CANCELED: Ghost Gear: Engaging the Private Sector to Defeat the Deadliest Form of Marine Debris
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Online
Free
Open to the Public
CANCELED AS OF 11/14/22—Our speaker is unable to join us for tomorrow’s lecture, and no replacement was able to be located on short notice. We apologize! This is an important topic, so we will certainly host Sara in the future.
Ghost Gear: Engaging the Private Sector to Defeat the Deadliest Form of Marine Debris
Speaker: Sara Pfeifer, Corporate Partnerships Manager, Global Ghost Gear Initiative
Tuesday, November 15, 2022
6:00pm to 7:00pm Pacific Time
Online via Zoom (details below)
About the Topic
Companies involved in the purchase, processing and value adding, distribution, and sale of seafood can ensure their raw material is procured from responsible and well managed fisheries that minimize the potential for and consequences of ghost gear. Likewise, in cases where gear loss occurs, these companies also have the ability to foster improvement from within the fisheries themselves. This session will highlight the Global Ghost Gear Initiative’s innovative approach to engaging with the private sector to make meaningful progress on this important and underrepresented issue.
About the Speaker
Sara provides support and tools to the Global Ghost Gear’s private-sector members and establishes new systems to enhance existing partnerships. Sara works closely with members to implement GGGI’s Best Practice Framework by co-developing work plans to substantively reduce the occurrence of gear loss in their supply chains, track and measure progress, and identify opportunities for further engagement and collaboration. She holds a master’s in international environmental policy from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, with a specialization in Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (OCRM), and brings a technical skill in OCRM grounded in stakeholder engagement with groups ranging from subsistence fishermen in El Salvador to the U.S. National Marine Sanctuary. Prior to her current role, Sara was a resource planner for the California Coastal Commission, spent time in Mexico as a contractor for the Audubon Society and The Nature Conservancy, and launched an NGO to promote agricultural resilience. She is thrilled to be focusing her efforts on the international space again, and for the opportunity to build expertise around and contribute to an issue as urgently important as ghost gear. Sara’s commitment to marine conservation stems from a childhood spent marveling at life underwater in her native southern California.
Recommended Reading
- “Effective Ghost Gear Solutions, Learning from What Works,” a report jointly published by the Global Ghost Gear Initiative, the World Wildlife Fund, and the Ocean Conservancy.
- “Building evidence around ghost gear: Global trends and analysis for sustainable solutions at scale,” lead co-author Kelsey Richardson (side note, Kelsey is MIIS OCRM alumna!), pubished in the journal Marine Pollution Bulletin, Volume 138, January 2019, Pages 222-229
- “A Strong Commitment to Reducing Ocean Plastics,” article published by the Thai Union, an international seafood company. In 2018, Thai Union Group joined the Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI) as part of its commitment to address the growing problem of marine plastic pollution.
Zoom Link to Join
https://middlebury.zoom.us/j/91351225266?pwd=NFdyQVRJcWlOSXAwN043V3BoL000dz09
Password: HappyOcean
Meeting ID: 913 5122 5266
Or iPhone one-tap :
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Or Telephone:
Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
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Phone Password: 7362729534 (no participant ID, press # to bypass)
International numbers available: https://middlebury.zoom.us/u/aezDx4SoHL
Questions
The Center for the Blue Economy is a research organization at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies. Our mission is to promote a sustainable ocean and coastal economy (the “Blue Economy”) through leadership in research, analysis, and education. For questions contact: Rachel C. at cbe@middlebury.edu or visit centerfortheblueeconomy.org or call 831-647-4183 (must leave message and receive call back).