campaign as part of the World Ocean Network - Concrete Conservation Field Actions. Meetings associated with other scientific organizations, producers, consumers, non-governmental and governmental entities have looked at aquaculture, fisheries, and education roles for creating practical changes towards protecting, preserving biodiversity within aquatic ecosystems. The second step is to use the baseline data to establish goals for practical actions including public information brochures and cards, cartoons, consumer advocacy and intergovernmental coordination and measured resultant change. Speakers within these sessions will address issues including: 1) Global sustainability consumer awareness and understanding with buy-in, 2) worldwide activities towards engaging the public through non-traditional educational intuitions for their awareness of ocean issue, 3) creating responsibility in children through their conservation activities, 4) North American response to science-based fisheries management supported by consumer advocacy, and 5) European and Russian coordination of fisheries operations coupled with consumer awareness.